Meals Outdoors...And Allergies?

Ok, you know how in Momworld there's all kinds of chatter about how children need more freedom? More time outdoors? Periodically it seems I see social media posts on helicopter parents, on the need for free range children, or posts mulling over why our kids are so unfamiliar with the great outdoors. They ask questions like "Is it because we're afraid our kids will get hurt, so we keep them indoors playing with tablets or other forms of media?"

I was reading something written a century ago about children and the outdoors. The author, Charlotte Mason, discusses the advantage of country children who practically live outdoors. She discusses how "hectic lives" (wow, imagine that! 100 years ago a complaint about life being hectic! Nowadays we long to go back a hundred years to a "quieter" era) can be eased by spending as many hours as possible outside. And no, she's not talking about the 1-2 hours we are so thrilled over if our kids are outdoors. Every. Possible. Waking. Hour. When not at studies or work. Like six, seven hours. As much as daylight and temperature allows.

She's not done there. Time outdoors, she says, is so healthy for both body and mind why not take your meals outdoors in decent weather, including breakfast and lunch? To me a picnic is a treat. She would have it be the norm. How very unusual. Would you consider it practical, or advisable?

Now, this author lived in the UK, in England to be precise. Temperatures there are much milder than here. Much more steady too. Here temperatures vary wildly, ranging from potentially dangerously cold in winter if you get a nice arctic front through to high humidity 100F days in the summer.  At the same time, I remember reading an article about children in a Scandinavian country who nap outdoors in cold weather.  A major question is: how to safely follow such advice in a land of extreme temperature fluctuation?

It's interesting to note that these long afternoons outdoors are not to be unsupervised, even back then. I know I have a mental image of pre-1960s as the era of kids wandering at will pretty much anywhere. Yet she talks about supervised, directed yet hands-off time outdoors. Directed yet hands-off? Yes, basically it reminds me a bit of Montessori here but outside instead of in. She advises parents to accompany their children, to watch them, and to let them "wander and dream" as they will.

To this end she says leave the books indoors. Mom (or babysitter) isn't outside to entertain. Feed them outside, then send them off to explore. But from time to time she says the parent can take hold of little opportunities to train their power of observation pointing out what they are seeing "a cedar waxwing!" and hearing.

Long hours outdoors. I've noted on here before the seemingly magical powers nature has to calm the spirit. There are so many questions though regarding spending much of the non-work hours outside. Meals too. One of which isn't mentioned in a single websearch of Charlotte Mason sites and forums. Is the value of eating meals and long hours outdoors for health changed if the family has bad environmental allergies?

The Call Of The Mud

Well then. It happened again. The call of the mud. It cannot go unanswered. 

This time T acted as though he was at a spa. He carefully, deliberately painted it on every visible limb, and even gave his face a mud mask. Of course I didn't have the camera at that moment.

F stuck with the nearby wading pool. While she does enjoy a good dig in the mud the call of wet water is stronger for her.  She was a bit jealous when T got a midday bath. 

Learning to ride terrain

For three weeks now we've been out of the Midwest, visiting relatives in the west and southwest. T has had the wonderful opportunity to improve his bicycle skills. There are so many places to ride here, on concrete and on dirt. My does T enjoy "off roading"! He intimidates easily though when confronted by a hill. Today Grandpa discovered a great incentive.

He always travels with snacks when outdoors. T adores Grandpa's snacks. In particular Cliff Bars. So as T was waffling on whether to tackle a hill with or without help Grandpa swiftly pulled a Cliff Bar from his pocket. He held it in front of T, who pedaled as hard as he could. Grandpa sped up, trying to stay just out of reach. But that bike gained speed. Soon T's arm stretched out, his fingers opening and shutting. T was laughing so hard. He got to the end of the road, and snatched that Cliff Bar.

Hurrah for T!

Odd

Do you notice odd little things around your yard? Kids are especially good at it. This insect really stood out to all of us as rather curious. It seemed to have an expressive face. The antenna were the most interesting. See the square shapes on them?

Mud Buddies

This morning I awoke to a gentle pitter patter over my head. Rain! Such a pleasing sound to hear first thing.

Back at my house in the Midwest early morning rain is hardly unusual. Here in the southwest though is another story. Even during Monsoon season.

So what did I allow my children to do first thing after breakfast? Go outside and get dirty. Yes. I am encouraging them to get their toes, hands, and even clothes caked with mud. Why else is there a tub waiting inside the house? Mud comes off.

Playing in mud is relaxing. Have you recently taken the time to squish and squeeze some through your fingers and toes? Your blood pressure goes down. It's soft. Earthy.

Playing in mud makes you happy. Really it does. Smelling the air and the mud together are a pleasure enhancing combination. Apparently seratonin levels increase. So send your grumpy fighting kids to the nearest mud puddle and watch attitudes change.

Playing in mud is heathy. There are several ways in which it is healthy. It's sensory, so it aids brain development. It's a natural resource for creativity as your child imagines, builds, and explores. It builds memories. Good ones at that. Your child learns social skills if a friend is in the muddy mix. Plus it apparently helps build the immune system.

Mud how I love you.