I loves to read. I feel empty and worthless when I'm not in the middle of a great book. I should probably tell a psychiatrist about that last statement.
So I love to read and here is my proof: my Amazon wish list. Once you get past the very sophisticated and exceptionally smart movies, you'll see page after page of VERY intellectual books. Let me tell you about one of them.
I read Last Child in the Woods this summer. At the heart of the book is the assertion that modern children are too sheltered, too entertained, too guarded from nature, and are suffering because of it. The author links lack of exposure to the outdoors to ADD, behavioral problems, and a general lack of connection with nature.
From Publishers Weekly
Today's kids are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, says child advocacy expert Louv (Childhood's Future; Fatherlove; etc.), even as research shows that "thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can... be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies." Instead of passing summer months hiking, swimming and telling stories around the campfire, children these days are more likely to attend computer camps or weight-loss camps: as a result, Louv says, they've come to think of nature as more of an abstraction than a reality. Indeed, a 2002 British study reported that eight-year-olds could identify Pokémon characters far more easily than they could name "otter, beetle, and oak tree." Gathering thoughts from parents, teachers, researchers, environmentalists and other concerned parties, Louv argues for a return to an awareness of and appreciation for the natural world. Not only can nature teach kids science and nurture their creativity, he says, nature needs its children: where else will its future stewards come from? Louv's book is a call to action, full of warnings—but also full of ideas for change.
I. Loved. This. Book. I loved it so much that I took it to heart, and started letting my children spend more time unsupervised outside. I've called moratoriums on movies and video games, for the sole purpose of forcing outside play. We've spent time at just about every park in town, and I'm planning a hike before the end of the summer. This particular book has nothing to do with homeschooling. It's more about parenting. And the consequences of electronic parenting.
Buy it. Or check it out of your library. You won't be sorry.
6 comments:
Okay, I don't have any proof to back it up, but I read somewhere that there is a shade of blue found ONLY in the sky and that children's eyes can only process it while they're outside. Isn't that cool?
I'm totally going to read this book.
I haven't read the book (yet) but we at our house are firm believers in letting the kids play in nature. We're fortunate to live on a canyon with hawks and owls and coyote and snakes and raccoons and the occasional vulture, plus all manner of spiders and bugs. And we're a stone's throw from the beach, where our kids love to frolic in the tidepools and seek little octopodes and sea cucumbers. I have rarely seen a kid who does not have fun on the beach. It's a cheap, beautiful, ever-changing playground.
The wonders of nature can bring out the kid in all of us.
Sorry; that sounded like a trite Ranger Rick-ish thing to say.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a rural area. The woods and lake were our playground. I pity the child that has never felt the squish of cool mud between their toes. Or learned the fine art of "shooting" a bird with a camera.It was there that I saw the awesome power of the changing weather. It was there that I really knew there had to be something bigger than all of us to haveput all the laws of nature in place. For us the woods were magical. We were Tarzan and the Lone Ranger. We were Indians and brave little lost orphans. We build forts with our dads army supplies. While our father's were in Viet Nam, we were in the woods and no grownup was there to stunt our imagination. In the woods, the good guys always won and everyone always lived happily ever after. But back to the subject, a child cannot learn about nature from a book. And some things only nature can teach. My grandson watched my cat eat a little baby frog that he had pulled out of a pail of tadpoles. I thought it would upset him, because he's never been around nature. He thought it was cool, better than Wil Kingdom
I'll check this out. That quote made me think that maybe I need to find a way to get over my hangups about the Boy Scouts (was both a member and an employee) and put my boys in when they get old enough.
Boy Scouts is a major issue in our household right now. Will DOES NOT WANT TO DO IT. Charlie is really really really keen on the idea. Poor Will. He's going to lose.
Great recommendation! I'm definately reading that book! My viking hubby will especially love it since he is a fan of all things outdoors.
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