from our publisher & editor
On the farm behind our house is a clear, quiet lake. One late fall day when no leaves were
blocking the view, my dad noticed it and said, “When I was a kid, I would have played by that
lake till dark.”
I recalled a story of when he was 5 years old and fell through a frozen pond. He had been
playing alone in the snow about half a mile from home. Somehow he managed to get himself
out and back home where his mother put him in front of the stove to thaw his frozen clothes.
My mind raced thinking about our sons (ages 6 and 2 at the time) going off by themselves…
What if they fell in the water? What if a cow trampled them? What if a pack of coyotes came
through during the day? Finally I crossed my arms and said, “Well, they can’t roam around
over there. It’s not safe, and besides, it’s trespassing.”
He just looked at me and said, “Well, you went off in the woods by yourself and a coyote never
carried you off. Kids need to explore.”
Thanks to Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, and that conversation with my dad, I
see how our fear as parents has changed the way our kids interact with nature.
It comes down to this… If kids are never allowed to explore and fall in love with nature first
hand, they’ll never care enough to want to protect it.
This Earth Day – no matter the weather – get your kids outside. Smell the fresh breeze. Feel
the sun, or the rain, on your skin. Get your hands dirty. And listen to the sound of birds singing… and your children laughing.
Amity
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