Children today spend far too much time inside; and with the advances we’ve seen in gaming and entertainment technology, who can blame them? However studies have demonstrated that spending our youth indoors can incur many negative effects upon our health, development and general well-being. But what can we do to reduce the lure of the games console and turn the great outdoors into a place our children want to be?
Lead by example – yes it’s true; while in their teenage years children usually rebel against the likes and loves of their parents, before the dreaded ‘13’ hits kids will mirror the things we do. If we’re always sat in front of the television, remote in one hand, cup of tea in the other, they will insist on doing the same. Instead, take a step outside. Read a book, play a game with your children or just talk; but whatever you do, the most important thing is that you’re removing the safety of the roof over your head and embracing the great outdoors.
Invest in garden toys for children – while the latest Wii game might be top of their Christmas list, playing it will offer little in terms of self-development and the game will inevitably be resigned to storage before long. Instead garden toys for children will, whether it’s a trampoline, a play house or even a ball and net set, get them not just outside but also up, active and thinking creatively. It is this sort of play that will set your children in good stead for the future. Television and computer games have been proven to hinder both a child’s creative streak and their ability to learn; two attributes which are vital in childhood and beyond.
Set limits on television time and computer use – if allowed to, many children would spend the entirety of every evening with their eyes affixed to a screen. That’s why as parents you need to stop them. Set a limit of say, two hours screen time and stick to it. Then offer suggestions of alternative activities and encourage them to get involved. Get out the garden toys for children and get them to bring a friend or two around after school. Children who are alone are much more likely to head for the sofa so if they haven’t got any brothers or sisters you might have to make post-school visitors a frequent part of your life.
While these suggestions might seem like hard work (you’re far from alone if you commonly use the television as a makeshift baby sitter), should you want the best for your children then it’s worth it.
Children who spend all their free time inside are not just at risk of stunted learning and an inability to unleash their creative side; they are also at risk of Vitamin D deficiency and growth problems such as myopia (a problem associated with the incorrect growth of the eyeballs).
Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, a very painful condition that causes weakening of the bones – an awful thing to have when the body is in its fastest stages of growth.
However all of this can be prevented simply by investing in some garden toys for children and supplying your children with the inspiration to use them. Even reading a book in the great outdoors is highly beneficial – reading itself is something all children should be encouraged to do (it gets them using the creative side of their brain) yet doing it in the fresh air and sunshine is even better!
This article was written by James Harper on behalf of The Original Factory Shop. James is passionate about and enjoys writing on issues affecting families in the 21st Century.
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