Thread by @cblack__

"Missionaries who visited the Arctic... wrote in their diaries that it seemed like Sámi children could do whatever they liked, & that they lacked discipline altogether.

"However... the seemingly rule-free Sámi way of child-rearing has its own intricate structure and philosophy."

https://twitter.com/BBC_Future/status/1483439737956298753

"One of its guiding principles is that rather than following a fixed schedule, the whole family adapts to whatever tasks need to be carried out, be that earmarking, travelling or other joint activities. Within that framework, children make their own choices."

"To be able to carry out the work together, the entire family switches sleep cycles... Children are up & awake working & playing all night, for weeks at a time, together with their extended families and fellow herders. They nap during the day... whenever they feel like it."

"Sámi children were also expected to regulate and control their own emotions, a pattern that is common in circumpolar communities, according to the study... in Sámi pedagogics, it is a central thought that adults don’t do everything ready for children,"

"In Western thinking it is often expected that adults give the tasks & assignments, whereas for us, the action is based on freedom, whether the question is about changing sleeping cycles, choosing hobbies or something else. The adults can’t just tell [the children what to do"

"Time is an important part of this philosophy: "We believe that children must be given time to think & express their opinions, & they also need to fail..." She quotes a Northern Sámi expression: "Gal dat oahppá go stuorrola", meaning "He/she will learn when he/she grows up."

"Another common saying among Sámi parents, "ieš dieđát", meaning, "you know it yourself..." Sámi parents may say this when a child insists on going out into the cold in light clothing, as the child will discover for themselves whether they should put on more layers."

"Part of this is a Sámi concept called "birget", meaning to cope or to manage both independently, & with others. The strategies used are often indirect, avoiding confrontation... "

"Sámi parents may wait for a moment when the joint focus is on something else, such as gazing into a fire, in order to discuss a difficult subject without creating a sense of confrontation."

"Despite this independence, a set of social norms & duties shapes Sámi life... a child takes responsibility in many kinds of work relating to reindeer herding & feels proud about it... One is not an individual but a member of an extended family that one has responsibility for"

"Surviving or doing well in life, in the eyes of the community, has nothing to do with making money or a fine career but more with the survival skills. Besides surviving in nature, one must also get along with different kinds of people in different kinds of environments."

"A Sámi child grows into thinking that people are all different and one must always be inventive. I would say it is very tolerant."

"Asked about her about their routines, Kallioinen laughs: "Oh what, routines? We don’t have any.... She emphasises that her children never go hungry, and there is always food available – they just don't follow a schedule: "Sometimes I try, but it just doesn’t work."

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