Is it true that our worry and concern as parents is turning our children into nature-deficient individuals? We went out with some friends last night and of course as always, we were talking about our children and our childhood. We were lamenting the fact that our children have such a different reality than we did. When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest, I would come home from school (that was two blocks from my house) grab a snack and then hit the road with my friends. One the weekends we were gone practically the whole day and I’m not quite sure my parents ever knew “exactly” where we were.
My children have a very different reality. Granted they’re 5 but I know where they are and have watch over them 24/7. And while I have this constant worried, watchful eye, I don’t necessarily feel that my children are deprived of the great outdoors. A book I was just reading about, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” talks about how our fear of threats to our children in the modern day may be misplaced. For instance, violent victimization of children has dropped by more than 38 percent since 1975, according to a recent study by Duke University. What has increased is round-the-clock news coverage of a few tragedies involving children. I remember early on when I first had my children, our book club was reading the book “The Lovely Bones.” While I enjoyed the book I was absolutely horrified by the content. It scared the life out of me and for weeks I felt as if I’d choke every time I left the house for work and left my children with their nanny. Sometimes I do wonder if my anxiety is something they feel. When they run ahead and get close to the road and my voice raises a full octave do they panic too? Or when they play a little too close to the edge of the lake and I run at full speed do they feel my fear? I hope not.
We do spend lots of time outside. While I don’t take them to a school where we “hike in” they do have a vegetable garden at their school and each class has their own plot. They are learning about the earth and how they’re connected to it. Like everything I guess I feel like balance is what I covet. While I wish I didn’t worry so much, I’m not willing to completely let go. How do you do it? How do you find that equilibrium?
Posted on March 19th, 2006 by Sam
Filed under: Uncategorized
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