In this day and age, we’re all so attached to our devices and screens that it can be quite overwhelming. For the upcoming generation, this can be a bit frightening to comprehend. After all, if we as adults are attached to our devices, what chance do they have growing up with it? Ultimately, it’s on us as parents to give our children their best possible chance at thwarting the onslaught of device addiction. In our opinion, the best way to do that is through nature.
Connecting and Disconnecting
It’s imperative that we encourage our children to connect with nature while disconnecting from their devices. When smartphones were introduced, we thought nothing of bringing them along on our hikes with us. To this day, travelers snap photos of beautiful landscapes to share with others on their Instagram. But this is the exact opposite of how you should be introducing your child to nature.
Go on magnificent trails and hikes with them, and leave your phones in your backpack. Real-life experiences can sometimes be diminished when every amazing thing we see becomes a new photo opportunity. Just walk through a forest and experience it firsthand, and allow your child to do the same. If you really must take a picture, take one at the end of the hike.
If you regularly take your children on hikes through nature with no phones to distract you, you’ll be arming them with a beautiful connection to the nature around them—and this is an invaluable gift that they’ll need moving forward in our digitally oversaturated society.