Just because it’s cold and snowy outside doesn’t mean we can’t spend time outdoors with the kids in our lives. Judith Siers-Poisson talks with the author of a book that promotes the benefits of spending time outside with your child each and every day. (Originally broadcast on January 1, 2013)
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Expert's Advice: Get Outdoors With Your Children
On a gorgeous summer day, it’s easy to grab the children, run outside and find a dozen things to do without any problem. But what about in the middle of winter, when the wind is howling and it’s dark at 4 p.m.?
As the result of a New Year’s resolution, Rebecca Cohen made a commitment to spend 15 minutes outside with her two sons each and every day. She’s a gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert whose mission is to inspire people to get off the couch and discover how simple it can be to incorporate an active, outdoor lifestyle into a busy schedule. Cohen is also the author of “Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids.”
“I’m not one typically to make New Year’s resolutions,” Cohen said. “But it was a cold Jan. 1 morning with my children and we were outside, we were watching squirrels running around, and we could hear the leaves crunching under our feet. (We were living in Virginia at the time). And I was having so much fun. We were laughing, our moments together were so great. And I looked around, and there was no one else outside in the neighborhood!”
Cohen decided that she wanted others to experience and enjoy what she and her children did that morning. So, she decided to do it regularly, “every day of the year, no matter the weather.”
And from that, her resolution of getting outside 365 days a year was born.
It might seem like getting outside isn’t any more important that time spent well indoors. But, Cohen said that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one hour of unstructured outdoor play time for children each day.
“But it’s more than that,” she said. “It’s really special bonding time as a family. It’s not only healthy for kids, it’s healthy for adults.”
Cohen went on to say that research shows that outdoor play improves cooperation and reduces aggression in children.
“I have two boys,” she said. “They’re 8 and 10 now, but I started this journey with them when they were 2 and 4. And when they’re inside, they bicker nonstop. When they are outside, they are best of friends! So, this is also a great parenting tool, for all of us.”
And today? Cohen said, “It’s become a healthy habit of ours. It’s something that we treasure now.”
Episode Credits
- Judith Siers-Poisson Host
- Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
- Rebecca Cohen Guest
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