India, Jan. 26 -- As North India shivered through another record-breaking winter, the narrative followed a predictable script. Television studios broadcasted dire warnings, parental anxiety spiked, and state administrations promptly extended the winter vacation. Even when schools resumed with restricted hours, a hesitant hush hung over the playgrounds. Now, consider a reality check from the Finnish capital of Helsinki. In the first week of January, Helsinki's maximum temperature for two consecutive days hovered at a bone-chilling -13degC. During that same window, the minimum temperature in Delhi and Chandigarh was a relatively balmy 3degC. While we bolt our doors and crank up the heaters, what do the Finns do? They wrap their babies in winter gear, tuck them into prams or strollers, and leave them outside to sleep in the snow, training them from infancy to adapt to winter. This is not to suggest Indian parents should follow this practice, but it shows how regions adapt differently to their climates. During my first winter in Finland, the sight was jarring. However, as I spoke to colleagues, a fascinating pattern emerged. Finnish parents purposely place babies outside for naps, noting that they sleep more soundly and longer in the crisp air than they do indoors. These sessions can last anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours. While the baby slumbers in the sub-zero quiet, parents might be sipping coffee in a nearby cafe or keeping a watchful eye from an apartment window. The logistics are precise: Babies are dressed in woollen thermal layers, placed in insulated sleeping bags, and parked in sheltered spots like porches or outside daycares. Parents use baby monitors and perform frequent neck checks to ensure the child is neither chilly nor overheating. Daycares even mandate these outdoor naps daily unless the mercury plunges below -15degC. How did such a counter-intuitive practice become a national norm? It began as a survival necessity in the early 20th century, when public health movements championed fresh air as a panacea for indoor germs. Over decades, this evolved into a cultural practice tied to the concept of "friluftsliv"- the Nordic philosophy of "open-air living". Public health nurses in Finland don't just tolerate the practice; they demonstrate it. Research from the University of Oulu shows that 95% of Finnish families participate, typically starting when the infant is just two weeks old. It is a tradition that fosters a deep connection with nature and a grit that defines the Nordic spirit. This cold-weather conditioning doesn't stop at infancy. In Finland, formal schooling often doesn't begin until age seven. Until then, the focus is almost entirely on play, specifically outdoor play. In 2014, a kindergarten in Turku even experimented with a programme where preschoolers spent nearly their entire day outside, retreating indoors only when the wind chill made it feel colder than -10degC. As the popular Finnish proverb goes: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. While Finland leaves its babies in the cold to toughen them up, India closes schools at 3degC. We have mastered the art of sheltering our children from the winter; perhaps it is time we also learned how to prepare them for it....