Green-Time Yields a Better Crop of Kids

Out-of-Doors Out of Fashion?
I complemented my neighbor last week as we chatted over the fence. I told her that I enjoyed seeing her kids playing an old-fashioned game of hide-and-seek in the yard before she walked them to school. She replied, “I had to shoo them out the door to play because even on this beautiful morning, they wanted to be indoors!”

Getting kids to play outdoors seems to be a common dilemma for many parents. I give talks to parent groups about this issue and I commonly hear questions such as, “How can I get my daughter to go for a walk with me?” My own daughter used to jump at the chance to go for a walk; but on a recent warm day I found myself telling that same 14-year old to walk the dog with me, “Because I said so!” We had a nice time and she actually thanked me afterward, but I had to force her to go.

The Green, Green Grass of Home
There are plenty of reasons for parents to encourage (and sometimes coerce) children to spend more time outdoors, interacting with nature. You don’t need to live near the wilderness to benefit from the great outdoors. Children who live in urban and suburban areas can get a daily dose of green-time by being in ordinary settings like parks and backyards.

• Playing outdoors allows kids to activate all of their senses and fosters a capacity for wonder and curiosity.
• Exposure to nature provides a perception of something bigger than oneself. It gives kids opportunities to experiment and solve problems—important life skills.
• Spending time in outdoor settings improves concentration and can even reduce the symptoms of ADHD.
• Playing outdoors reduces stress, and helps kids sleep better at night.
• Playing outside encourages physical activity and permits kids to use their large muscles. Physical activity is good for the brain. It increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Exercise is now linked to improved mood, enhanced memory, better cognition, and brain neuron regeneration. John Ratey of Harvard Medical School says exercise is like “Miracle-Gro for the brain.”

Chairman of the Bored
In the summer, kids transition from the constant agenda of the school year to a more laid-back way of living. The shift can be hard for many children and parents. It is tempting for us to fill the summer calendar with planned activities for our children. By trying to give kids as much as possible, parents overlook one valuable experience—boredom.

Well-intentioned parents believe that making the most of summer means signing kids up for a host of activities chosen from a staggering list of opportunities. What gets lost is free time—a necessary component to child development. Informal, free time permits children to explore their own interests, problem solve, manage their own time, and reflect. Allowing kids to get bored can spark creativity and self-reliance in most children as they work through the restlessness of boredom and discover something to do.

Parenting: Not a Competitive Sport
Do you compare the activities in which your child participates with the activities of other parents’ children? Do you feel pressure from peers or family members to do more? Doctors and therapists are seeing more stressed-out children than ever before who are mirroring the frenetic lifestyles of their parents. If your family is too caught up in the hustle-bustle of today’s fast pace, let go of some competitive-parenting tendencies. Limit the number of activities you enroll your child in this summer. Set aside some free time in your own day to simply play, ponder, or explore. Children learn from watching the most important teachers—their parents.

Cultivating Great Minds
With summertime upon us, cultivate great minds in your family by incorporating physical activity, exposure to nature, and free time into each day. Here are three ways to encourage green-time and playtime in your family:

1. Keep it simple. All of us can benefit from a daily dose of green-time, and it does not take a lot of planning. Just 20 minutes of tossing around a Frisbee® or sitting in the yard talking with your kids can be beneficial. A simple family walk around the block is good for the body, the mind, and it allows an opportunity to reconnect with your family.
2. Value and protect informal playtime. It allows kids to use their imagination and builds their natural curiosity. (Don’t confuse unplanned or informal time with unsupervised time. Parents still need to make sure kids are safe.) Limit the number of activities you enroll your child in this summer. Coach your kids to embrace periods of nothing-to-do and encourage them to play, explore, and reflect.
3. Unplug from devices and connect with family. Find opportunities to hang out with your family. Unplug yourself from the phone, computer, television, and e-mail. Limit the amount of daily time children spend in front of any type of screen. This includes television, computer, and video games large and small. There are many creative ways to do this. For example, when my daughter was small we gave her 7 craft sticks at the beginning of each week. Each stick represented 30 minutes of television. When she used up her 7 sticks (3 ½ hours of television) she was done for the week. For more information about reducing screen time, visit Media and the Family a wonderful resource for parents.

Questions:
How do your kids adjust to the slower pace of summer?
How do you incorporate a daily dose of green-time into your family’s day?

For more information and ideas, visit OptimisticOutcomes.com