Does YOUR Child Suffer from "Nature Deficit Disorder"?
Written: Oct 11 '05 (Updated Apr 16 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fascinating premise, case studies, and anecdotes...
Cons: Oversimplification of issues...lack of data to back up his claims...
The Bottom Line: A very interesting read...good for granolas, good for parents...but is it useful?
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Richard Louv - Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our... |
This review is part of Pambo's Earth Day Writeoff--to get more ideas about how to get Green, read more reviews gathered here: http://www.epinions.com/user-pambo
This is a book I first heard about in an interview on NPR. I don't remember if it was a national interview or a local one, but I listened, fascinated, for the entire hour, and then had to scribble down the name of the book and author in traffic so I'd make sure I found it.
Richard Louv has written for Parents magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and other publications. His book, "Last Child In the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder" brought a new idea to my attention. Well, not a new idea per se, but has given this idea a new name: Nature Deficit Disorder. What is Nature Deficit Disorder? It's kids who grow up not knowing what the outdoors is like. Who grow up with their internet and their video games and even their books--but who don't get any outdoor experience. In my job as a 7th Grade teacher, I work with 200 12 and 13 year olds every day, and I can see that most of these kids don't get out much. They're parked in front of their tv, their game systems ("I've got FIVE of them!") or their computer for hours on end...but they don't go outside much. And in Utah, that's a shame.
Louv makes a connection between other behavioral disorders like ADHD, ADD, depression, obesity and ODD and Nature Deficit Disorder. He cites numerous case studies and anecdotes to back up his claims, but it all boils down to "kids are better off if they have access to the outdoors." Ideally, Louv wants them to be in some sort of wild environment--not a manicured park or backyard, but undeveloped lands, like canyons, woods, or even a vacant lot to explore. The connection to their environment and their analysis of the varied relationships in the wild will enhance their educational and social experiences, according to Louv.
Is this "green" propaganda? Possibly. A lot of the issues that Louv brings up are oversimplified...and although I do think that children are overdiagnosed and overmedicated by parents who "don't want to deal with it," there are issues that require medication.
The book is roughly divided into two parts--the first half describing the problems facing the nature-child relationship, and the second half covering progress that's been made and a future rich in the possibility of mending that relationship.
The best chapters in the book are in sections titled "Why the Young (and the Rest of Us) Need Nature" and "Why Johnnie and Jeannie Don't Play Outside Anymore." While some of Louv's research and ideas seem to be filtered through rose (or green) tinted glasses, the problems he describes are real. The biggest leap comes between his presentation of the problems facing children (obesity, ADHD, etc.) and their lack of nature experiences. Even with all of the fascinating anecdotes he presents, there's no data to back up that particular link. I agree that children's access to nature is important and currently lacking, and that tie to nature will help them in life--but I don't know that it's a cause of the other problems they're experiencing.
The second half of Louv's book documents various attempts being made to strengthen the bond between people and nature--everything from school clinics to adoption programs that will get kids into nature. There are several pages of hopeful fiction about what life could be like if access to nature becomes valued more than money...which I don't quite see happening. He also talks about the greening of America's cities, with examples of corporate and civic leaders who have made nature-friendly alternatives more desirable. Would I like to live in that green future? Sure. Would I be able to? Not yet.
This is an intriguing book that made me want to get my own two boys out more into nature. We've gone camping several times, even though Miles is 3 and Carter is only 1, and I look forward to being in the wild more with them. If you have environmentally friendly leanings yourself, I recommend checking out the book. If you're looking for a solution to your children's own physical, emotional, or behavioral problems, it couldn't hurt to read the book for some ideas. But I don't know that this book will actually "Save Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder."
Recommended:
Yes
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JediKermit
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Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 1995
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Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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