Nature Deficit Disorder + How to Prevent It

What is nature deficit disorder? And how do we prevent it in kids (and ourselves)?

We spoke with Richard Louv to understand this scenario our attachment to screens and tendency to helicopter parent has created – and how we can remedy it.

Parents are busier than ever. And indoor parenting has some benefits – like knowing where your kids are all the time and potentially keeping them safe from strangers (if you don’t count online dangers).

But much research shows humans do better physically and emotionally when they are in green spaces, benefiting from the stress reduction, positive emotions, and attention restoration the natural world encourages.

What is Nature Deficit Disorder?

This shift towards indoor child-rearing led one expert to coin a new term to describe its effects. Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) is not a medical condition, rather a term journalist Robert Louv to describe society’s lack of relationship to the environment.

Is Nature Deficit Disorder really an issue?

According to the National Environmental Education Foundation, today’s children may be the first generation at risk of having a shorter lifespan than their parents. That startling fact in itself should be enough to convince parents that our current way of raising our children is flawed.

How to prevent Nature Deficit Disorder

- Be a role model - Make a conscious effort to decrease screen-time. - Reevaluate your child’s schedule.

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