Nordic Word of the Week: Sisu

Word: sisu Pronunciation: See-soo Literal Meaning: Quiet inner strength; gentle perseverance.

Climbing

There is a Finnish saying: "Happiness does not come from searching for it, but from living through it." Gentle parenting is not the same as comfortable parenting. In the Nordic tradition, some discomfort is part of how a child grows. This is why we place such a heavy emphasis on outdoor play, regardless of the weather. When a child plays in the wind or wet snow, they are learning what their body can take. They learn they can be cold and still want to keep going. The cold passes.

A child who can put up with a wet mitten without falling apart has learned something we cannot teach in any other way.

Sisu is not about harshness. It is about being calm and steady while the child works through something hard. It is looking at a frustrated child and saying: I see this is hard. I am here. You can do this.

We cannot give our children sisu. It is a muscle they must build themselves. Our job is simply to stop interrupting the workout.

This Week

When something is hard for your child, getting dressed, finishing a task, working through frustration, pause before stepping in. Stay close and quiet, and let them do the work.

Once they come through it, tell them what you saw. They kept going when it was hard, and that is sisu.

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The Woollen Thread follows Olli through the winter birches, stitch by stitch. View →