Train Up a Child in the Way He Shall Go: February 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Nature Deficit Disorder

I'm in the middle of reading this report from the National Trust. It's really interesting reading so far. I know despite being home educated, my kids still do get less outdoor time than I did as a child. I spent hours outside playing with the neighbours. TV only showed kid's programming for limited hours a day, and although we had a video player, the same videos over and over didn't always appeal. We do try and get out and explore a lot of our local nature resources. Perhaps I'm feeling it a bit more because it's winter. In summer I tend to kick them out with a picnic and tell them to explore for a few hours, this summer Maia may even be old enough to join them if they're staying in our little neighbourhood. She'd be thrilled to go with them I think!

The trend towards spending lots of time inside with screens - TV, computer, DS, tablet, phone - must have lots of effects for children (and adults of course!). The more time they're watching something like that, the less time they're active. Playing outside requires a lot more imagination than watching a TV show.

I'm going to go and finish reading the report now, but I know I'm going to make a concerted effort to give my kids more time outside and less screen time.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Some of Our Recent Adventures

I really want to write more here. I think I'm going to set myself a calendar reminder for once a week to make a blog post. The thing is, Facebook is a good log of what we do on a regular basis but it's nearly impossible to look back on. And if Facebook ever goes down, that content will go with it. Of course, the same is true here, but it's more likely that I would be able to switch the blog to another platform if Google were in trouble. I love to look back on what we've done over the months! Here are some pics I just sent to a friend:

Calvin making a snow angel