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There is a widely undiagnosed condition that an increasing number of children are suffering from. We are not talking about obesity or diabetes or other diseases. They may in fact be symptoms of the real disease.

The condition Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) has become pervasive in modern society. According AC Nielson the average child in the United States spends 6 hours per day watching television or playing video games. This is a 400 percent increase over their parents generation.

The impact of this goes beyond the well notes increase in obesity, diabetes and other diseases related to reduced activity. It doesn’t bode well for the future of the environment. While televisions like animal planet and discovery may provide programing that educates children about the natural world, it cannot replace the power of being out in the natural world.

The most vital activities connected to the perpetuation of the human species take place out in the natural world. It is where are food we eat and the air we breath are produced and recycled. Kids today give little thought to the way that food is produced for them(and most of us as adults). As far as they are concerned, it comes in packages or cans or plastic bottles.

We have an obligation to get kids outdoors. They are the future stewards of the environment. We cannot afford for them to only know it through television programs.

In your weekly routine create a day without electronic devices. Unplug the television and turn off the computer and the game boys. Lock the kids out of the house for 2 hours go on a family hike. Work in your garden. Get your family outside Get your family together.
For resources on battling childhood obesity Click Here.

Here are some other resources for engaging your kids without electronics:

Teaching a child how to ride a bike.

Ideas for having fun with kids

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