We are telling our kids that nature is in the past and it probably doesn't count anymore, the future is in electronics, the boogeyman is in the woods, and playing outdoors is probably illicit and possibly illegal.
Richard LouvRead
Nature is often overlooked as a healing balm for the emotional hardships in a child's life. You'll likely never see a slick commercial for nature therapy, as you do for the latest antidepressant pharmaceuticals. But parents, educators, and health workers need to know what a useful antidote to emotional and physical stress nature can be. Especially now.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nature provides healing and comfort for emotional struggles, especially for children.
In this quote, Richard Louv emphasizes the often underappreciated role of nature in healing emotional difficulties, particularly in children. He argues that despite the lack of commercial promotion for natural therapies, nature serves as a valuable tool for alleviating emotional and physical stress, and highlights the need for parents, educators, and health professionals to recognize its importance, especially in contemporary times.
Themes
NatureHealingStress ReliefEmotional HealthChildhood
In practice
Example use cases
During a school assembly discussing mental health, this quote could be shared to highlight the importance of outdoor activities for children's well-being.
More from Richard Louv
All quotes βNow, more than ever, we need nature as a balancing agent.
Richard LouvRead
The future will belong to the nature-smart...Th e more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.
Richard LouvRead
We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when the world is made whole. In my children's memories, the adventures we've had together in nature will always exist.
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Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. The disorder can be detected in individuals, families, and communities.
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A lot of people think they need to give up nature to become adults but that's not true. However, you have to be careful how you describe and define 'nature.'
Richard LouvRead
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