Do you worry that your children or grandchildren are slipping out of touch with the natural world? You have intelligent company. In his book “Last Child in the Woods – Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”, author Richard Louv directly links childhood obesity, ADHD and depression to the lack of nature in children’s lives. Every parent should read this eye-opening book, brought to my attention years ago by Adams County educator Donna Shepherd. Full of documented evidence that nature is essential for healthy childhood development, it shows how that nature-based education improves grades, test scores, problem-solving, critical thinking and decision making.
The author explains how nature is healing and restorative. “Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health”, says Louv. “The quality of exposure to nature affects our health at an almost cellular level”. Reconnecting your children with nature can turn their lives around.
This book has come to mind many times during recent years, as mass shootings, “gender dysphoria” and senseless violence dominated the news. What’s the connection? See if you can find it in these passages from Last Child in the Woods: “Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.” “…baby boomers…may constitute the last generation of Americans to share an intimate, familial attachment to the land and water.”
This book makes a passionate case for parents and teachers actively encouraging a relationship between children and nature from a very early age. Unstructured, unsupervised time in farmlands, woods and fields is a key building block in children’s development. The sights, sounds and smells of living creatures and plants should be a familiar everyday experience for children growing up. Understanding the ways of nature gives them a sense of how they fit into the universe.
“…thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can…be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorders and other maladies.” “…as more parents keep their children inside the house or under rigid control, youngsters will be deprived of chances to become self-confident and discerning, to interact with neighbors, or to learn how to build real community – which is one defense against sociopaths.”
Modern life can be overwhelming for children. The sense of control they get from simply planting a seed and watching it grow, tossing pebbles into a stream, climbing a tree, or just lying in the grass watching the clouds, is calming and empowering. We need to ask ourselves: are we really giving our children the space they need to feel part of the world in which they live? This wonderful book tells us how to do just that, and why it’s so important.
We’re very fortunate to live in the beautiful Appalachian foothill region, surrounded by natural areas, clean air and water. Children who grow up here have the opportunity to run and play in natural surroundings, hunt and fish, interact with wildlife and plants. This is a precious gift. Add to that the wholesome influence of activities like FFA, 4H clubs and school sports. Growing up this way leads to good health and positive attitudes.
Isn’t this the true intention of “Make America Healthy Again”? It starts before our children are even born. Let’s not rush to adopt technology in our daily lives. Let’s count our blessings and absorb the natural beauty all around us. Peace and quiet, clean air and water, and dark at night. Precious gifts. The only truly non-renewable resources.
An Adams County resident since 1997, Steve Boehme is a local Adams County businessman and political commentator, who published the Adams County CROSSROADS magazine from 2005 until 2019.
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