By Kate Agliata:
“You’re so lucky to live in the South,” a Northern dwelling friend of mine recently said to me. “You don’t have to worry about piles of snow and freezing temperatures, your kids can open the door and run outside to play whenever they want.” Well not exactly, I thought to myself, after all, summers in Birmingham can get ridiculously hot. In fact, Birmingham can get so hot that by the end of our fist summer here I felt as though I would go stark raving mad if I had to spend one more afternoon trapped inside. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we kept busy with library events, museum memberships, and plenty of good old fashioned play dates, yet, something was still missing. I missed spending time outside. Simply put, I had begun to feel disconnected from nature, and worse, I feared my children were also suffering from the disconnection as well.
Extreme heat aside, the year-round typical warmer weather of the South does afford us the luxury to spend more time outside, and therefore more time enjoying nature. Yet, do we really take advantage of it? Sadly, for many of us, the answer is probably a resounding no. You might say, “it’s nothing against nature, I’m just busy,” or, “I just can’t trust my child to be outside by themselves.” The simple truth revolves around a growing list of obstacles that continue to merit the great concern over a tremendous lack of nature in our lives.
We live in a world that is becoming more and more centered around technological advances, and less and less focused on real outdoor experiences. As a society we are increasingly dependent upon computers, TV, and cell phones in order to entertain, learn, and even communicate with one another. Although there are incredible benefits to such advances, negative factors exist as well, such as the now proven association between an abundance of screen time and disturbing childhood trends like obesity, attention disorders, and poor academic performance. Scary to think about, isn’t it? Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, explores the idea that our children are so plugged in, and so out of touch with nature that their most crucial functions—their health and emotional well being—are being compromised. “Direct exposure to nature is essential for the physical and emotional health of children and adults,” says Louv. “Our kids are actually doing what we told them to do when they sit in front of that TV all day or in front of that computer game all day. The society is telling kids unconsciously that nature’s in the past. It really doesn’t count anymore, that the future is in electronics, and besides, the bogeyman is in the woods.”
Right now, you might be thinking something like this: “my kid spends plenty of time outdoors, he’s on a soccer team, and we go to the beach three times a year.” Yet, there are other factors associated with a nature-deficit existence, including the less dominant, yet still crucial components. Take into consideration the lack of imaginary play, or freedom from routine and structure? Having spent most of my childhood living in a small coastal town in Southern Maine, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had both the beach and the forest within walking distance of my backyard. I can’t recall a weekend where my sisters and I weren’t outside exploring, playing, and imagining with our friends, or even by ourselves. We collected acorns for the squirrels, built forts, and spent hours pushing one another on our tire swing. But times are different now you might say. Yes, I suppose in many ways they are, but have the fundamentals really changed all that much? Are the necessities for human development all that different? I don’t believe they are. I believe that bringing our children closer to nature—plants, grass, trees, gardens—and yes, even bugs—means making it a tangible experience for them. Once nature is in their sight—or better yet in their hands—our children are able to appreciate it far better than by simply “experiencing” it via TV or computer. And when they appreciate it, they also really understand it, helping them to become better environmental stewards in the future.
So if you’re windows are still closed, open them up, let the fresh air in. If you’ve been meaning to stop by that beautiful new park but just haven’t made the time, do it now—and bring along a magnifying glass, or even a kite. Turn off the TV, make the most of this pleasant spring weather, and while you’re encouraging your children to get outdoors to play, take a moment to remind yourself that it’s good for you to head outdoors as well.
About Kate:
Kate, a freelance writer and mother of two, most often finds creative inspiration in writing, but occasionally at the bottom of an empty wine glass. She has hijacked her family’s former lifestyle and is in the midst of creating a simpler and greener approach to life. To follow her family’s challenges and successes in this endeavor, visit her blog, at Kate’s Musings. She and her family have lived in Birmingham since 2009.
