"Nature Deficit Disorder"

OK, this entry has little to do with fabricwrapper's awesome products other than the products and this topic are both inspired, in part, by my love of nature.

I have a friend I greatly admire who has a brilliant mind and a penchant for spreading his ideals/messages in a positive way. He was chosen by Al Gore to give the "Inconvenient Truth" speech that shed light on global warming for millions of Americans. He and his wife (an even closer friend) have a website, http://www.charlottelocalfood.com/ that spreads their locavore enthusiasm to their neighbors.

Anyway, recently this friend was chosen to speak on a NPR affiliate about "Nature Deficit Disorder," why kids should be spending more time outside, and offering suggestions for parents/teachers to accomplish this. listen to radio show here I had never heard of "Nature Deficit Disorder" but I was really intrigued. I and every other parent I know would like our kids to spend more time outside. There are so many obstacles, some real and some of our own making, that get in the way of our "ideal" of having our kids splash through the backyard stream. One is that unlike the neighborhood where I grew up, there are no streams in sight of my kids' yard. Another is that even at a young age the kids are all involved in so many activities that eat up a lot of "nature time". And, as the NPR show pointed out, when kids are in front of the TV or computer, at least their parents know they are safe.

Teaching the next generation to love and appreciate the great outdoors is critical to gaining support for the initiatives needed to combat the world's environmental problems. So take your kids outdoors today. And for their next Birthday, wrap their gifts in a fabricwrapper and explain to them why you did not use paper wrapping... you care about their future.