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Home > Portable Practical Pediatrics > Your Children Spending Enough Time Outdoors? (Pedcast)
Podcast: Portable Practical Pediatrics
Episode:

Your Children Spending Enough Time Outdoors? (Pedcast)
Category: Kids & family
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2018-02-25 15:24:24
Description: Introduction Recently, I was walking back from the tennis courts on a crisp winter day when I had a flashback to my youth. Suddenly, in that moment, I recalled the wonderful sensation of my childhood, being outdoors, free of immediate demands and responsibilities. I was just enjoying the air, the green, and the sky all around me. I could feel my mental state improve and my body and mind relax. You see, during my childhood, the only entertainment we had after school was to go outside and find things to do.  My memory of childhood was outdoors, walking, experiencing whatever the weather was serving that day along with whomever I could find to play with. My walk from the courts reminded me of the joyous feeling that my experiences of youth had created.  On that walk home, I began to wonder, what the children growing up today will remember as their happy place? Where will that place be that brings out the relaxation reflex in your children, twenty years from now? An interesting question and one that every parent should ponder because you have a lot to do with the kind of childhood your children have.  So stay tuned, for the next edition of Portable Practical Pediatrics where we will ponder the question of where your children will recall the joy in their childhood?   Musical Introduction Quick Detour Down Science Lane In the past few years, there has been an increasing recognition that for children, being surrounded by nature, improves many aspects of their psychological functioning. And, it turns out that this is especially true for children with ADHD. Here is a list of a few ways exposure to outdoors has been found to benefit children: -Being outside improves a child's mood -Being physically active outdoors reduces a child's chance of obesity -Being outside can often increase a child's feeling of well being and relaxation. -Exposure to the outdoors also has been shown to improve a child's ability to concentrate and control impulses that need to be controlled. -And finally, outdoor time has been shown to be restorative psychologically for children- the evidence is clear on that point.   What is the reality of childhood today for many children-screen time is filling more and more of a child's day. What is the reality of a modern childhood today for many children? In a nutshell, the trend is striking and involves screens of all sorts, substituting for what previous generations called play. I know you probably get tired of me talking about the current generation of children as victims of digital technology and how this is changing their childhoods but I believe it is true. Sadly, the evidence is on my side. Don't believe it, consider these current facts: The average preteen spends six hours on entertainment technologies per day. For teens, the figure is nine hours. Digital crack. More than 50% of children consider themselves "addicted" to their smart phone. 40% percent of children have difficulty falling sleeping. a problem that has been clearly linked to screen exposure. The average child spends only 50% of the time that their parents did outside despite the fact that the majority of parents feel outdoor time is important for their children. 91% of today's children regularly play video games Between 50-70% of children in America have a TV in their room I think you can see that with increasing wealth along with other factors, childhood is being fundamentally changed for the next generation. How this will work out for them, only time will tell. Before you make up your mind about the new screen reality for today's children however, there are a few things I want to remind you about that we now understand about screen time and children: -Screens are isolating for children. They generally draw children away from social interaction and into a lonely place of gaming. -Screen time for children does not teach children needed social skills that real interpersonal interactions would.
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