Does your child suffer from NDD?

Does your child suffer from Nature-Deficit-Disorder (NDD) or has the potential to develop into NDD?

Not so long ago, I was running in the forest of Cameron Highlands with my cousins and friends, building our fortress and protecting our territory. We're the ruler of the forest. We hunt for fish, frogs and wild creatures. We eat wild berries. We had a whole load of FUN.

No worries....... only the adrenaline rush and the imagination of having absolute control of the world around me.

My exposure to nature begins at such an early age, as I was told that my parents took me mountain climbing at 2years old.

Ah.....Those were the days...those were the days...and now I'm a mom to a little girl, whom I wish to grow and have a wonderful childhood like mine.

Will she?

Our children are of the digital age generations. Due to many factors, they are deprived from having a proper exposure to the nature. So they are at risk to develop NDD, right?

Nature Deficit Disorder is a term that refers to a child being unconnected with nature. Richard Louv described in his book, that a child's lack of outdoor experiences can lead to physical and mental ailments. While Richard Louv is not the first person to address concern over the minimal amount of time that youths spend outdoors, he is the first person to assign a term that describes the problem.

Richard Louv wrote in his book that children who don't play outside are more prone to anxiety disorders, attention disorders and depression. And that children who spend more time playing outdoors show more creativity and are happier than children who spend very little time playing outdoors.

Dr Richard Denniss from The Australia Institute, conducted a survey that showed that children care less about environmental welfare than their parents do. This is a cause for concern, since children are the future caretakers of the environment. Perhaps the reduction of outdoor playtime has resulted in children caring less for the environment.

What do you mommies out there think? I think we need to plan a camping trip soon or maybe get a pet.

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