Unplug and Get Outside Today
National Get Outdoors Day is next Saturday, June 8th, 2013 but that shouldn’t give you an excuse to stay inside today. Adults and children are spending way too much time inside and "playing" with their electronic gadgets. It’s difficult to go anywhere these days and not see people of all ages poking at the screen on their telephone. I want to see people unplug and get outside today!
It’s a shame when you go to Valleyfair and see a bench filled with kids texting. They should be running from ride to ride or bumping each other on the Bumper Cars but instead they are sitting down eating their Dots while texting someone who is probably sitting right next to them. Many adults are just as bad as they text away while ignoring pleas from their small children. These people need to set their devices down and experience some real communication and recreation in the great outdoors.
I realize it’s difficult to unplug and let go. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time around middle-school aged kids this year and getting them to give up their phones is like tearing a limb from their body. They argue, beg and plead to just be able to listen to music, or look at Pinterest or to check a Snap Chat from a friend. None of them carry a camera or wear a watch because they are so dependent on their telephone and the constant need to stay in contact with their friends and/or family.
Times have changed and I get that but I also get how important it is to get outside. These same electronic dependent kids have a great time when forced to give up their gadgets. They play games like "Red Rover, Red Rover" or "Kick the Can" when they aren’t allowed to be on their phones. It’s great to see and I hope they can see how much more fun it is to be outside playing than it is to be inside on Facebook.
I’m never the most loved Mom of my children or their friends when I insist they unplug and get outside to play but I encourage other parents to become more like me. And the best way to convince our children to unplug and get outside is by getting out there with them. So go on, unplug and get outside today and every day.
