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The battle against Nature Deficit Disorder.
Slugs hang from the nostrils of my two kids. The strands of mucous dance in rhythm with their steps. Smiles burst from the tight neoprene hoodies framing their faces. Wet suits ward off the cold, but their joy cannot be contained.
Our senses fire: the needle numbness caused by 48 degree water, the gritty sand against our skin, the salty drops of ocean clinging to our lips, the pounding of waves, and the squinting of our eyes against the November sun fuels our laughter — warms us from the inside.
“That was rad! Some of that whitewash was up to Daddy’s chest!” I say.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! It was like this over me!” exclaims Jaxen holding his hand over his head.
Not to be outdone by her little brother, Rayden says, “I dove through three giant waves in a row!”
Their excitement fuels my stoke, gives me confidence they will have positive ways to manage this world where we are increasingly programmed to feel not good enough, overwhelmed, and needing more-more more! In this age of electronics, it’s more important than ever for me to provide and model these experiences to ward off Nature Deficit Disorder.
In the book, Last Child in the Woods, author Richard Louv describes Nature Deficit Disorder as…
