Gone are the days when leisure time for kids usually meant going outside getting into nature. Today, a child is far more likely to play games on smartphones or computers than run in the park or play kick-the-can in the backyard.
The separation of kids and nature has resulted in a number of issues lumped loosely together under the expression “nature deficit disorder.” What is nature deficit disorder and what does it mean for your kids?
Read on for information about how a lack of nature injures kids and tips on how to prevent nature deficit disorder.
What is Nature Deficit Disorder?
If you haven’t read anything about this issue, you are likely to ask, “What is nature deficit disorder?”. If you have read about it, you may wonder, “Is nature deficit disorder real?”.
Modern kids spend less and less time in the great outdoors,
and the physical and emotional toll it is taking on their health is termed
nature deficit disorder. When children aren’t exposed to nature, they lose
interest in it and their curiosity about it. The effects of nature deficit
disorder are detrimental and sadly very real.
Effects of Nature Deficit Disorder
This “disorder” is not a medical diagnosis but a term
describing real consequences of too little nature in a child’s life. Research
establishes that kids are physically and mentally healthier when they spend
time in nature, including the garden.
When their lives are characterized by a lack of nature, the
consequences are dire. The use of their senses diminishes, they have a hard
time paying attention, tend to put on weight, and suffer from higher rates of
physical and emotional illnesses.
In addition to the effects of nature deficit disorder on the
health of a child, you have to factor in the effects on the future of the
environment. Research shows that adults who identify themselves as
environmentalists had transcendent experiences in the natural world. When
children are not engaged with nature, they are not likely to take active steps
as adults to preserve the natural world around them.
How to Prevent Nature Deficit Disorder
If you are wondering how to prevent nature deficit disorder in your children, you’ll be happy to hear that it is entirely possible. Kids provided with the chance to experience nature in any manner will interact and engage with it. The best way to get kids and nature together is for parents to reengage with the outdoors as well. Taking children out for hikes, to the beach, or on camping trips is a great way to start.
“Nature” doesn’t have to be pristine and wild to be
beneficial. Those that live in cities can head to parks or even backyard gardens.
For instance, you could start
a vegetable garden with your kids or create
a natural playground for them. Just sitting outdoors looking up at the
clouds passing by or admiring a sunset can bring a sense of happiness and peace
as well.
Gone are the days when leisure time for kids usually meant going outside getting into nature. Today, a child is far more likely to play games on smartphones or computers than run in the park or play kick-the-can in the backyard.
The separation of kids and nature has resulted in a number of issues lumped loosely together under the expression “nature deficit disorder.” What is nature deficit disorder and what does it mean for your kids?
Read on for information about how a lack of nature injures kids and tips on how to prevent nature deficit disorder.
What is Nature Deficit Disorder?
If you haven’t read anything about this issue, you are likely to ask, “What is nature deficit disorder?”. If you have read about it, you may wonder, “Is nature deficit disorder real?”.
Modern kids spend less and less time in the great outdoors,
and the physical and emotional toll it is taking on their health is termed
nature deficit disorder. When children aren’t exposed to nature, they lose
interest in it and their curiosity about it. The effects of nature deficit
disorder are detrimental and sadly very real.
Effects of Nature Deficit Disorder
This “disorder” is not a medical diagnosis but a term
describing real consequences of too little nature in a child’s life. Research
establishes that kids are physically and mentally healthier when they spend
time in nature, including the garden.
When their lives are characterized by a lack of nature, the
consequences are dire. The use of their senses diminishes, they have a hard
time paying attention, tend to put on weight, and suffer from higher rates of
physical and emotional illnesses.
In addition to the effects of nature deficit disorder on the
health of a child, you have to factor in the effects on the future of the
environment. Research shows that adults who identify themselves as
environmentalists had transcendent experiences in the natural world. When
children are not engaged with nature, they are not likely to take active steps
as adults to preserve the natural world around them.
How to Prevent Nature Deficit Disorder
If you are wondering how to prevent nature deficit disorder in your children, you’ll be happy to hear that it is entirely possible. Kids provided with the chance to experience nature in any manner will interact and engage with it. The best way to get kids and nature together is for parents to reengage with the outdoors as well. Taking children out for hikes, to the beach, or on camping trips is a great way to start.
“Nature” doesn’t have to be pristine and wild to be
beneficial. Those that live in cities can head to parks or even backyard gardens.
For instance, you could start
a vegetable garden with your kids or create
a natural playground for them. Just sitting outdoors looking up at the
clouds passing by or admiring a sunset can bring a sense of happiness and peace
as well.