孩子們年齡越大，他們在戶外的時間就越少

孩子們年齡越大，他們在戶外的時間就越少

It's a worrisome trend that parents need to fight against.

這是一個令人擔憂的趨勢，家長們需要與之斗爭。

It comes as no surprise that kids these days are spending less time in nature than previous generations did, but it's always alarming when casual observations are cemented by formal research. A new study out of North Carolina State University and Clemson University has found that middle-school students, even those living in rural areas, are spending more time indoors and less outdoors. The culprit? Screens.

與前幾代人相比，現(xiàn)在的孩子們花在大自然上的時間越來越少，這并不奇怪，但當非正式的觀察被正式的研究鞏固時，這總是令人擔憂的。北卡羅來納州立大學和克萊姆森大學的一項新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，中學生(即使是那些生活在農(nóng)村地區(qū)的中學生)在室內(nèi)的時間越來越多，在室外的時間越來越少。罪魁禍首是什么?屏幕。

CC BY 2.0. Mitch Barrie

Lincoln Larson, a co-author of the study and assistant professor of parks, recreation, and tourism management at NC State University, said in a press release：

該研究的合著者、北卡羅來納州立大學公園、娛樂和旅游管理助理教授林肯·拉爾森在一次新聞發(fā)布會上說：

"This is a problem because connection to nature plays a positive role in young people’s physical health and psychological development."

“這是個問題，因為與自然的聯(lián)系對年輕人的身體健康和心理發(fā)展起到了積極的作用。”

One reason given for lack of time spent outdoors is parental concerns over safety, particularly for young girls. The outdoors is seen as dangerous, which is somewhat ironic, considering how insidious the Internet can be. I am sure we can all think of more examples of young girls running into trouble on the Internet than encountering threatening individuals on a forest hike.

缺乏戶外活動的一個原因是父母對安全的擔憂，尤其是對年輕女孩。戶外被認為是危險的，這有點諷刺，考慮到互聯(lián)網(wǎng)可以是多么陰險。我相信我們都能想到更多的年輕女孩在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上遇到麻煩的例子，而不是在森林徒步旅行中遇到威脅的人。

As parents, the duty falls squarely on us to ensure that our children spend as much time outside as possible. So how does one go about doing this? Having a daily ritual helps. Here are some ideas for getting started:

作為父母，我們有責任確保我們的孩子盡可能多地在戶外活動。那么我們該怎么做呢?有一個日常的例行公事是有幫助的。下面是一些開始的建議:

- Have your child walk to and from school. If they complain that the walk is too long, they can ride a bike. This automatically packs in daily fresh air and exercise, as well as time for quiet contemplation, conversation with friends, and observation of the passing world. This is a priceless experience, even if it feels like a chore right now.

-讓你的孩子步行上學和放學。如果他們抱怨步行時間太長，他們可以騎自行車。這就自動把每天呼吸新鮮空氣和運動，以及安靜地沉思，與朋友交談，觀察路過的世界結合在一起。這是一種無價的體驗，即使它現(xiàn)在感覺像是一件苦差事。

- Copy the school system and implement daily recesses at home. Insist on 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Inevitably these will get stretched as the kids get into games and the pushback will cease.

-遵照學校制度，即使是日常在家休息。堅持早上30分鐘，下午30分鐘。不可避免地，當孩子們開始玩游戲的時候，時間就會拉長，抵制就會停止。

- Set rules. My kids have to play outside for half an hour when they get home from school. That take precedence over homework, household chores, and reading time. Often I go out, too, to do yard work.

—制定規(guī)則。我的孩子們放學回家后必須在外面玩半個小時。這比家庭作業(yè)、家務和閱讀時間更重要。我也經(jīng)常出去整理院子。

- Create outdoor-to-indoor ratios. Perhaps kids can bank screen time by playing outside, e.g. an hour of outdoor play for a half-hour of Netflix.

-創(chuàng)造戶外與室內(nèi)的比例。也許孩子們可以通過在戶外玩耍來積累看電視的時間，比如在戶外玩一個小時看半個小時的Netflix。

- Establish a family tradition of being active outdoors every weekend. Go biking or hiking. Go swimming or skating. Tackle something new like skiing or snowshoeing. Take turns choosing an activity to keep kids interested and invested.

-建立一個家庭傳統(tǒng)，每個周末都活躍在戶外。騎自行車或徒步旅行。去游泳或滑冰。嘗試一些新事物，比如滑雪或穿雪鞋。輪流選擇一項活動，以保持孩子的興趣和投入。

- Give them chores. Middle-school-aged kids may not be so inclined to 'play' outside like younger siblings are, but keep them out there by giving them jobs, e.g. shoveling snow, cutting grass, raking leaves, gardening, etc.

-讓他們做家務。初中的孩子可能不會像弟弟妹妹那樣喜歡在外面“玩耍”，但會給他們一些工作讓他們待在外面，比如鏟雪、割草、耙樹葉、園藝等等。

However you choose to approach it, know that time invested in the outdoors is not lost time; it builds your child's confidence, fills them with great memories, improves their mental and physical health, and sets them up for success in ways that formal lessons never can. If you're in doubt, pick up a copy of Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods, and let your eyes be opened to nature's powerful effects.

無論你選擇怎樣去接近大自然，要知道花在戶外的時間并不是浪費的時間;它能樹立孩子的信心，讓他們充滿美好的記憶，改善他們的身心健康，并為他們的成功打下基礎，而這些都是正規(guī)課程所無法做到的。如果你有疑問，那就拿起一本理查德·洛夫的書，《樹林里的最后一個孩子》，讓你的眼睛睜開，去感受大自然的強大力量吧。