This morning as I was flipping through the channels in the midst of nursing my son, I came across something very interesting on the Today show. They were talking about something called nature deficit disorder. Richard Louv first created this term then brought the idea to the public eye when he wrote the book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. This got my attention. What Louv says is that kids today are suffering behavioral issues due to a lack of time outdoors, getting in touch with nature so to speak. I 100% agree.
Just think back, since the beginning of time human beings have spent a majority of their lives outdoors. Whether it is was a matter of survival or pleasure it was a huge part of life for adults and children. Today with many kids growing up in cities, some never even set foot in a forest. How sad. Nature is an incredible gift that is being wasted and misused. It is no wonder humankind today thinks we are separate from our environment. How very wrong that thought is, we are one, we are all part of the same incredible planet.
There are many reasons besides kids growing up in the city that contribute to this shift. Parents are afraid to let their kids explore outdoors. There are ticks in meadows, strangers lurking in parks, and the list goes on. Then there is the fact that parents just aren’t making the time. Kids are in so many activities or parents are working two jobs and so there just isn’t time to get outside. Another huge change is in the technology in our lives. With texting, video games, myspace, and talking on the phone it can be hard to peel your kids away. Unfortunately, the results of these causes are having bigger consequences then we first realized. Our children have more behavioral issues then ever. Having myself grown up in a place where we could play outside all day I agree that kids need to reconnect with the outdoors. Walking around barefoot in the grass, building forts, chasing lighting bugs, and guessing the shapes of clouds help me foster my imagination, stay healthy and form a love of nature to this day. You also get to share special moments with friends and family, try doing that with a TV screen. It is hard to ignore all the reports of today’s kids having higher rates of things like ADD, low self-esteem, obesity and stress.
Another thing that I am reminded of when I read this is a conversation my father and I had not long ago. When he was a kid, he would leave the house in the morning and not come home until lunch, then back out again. He spent all summer playing with the other children in the neighborhood; riding bikes, fishing, building tree houses, etc. His parents didn’t have to worry about him. He could play all over the neighborhood, walking up and down the rural roads and woods and be just fine (aside from the occasional skinned knee). Today parents have to worry about kids being kidnapped or neighbors who might abuse them and as they get older, the list goes on with drug and alcohol use and sexual exploration. Growing up today is hard and being a parent of children growing up today might be even harder.
Yes, there might be more to be concerned about but that is just something to consider and adjust to. Sure, the kids may not be able to roam free in the wild but that just means we need to be there with them. Parents could stand to spend more quality time with their kids anyway. The main message here is that we all start to realize kids need a push out the door. Yes that means we too need to shut the blackberry off and head out there with them. A little (preferably A LOT) of fresh air will do ya good!
