Imagine the time when kids no longer play outside, they will not smile upon birds and butterflies and they will not be able to connect to our Mother Nature. For some kids, that time is coming very soon. At-least, city kids are very soon going to be affected by this "Nature Deficit Disorder".
Nature Deficit Disorder has no meaning is medical world but it's a description of the human costs of alienation from nature. Studies have proved that kids (and the rest of us) need direct experience with nature for their healthy development of body and mind.
When I was a kid, I used to get amazed at seeing the ant armies and how they put so much effort to take a break crumb from my kitchen to their ant hills. I used to notice different colored butterflies in my backyard garden. Even dung beetles used to amaze me with their dedication to pushing a ball of poop. I can't get all these things for my son right now where I live. It's a crowded place with buildings everywhere. Roads are full of vehicles, noise, dirt, and people. That soothing touch of nature is missing completely.
Today's kids are smarter and they know so much about the environment but that actual touch of nature is continuously dying. Competition from TV, computers and gazettes, more homework and other time pressures, and lack of access to natural-open areas is keeping kids indoors. While technology is helping us in many ways, it's abating our kid's access to the physical world. As a parent I have the biggest reason for keeping kids inside, it's Fear. Fear of traffic, fear of crime, fear of stranger-danger and of nature itself. But fear dominates family life. We are not letting kids go outside and roam around. This is actually sad.
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The article is written as part of the #SuperBloggerChallenge2018 by #Instacuppa conducted by HealthWealthBridge.com FashionableFoodz.com AllAboutTheWoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or use otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2018 is not responsible for any infringement caused.
Nature Deficit Disorder has no meaning is medical world but it's a description of the human costs of alienation from nature. Studies have proved that kids (and the rest of us) need direct experience with nature for their healthy development of body and mind.
When I was a kid, I used to get amazed at seeing the ant armies and how they put so much effort to take a break crumb from my kitchen to their ant hills. I used to notice different colored butterflies in my backyard garden. Even dung beetles used to amaze me with their dedication to pushing a ball of poop. I can't get all these things for my son right now where I live. It's a crowded place with buildings everywhere. Roads are full of vehicles, noise, dirt, and people. That soothing touch of nature is missing completely.
Today's kids are smarter and they know so much about the environment but that actual touch of nature is continuously dying. Competition from TV, computers and gazettes, more homework and other time pressures, and lack of access to natural-open areas is keeping kids indoors. While technology is helping us in many ways, it's abating our kid's access to the physical world. As a parent I have the biggest reason for keeping kids inside, it's Fear. Fear of traffic, fear of crime, fear of stranger-danger and of nature itself. But fear dominates family life. We are not letting kids go outside and roam around. This is actually sad.
Have a look at some of the facts about kid's contact with nature:
- As kid's association with nature gets lower and the social, psychological and physical implications become apparent, research shows that nature can offer a powerful remedy for such ailments, for example, depression, obesity, and attention-deficit disorder.
- Exposure to nature can increase a kid’s (and an adult’s) powers of concentration in studies and other activities.
- In addition to this, a person's creativity is stimulated by his/her childhood experiences in nature. Environment-based education improves test scores and grade-points and helps kids develop skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision making.
Still, there is a ray of hope. We can keep things under control. We should teach our kids how to love this nature. We need to let them play and taste the world which also has plants and wildlife. Let them connect to mysteries of nature and let them understand the complexities of life which are not only for humans.
- Take them to bird centuries and zoo often.
- Involve them to make a small indoor garden and give them the responsibility of plants.
- Go for tracking and hiking.
- Visit countryside in vacations.
We all have a role in reconnecting kids and nature, a connection that benefits their health and well-being. We need to play our role, it's necessary. Because what we do is less important than how we do it. One of the most important gifts to give our kids is an enthusiasm for the outdoors. This gift will last for the rest of a kid’s life long after the video games have disappeared.
The article is written as part of the #SuperBloggerChallenge2018 by #Instacuppa conducted by HealthWealthBridge.com FashionableFoodz.com AllAboutTheWoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or use otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2018 is not responsible for any infringement caused.
This is really assuming epidemic proportions. There is a dearth of playgrounds and open spaces. Also, parents these days rarely find time for their kids, and therefore tend to offer fillers like video games and smartphones.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid living in Chennai I used to watch cute little sparrows strutting along house tops. Nowadays I hardly come across sparrows and I really miss them. A sparrow cannot fly high. They are slowly fading away from our cities with so many high rise buildings coming up. And you are right children nowadays cannot even understand the childhood we had. It is really a pity that nature is being depleted in this way.
ReplyDeleteNice article , agree with you , I do encourage my kids to play in gardens and parks , plant some trees and be away from gadgets for some time .
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Thankfully I am less worried in this area. Blessed to be born in a state where Nature predominates. Had a childhood very close to Nature. My mother made me aware of so many things. She answered my silly questions with utmost patience. I live in urban area but not far from Nature. I avoid outings into mall or movies and instead carry my gal to forests, grasslands, riverside. I think she shares my love for Nature. And I can't tell you how happy that makes me as a mom.
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