Should Children Wield Sticks?
There are a lot of things currently seen as taboo that used to be second nature. Children have been running barefoot with sticks for as long as we can remember, yet today a picture like the one above may lead to some raised eyebrows and wagging fingers. The picture above was taken of my son last week. We were on a stick collecting adventure and his shoes were hurting him. I let him go barefoot and he had the time of his life! We are collecting sticks for some holiday craft projects and the picking was good on this beautiful trail. My heart smiles when I see this photo. So then why do children get scolded every day for picking up sticks?
In this, short and too the point, article in the Huffington Post the author sheds some light on this topic. In "Let Kids Have Their Sticks", Bonior writes,
"Is it really so awful to let a young kid wield a stick? Maybe it’s their pretend fishing pole (seen it), their implement for digging for treasure (seen it), their triumphant torch declaring their sense of Olympian-like immortality, if only for a fleeting moment (most definitely seen it). Somehow, instead, to parents monitoring the playground, it might as well be a firearm. "
There is something really strange going on today. Many parents view screen time as safer then time spent digging in the dirt, and "gasp" running with sticks. I have to say that personally I notice my children getting agitated and frustrated more quickly after a bought of tv or games on an electronic device than when I spend the afternoon with them outdoors. Outside they run around and investigate and problem solve and basically operate on their own terms. There is a sense of shared discoveries and a lot of laughter. We relax and exhaust ourselves at the same time. Getting outside really sets the tone for the day and seems to bond us through shared experience in a way that sitting in front of the tv can't match.
I will leave you with a link to a few articles on the topic in case you are interested in some further reading. Find out a bit more on why parts of society are ushering children away from sticks, stones, and dirt in favor of clean plastic and electronics. And how we can rally behind unplugging and playing as children have forever - outside in the natural world.
Why Sticks Are Good For Kids (Psychology Today)
Let Your Kids Get Dirty (The Art of Simple)
