4Real Forums: Last Child in the Woods

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science

Topic: Last Child in the Woods

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~Rachel~
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Joined: March 29 2005
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Posted: July 13 2006 at 10:36am \| IP Logged

Has anyone else here read this book?

Just wondering your thoughts if you have

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~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire

JennGM
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Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
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Posted: July 13 2006 at 10:45am \| IP Logged

Rachel, you're in for fun. There was a long Book Study Discussion here.

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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to

& ds1

'03 & ds2

'07
Family in Feast and Feria

~Rachel~
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Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
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Posted: July 13 2006 at 12:42pm \| IP Logged

Thanks Jenn... I figured it had to be in here somewhere

but the outdoor archives are extensive

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~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire

~Rachel~
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Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 677

Posted: July 13 2006 at 4:37pm \| IP Logged

Since I am coming into the original discussion late, I will post my questions and answers in here

Quote:

What are the things you did outside as a kid?

I, unfortunately, am that generation Louv describes as the first to not have much nature outside. We played in our garden. We played in the long grass� and we took walks in the woods (much older then though). We picked our own fruit, from my uncle�s garden, our own and from berry farms. We rode our bikes a lot, climbed on a wall, but we were never allowed to dig or climb trees (I tried though). I remember liking to walk in the local park where we could feed the ducks and squirrel, or walking near my aunt�s where we collected snail shells. I loved to climb stiles and walk down by the river. These last few were always supervised though. When I got older it was exploring the woods behind the house or walking in the fields and woods over the road. I loved those woods in May� they were filled with bluebells.
Do my kids do it? No, not really. The garden is not fenced and there are a great many cars that rush down the road fore my liking (not to mention on days like today when the guy behind us has his dump trucks in and out all day!) There are no woods to walk in� not unless you want to get caught trespassing

I have figured out why I am reluctant to let them out alone� our house is a typical Energy Star home� soundproof for the most part, I can barely hear them

Quote:

Among our group, how many of us still have immediate family (siblings/parents/aunts&uncles/grandparents) on farms?

Nope� not me. My DH did� and he had the kind of childhood you are all describing. Closest thing for me before age 10 was my uncle�s house (he grew a garden) with the farm over the street, and if we walked down the road a bit we came to a horse paddock. After age 10, we had a field across the road. My parents are still there, but a trip to England is pretty expensive!

Now I did do the �hide and seek in the dark� thing� we also played it with those infra-red gun toy things� we had to hunt each other out

Quote:

Do your children know where the meat on the table comes from? Is it necessary for them to know it?

Sure they know� DS is often asking to eat other things too

like deer

, and DD couldn�t care less! Do they need to know? Not really� we grow food in our garden too, so it�s not like they think all food comes from the store

On the other hand I do think it is important that kids have some idea where it comes from� mine already do

I have found his POV interesting� IMHO he is very definitely of the Environmentalist crowd, to the point of almost blindness� it is true, sometimes being back to nature means you have to kill the creature just to eat!
Sometimes you have to know where to draw the line. I had to admit, his quotes from Muir amused me� shooting at seagulls

But I also agree that he has a point when it comes to the adventures of modern youth. It always amazes me that there is a little boy down the street, the same age as my DS. He has a tiny ATV with which he buzzes around his yard. His Dad built ramps in the woods behind us, and he and the teenagers here all go 4 wheeling in there. No, he doesn�t own the property� he just acts like he does! (And they wonder why kids have no respect!)
My son was amazed at this boy having the ATV, emphatically speaking against it

because it is too noisy and drives where it shouldn�t.

Quote:

Are we losing connection to nature because we are no different from animals or machines (or because many people perceive things that way)?

I think we are losing our connection to nature more because we are living in subdivisions� many in huge houses on tiny lots. Truth be told, I am one of the luck ones. Our subdivision is older, we have trees and our house is smaller, so we have a yard!

As for the eating food we grow/bake� I think the reason is because the kids think it tastes better. My kids

homemade bread. Which is good because it is all they get

they

picking food from the garden too� and I have heard DS say it tastes better� more than likely because it is fresh!

I too was struck by the criminalization of nature play� and have seen it in action elsewhere. Isn�t it heartbreaking?

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~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire

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