Nature

There is mounting evidence that connection with nature makes children healthier, happier, more likely to care about the environment, and less prone to problems such as obesity and ADD. Though the importance of nature may seem obvious to many of you, frequent interaction with nature is not a part of life for the majority of families in this country. Kids are spending less time playing outdoors and for many families, accessible green space is nowhere to be seen. When you add in the time crunch faced by hard working parents, tech-fed kids, and parental fears about letting their kids play outside, we see what author Richard Louv calls “nature-deficit disorder.”

In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Louv makes the case for nature-deficit disorder, which is “not an official diagnosis but a way of viewing the problem, and describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.” A University of Maryland study revealed that from 1997-2003 “there was a decline of 50 percent in the proportion of children 9-12 who spent time in such outside activities as hiking, walking, fishing, beach play, and gardening.”

The number one reason cited by parents for not letting their children play outdoors is fear about their child’s safety. Crimes against children are terrifying and unacceptable at any rate. Obsessive media coverage of such events may contribute to a perception among parents that violent crime against children by strangers is on the rise when, in fact, most abuse and abductions are perpetrated by relatives or family friends. In addition, the rate of violent crime against children is not rising; it is currently lower than 1975 levels (Children and Nature Network). Parents are wise to be protective and thoughtful about child safety, but it also seems important to weigh safety fears against the very real risks of fostering a sedentary, indoor lifestyle. “For public health workers, the effects of sedentary indoor lifestyles are already evident among children: startling rates of obesity, the onset of one-time adult conditions such as diabetes and a shortened life expectancy “ (from the October 2007 issue of The Nation’s Health). The need for more active engagement with nature is an emerging public health issue that has inspired a growing movement. As stated on the Children and Nature Network’s website, the “central goal of the children and nature movement is to help shape a society in which the public once again considers it to be normal and expected for children to be outside and playing in natural areas.”

Parents report that the number two reason for a lack of outdoor play is their children’s use of television and computers games. Kaiser Family Foundation did a study that found children age 8-18 spend an average of 45 hours per week using electronic media (2005 and 2006). In our tech-heavy culture, parents need to empower each other to set limits on computer and television use so that technological time does not usurp outdoor time spent doing activities that can enhance health, development, environmental awareness, and cognitive functioning.

The third most common barrier reported by parents is a lack of time to spend outdoors with their children. This is a factor of long workdays driven by economic need as well as poor urban planning. Families who live in urban settings that are low on public park space face additional burdens of travel time, planning, and potential traffic that could make getting outdoors a real hassle. Ensuring living wages and the development of accessible green space for all families need to be public health and child welfare priorities.

In the meantime, children benefit from our deliberate efforts at creating frequent and unstructured opportunities for them to play outdoors. If there is no green space nearby, consider filling a bucket or planter box with dirt and planting something (check out the gardening ideas in this issue’s Toddler Time). If necessary and/or possible, plan for excursions to more natural settings on weekends. Go camping during summer break – it’s a cheap and low-impact vacation option that promotes bonding and allows for lots of time spent breathing fresh air, tuning into natural rhythms, encountering wild animals, and getting away from the lure of computer and TV screens.