WILD CHILD: Outdoor Play from a Parent's Perspective

Experts give us lots of reasons to get our children outside, but as a parent, expert reasons do not usually match my motivations. Why do I take my children outside? What are the benefits I have seen?

Attitudes and fighting.
When every interaction is an argument, accusation or leads to tears, that is my cue to take them outside. Outside there is space to play separately, but there are more reasons to work together.  "He's looking at me again!" becomes "Come help me push this log."  Outside, we end up with happier children who get along better.

Guilt.
I spend as much time feeling guilty about what I should be doing as a parent as anything else.  The list of "I should's" never ends. Outside I can sit on a log, enjoy a cup of tea while I watch my children play, AND I feel like a good parent. Physical activity, cooperative unstructured play, problem solving, the list goes on . . .   No guilt AND relaxing with a cup of tea?  Yes please!

More trust.
I know my children's abilities better, and they also know their own limitations.  Outside play lets them show me that they can assess risks and make good choices. I watch them reason and learn how they think.

Yesterday I noticed that my six-year old went outside without asking. I looked out the door, no child.  My heart raced, but I wasn't actually worried. I found him around the corner of the house brushing snow off the car. Outside play teaches me to trust my children and decreases my own level of stress as I step back and let them take responsibility for themselves.

Better attitudes, less guilt, and more trust. Outside time makes my parenting easier and my children happier, and that is all I need to know.

Written by Tandy Morton, WILD CHILD Program Facilitator