To a few of the people passing by, the scene was one of horror. The six kids were coated in various shades of brown. Their clothes were caked with clay, their hair matted with mud. These children were a mess. How could their parents allow such a thing?<\/span><\/p>\n To the parents who were watching from a distance, careful not to intrude in this period of unstructured outdoor play and exploration, the whole picture was one of beauty.<\/p>\n These children were working together with a common vision \u2014 engaged in a period of exploration that easily was worth the multiple loads of laundry and clogged shower drains that came afterward.<\/p>\n Many consider this the age of information. We\u2019ve replaced large libraries of clunky encyclopedias with one-click solutions via a Google search browser. Everyone, it seems, has a Smartphone attached to one hand, ready at a moment\u2019s notice to tackle the next major dilemma with the push of a button.<\/p>\n But one issue doesn\u2019t seem to have an easy answer. Why are kids struggling more than ever with diagnoses such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and a whole slew of other behavioral acronyms?<\/p>\n Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has a solution. In various radio and television public service announcements, she pitches the importance of family mealtime, giving listeners an easy recipe for the common meatloaf.<\/p>\n Psychiatrists can fix the issue with a simple combination of a prescription pad and a pen.<\/p>\n And while either of these scenarios may offer some assistance in the battle against negative behavior as we attempt to help our children become responsible young adults, perhaps there is a solution many people overlook.<\/p>\n In his book, \u201cLast Child in the Woods,\u201d author Richard Louv warns of the negative effects of \u201cNature Deficit Disorder.\u201d There is a growing amount of respectable research that shows a direct correlation with a reduction of unstructured outdoor play and an increase in long term behavior issues.<\/p>\n PPL senior naturalist and outdoor educator Jon Beam is one of many who sees the negative effects.<\/p>\n \u201cKids need time to play and explore outdoors without boundaries. It helps them develop a better sense of self and the world around them,\u201d Beam said. \u201cVideo games, television, computers and the Internet can really take time away from good unstructured time exploring outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n He adds: \u201cMaking that connection with your kid and getting them excited about the outdoors doesn\u2019t have to be hard for parents. It\u2019s all about making the time and experiencing the outdoors together. It\u2019s OK to admit you don\u2019t know what something is. Spending time together looking up what made a certain animal track or identifying a bird can be just as much fun as being outdoors in the first place. Make it a game \u2014 a mystery.\u201d<\/p>\n Children desperately need quality time with their families and medication is necessary in a variety of cases.<\/p>\n
![\"mud\"](\"http:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/mud.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"