I am a ~bad~ parent. I’ve been reading “Last Child in the Woods” which talks about how today’s kids have no concept of “just go out and play.” I’ve been feeling guilty about how much an indoor child Luke is. He won’t voluntarily go out and play in the back yard and doesn’t like to be by himself.
The book coins the term “Nature Attention Deficit Disorder” (or something close to that) and suggest that much of the problems with ADD/ADHD is that the kids simply never connected with nature. Whether he’s right or not, kids need to be outside.
We’re signing him up for several outdoor camps this summer as well as his regular Arts Camp and VBS. Plus, Mrs. and I decided that no electronic game systems and no laptops will come with us to the beach. Sorry, no updates. (I traded the crackberry back in because I still have to have one from Fangorn)
ALL THAT BEING SAID...
When I got back from errands this afternoon, Luke was watching TV and playing his Nintendo DS. Mrs. and I were in the other room and we heard him scream something about falling. Found out Mario had fallen off of Bowser’s platform. Luke was distraught.
I, on the other hand, was angry that he’d react that way over a video game. I took the DS away until next Saturday and told him to get his shoes on and get out of the house. It took us a while to get him doing something out side. We found bubbles, but no wand, etc. Finally gave him Jr’s super soaker and he was happy with that. Until...
My child that is afraid of nature was attacked by nature. A branch fell on him.
He’s okay, it was a small branch (although we’ve had some huge ones fall). But he didn’t hear it falling and it probably startled him more than anything.
sigh...
It's like what that one football coach used to say about the forward pass: Only three things can happen, and two of them are bad.
"Nature Attention Deficit Disorder"
NADD?
There's your boy! ;~)
Outside can be boring by yourself. I never had that kind of problem because there were always minions - I mean younger siblings - to order around.
I know exactly how you feel. It’s one of the reasons I’m so wanting that bit of land.
You know what we did? We had to buy sand to fill up our septic tank after we connected on with the city and I swear, I can’t even get Matthew out of it! He’s as big as I am and just loves it. Joshua is WILD about it and has clothes out in the garage reserved just for playing in the sand. He strips down to his drawers before he comes in and then takes a shower and gets sand all over but it’s worth it! Both boys sleep like logs and are already starting to get a ruddy tan!
Cost us eighty bucks but it’s been worth it just to get them out into the yard. Was delivered in the back of a dump truck. I think it was 8 square yards.
By the time we get the pool up, we’ll really need to get that septic tank filled up! But I won’t let Steve fill it up because the kids are having such a good time in the sand!