According to author and chairman of the Children & Nature Network, Richard Louv, our children are suffering from a severe lack of nature, endangering their physical and emotional health. Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, is a poignant collection of research, anecdotes, and challenges for parents describing evidence that shows that as children spend less time outdoors, there is a steep rise in obesity and depression. There is also a decline in ingenuity and cognitive maturity. These are the causes for the phenomenon he calls nature-deficit disorder.
Disorder or Distortion?
I know – do we really need another disorder with which to label our children? While I am the last one to want to place tags on our kids, the arguments that Louv presents do make me think that this is one label we need to keep in our vocabulary so that we can fight it. The best part is that there is no medication recommended for combatting it – just exposure and connections to nature.
Louv explains that experiencing nature is truly the organic way in which people learn, and that for centuries our natural exposure to the outdoor environment equipped us with certain survival skills that today’s children are lacking. He goes on to say that time spent in nature improves the senses, creating healthier individuals with “instinctual confidence.”
Does building tree forts and playing in the dirt really help my children grow? I believe wholeheartedly that the connection they feel to the world around them can’t be simulated by even the best video game. This connection is essential for developing into healthy adults. Maryland professor Jane Clark is cited in Louv’s work as calling children today “containerized kids” and has some scary research to support her label. As kids are strapped into car seats, high chairs, jogging strollers, and ever confining smaller spaces, they are becoming more obese, less capable, and less creative. Who knew a mud pie could make such a difference?
Numerous studies that Louv cites also point to enhancements in education when nature is involved. Even such simple things as having class outdoors for an hour each day can improve attention and overall success. The need for nature for our children goes far beyond the classroom. Studies have shown the importance of physical touch, even calling it essential to any peace-making process. How many times do you check your email each day compared with how many times you shake someone’s hand or hug your child? The more technology we provide our children, the less they interact with each other and us in the real world.
I am sure kids can enjoy some of the benefits of nature without getting dirty, but I can’t imagine how much fun that would be. We had just moved into our newly renovated home, a yard without any grass yet, and on a blistering hot day. We filled the kiddie pool and let the kids turn themselves into creatures from the brown lagoon. When their fun was over I plopped them on towels, instructed them not to touch the walls, and I pulled them on the towel through the house and into the bathroom. Family who were visiting could not believe that I would risk getting my new home dirty by letting the children cover themselves in mud. I can’t imagine risking their lives to be lived without building a connection to our world, dirt and all.
