Mud Pies & Video Games
I was just about to take our youngest inside because her current growth spurt is making what she typically loves, turn into something that is earth shattering, when Stephen overheard our son say this…
Siggy: “Mud is way more fun than video games!”
Let’s get to know Siggy for a minute. Siggy loves the outdoors and adventures as long as he can remain clean. At a young age, if he got ANYTHING on his clothes, we needed to change them. You could not convince him that it was only water and it would dry quickly. Or if anything sticky graced his hands, wipes were needed stat and you now needed to feed him the goodness because there was no way that he could go through that again.
Fast forward to yesterday. It was beautiful and we were due for some much needed time outside to boost that natural melatonin production. I told our children to get their mud boots/rain boots on because the side yard was wet and they love playing there.
They went straight for the mud puddles and once we gave them the freedom to play and get messy, it was like they were doing their best to set a world record for how covered in mud they could get.
Our son who, just a year ago, refused to do anything that was remotely dirty was indeed, covered in mud. So when my husband told me what he just overheard, we shared this look between us that said, “We are doing it. We are giving them a childhood full of wonder. We are doing something right.”
We are in a time where children are in front of a screen more than they are in front of God’s magnificent creation. Whether it’s a phone, television, or tablet, their imaginative world is made for them through games, tv shows, and movies.
How did we change this within our family?
1. Homeschooling. I know. This isn’t the only way to change how children feel about being in nature more than in front of a screen but it’s what changed it for us. My children are learning about nature through the eyes of wonder for God’s creation. So when they are outside, it’s always an adventure for them because they are anticipating on what they will discover next. The philosophy we use, The Charolette Mason Philosophy, is firm belief that the child is a person and we must educate that whole person, not just his mind. This method is based on the idea that learning should be creative, meaningful, and enjoyable for children. It thrives on the explorative mind our Creator designed us with to be filled with wonder and the knowledge it brings.
2. We limit the screens and they will be even more limited as it continues to get nicer and nicer outside. Right now, they get to watch tv/play video games from the time Stephen gets home until dinner is ready. That’s it. On the weekends, Saturday morning cartoons are on (typically Wild Kratts) but they are off before lunch. A recent study has shown that there is a correlation between excessive screen time and risks and symptoms of ADHD and “behavioral issues”. And guess what happened when scaled the screens way back?……….
3. LET THEM BE BORED. Their brains were created to create. They will create fun, I promise. For us, it took time and some guidance from us to help cultivate their imaginations, but when it started to happen on their own, it was incredible to see. And don’t be so afraid of letting them get dirty. Their childhood memories are worth it.
This is just the surface of what we started to change within our home that resulted in yesterdays beautiful discovery. That mud pies are more fun than video games. We have begun a good work in our children and we are doing it all with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s raise children who value God’s creation over something that’s man made. And maybe we can change the trajectory of the world, even if it’s just the small one that surrounds us.
Images taken by Stephen Andrew