I had the opportunity recently to attend a seminar by Richard Louv. He was here in town talking about his recently published book Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Louv has traveled around the country talking with parents, like myself, about the dangers of video games, computer time and watching too much T.V.
When I was growing up, we got about 3 channels, no vcr, dvd's, dvr's and the hottest game console was the Atari. I spent most of my waking hours playing outside with friends, my pets, or my imagination. Richard Louv and his research has confirmed that being outdoors is more stimulating then even the fastest game console or computer animation tools.
It doesn't require much effort to get your children outside playing with their friends. Just call the families and tell them to kick all the kids out for the afternoon. Let them sit around feeling sorry for themselves. It won't be long before someone picks up a stick and starts using their imagination. Your children will find much more satisfaction in their spare time and much less in their non interactive t.v. Get in to nature with your children by going camping, taking a walk with a park, or head to a national park where they can climb around on rocks, wade in the creek and explore nature for themselves.
You if want to learn more about Richard's book and his studies go to his site and read up on his research.
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