Reclaiming Childhood
Reclaiming Childhood
by Jeanine K. Fitzgerald
It was not that long ago children were expected to leave the world of adults to explore the larger world that surrounded them. The revered way of exploring their world was through play. Play was a self-selected and self-directed outdoor experience. There were no adults hovering over them, regulating what they played, who they played with, where they played, or how they played. Children just played and learned from the consequences of their decisions!
They ran, climbed, jumped, dug, rode bikes, built, created, pretended, caught bugs, and experienced risk. Their playground might have been a field of high grasses, the woodlands, a hill, a large boulder, a puddle, a tree or a stream. Their play materials were mud, sticks, rocks, rope, water, sand, merry-go-rounds, 25-foot-tall slides, swings, teeter totters, sleds, tire inner tubes, and wagons. And, while times have changed, childhood has changed, and play has changed, children have not. Children still love to create, explore, take risks, climb, dance, swing, build hideouts, tell stories, sing, draw, pretend, and play. They are filled with amazement and awe that churns curiosity and inspires exploration.
Yet, their days are filled with longer school days, followed by hours of homework, structured leagues, tutoring, or sedentary experiences in front of a screen. While we think we know what is best for our kids, and are doing what we believe is best, perhaps it is time to back off and loosen the reins of adult anxiety so our children have the time and space to do what children naturally do. Not doing so could be causing them more harm than good.
Childhood is a time in life when the world is understood through the senses and emotions. Watch children play in nature and you will see the way children understand beauty and simplicity; witness their spontaneous expressions of joy. Whether they walk on uneven terrain on nature trails or rugged mountain passes, climb rocks, rappel waterfalls, walk down to the ocean to fill a pail with water and return to the castle, or skip rocks on a pond; they are strengthening their bodies and mind. Putting their nose in a flower, listening to the chatter of birds, feeling the coolness of a breeze, or exploring the texture of tree bark awakens their senses. Since the ability to regulate emotions, impulses, attention and energy depend on a strong sensory system, it may be time to get back to our senses. The natural world is a perfectly balanced sensory experience, and it is available at no charge.
So, how does nature fit into your family’s life? Is it a place you go to find respite from the stress and exhaustion of everyday life? Is it where you go to experience challenge and adventure? Is it a sanctuary for healing your hurts and disappointments? Or perhaps, it’s about freedom – to be who you are designed to be, to move, to laugh, to get dirty, to dream, to wander, to love, or to play. The natural world is human nature’s natural tranquilizer that instills a sense of peace. It gives pleasure to the senses and raises the spirit to the highest places of the heart. And, while it comes with risk, it is a gift to our children. It is a gift that lasts a lifetime.
