Guiding families to happier, healthier lifestyles:
www.kidsnaturally.ca
Go ahead, get dirty.
– By Jacklyn Fernandez
W e have become obsessed with cleanliness. In fact, our
cleanliness is making our children worried and stressed about
even going outside, and all this worry and over-sterilization
is making us even sicker!
At the moment, children’s environments are being over-
cleaned, and they’re being taught that getting their hands,
nails, and clothes dirty is a bad thing. They are growing up
thinking they need to wash and sanitize their hands constantly,
and that the proper way to be a decent member of society is
by showering every day. What does this do to our bodies? All
this cleanliness is making us “immune to our immune system.”
Richard Louv, author of the book Last Child in the Woods, says
that people who spend too little time outdoors experience a
range of behavioural problems, or “nature deficit disorder”.
He explains that, “just as in nature, systems lacking in
biodiversity are less resilient, whether they’re forests or
microbial communities in our stomachs or skin. These less
resilient systems are more subject to invasion by pathogens
or invasive species.”
Our immune system needs to get used to being exposed to
a wide range of organism, from a very young age. Now, we
sterilize our counters, walls, bathrooms, pacifiers, pots and
pans, and especially our hands on a regular basis, which are
all contributors to our immune system being overly-sensitive
to every single microbe. One little cold at school, and the
whole class will contract it. Then, the whole family will get it.
Tip! A child’s medicine cabinet
- Safety first! Ideally, a medicine cabinet should never be in
the bathroom, as the warmth and humidity can degrade
products. Instead, pick a high cabinet in the kitchen where
smaller children cannot reach, and which can even be locked
with a child-proof tie.
- Pick a time of year (like New Year) to check all expiry dates
– maybe check your smoke/carbon monoxide alarm batteries
at the same time!
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RAISING KIDS NATURALLY!
Why is the whole family sick, if everyone has their own
immune system? Stop blaming the child for the parents’
sickness.
Dr. David Suzuki recommends children spend a lot more
time outdoors, climbing and playing on the grass – and yes,
even mud – in order to build their immune system. And as we
recommend, let your body’s natural oils develop and protect
your skin, rather than wiping them clean with harsh chemicals
every single day. Take your children and grandchildren outside,
GO WITH THEM rather than letting them play electronics
for hours on end. You’ll soon find the parent/child quality
time increasing, and sniffles decreasing. •
- Keep children’s medicine cabinet separate than an adult’s –
this way, if you happen to need something in the middle
of the night, you won’t confuse the items.
- Keep a clean, dry measuring spoon in the cabinet, for
measuring medications.
- Put smaller containers and items inside a cardboard box
or basket, so it’s easier to pull down and search through.
- Keep bandages, gauze and cotton ball separate than
medications, in case any of these accidentally leak.
MEDICATION needs to be more organized than SOCKS!
Less electronics • more outdoors • quality time • healthy lifestyles!