Critical truths we are forgetting during the pandemic

The instructions on how to prevent becoming infected with the Covid-19 virus are the complete opposite of what many of us have been told all our lives. From childhood we have heard that children need to play outdoors. Fresh air, sunshine and exercise are necessary components of life, yet now both children and adults are told to stay indoors. Children cannot properly thrive being cooped up inside with stale air and no sunshine. Parents know that it’s easier to get their sons and daughters to sleep after they have exerted themselves in the great outdoors. When young babies have a hard time sleeping moms, dads, and grandparents often take them outside in their strollers and they quickly fall asleep after encountering the fresh air.

Indoor play can never replace running, rolling down hills , playing tag and other outdoor fun. The sun offers vitamin D 3 and trees produce oxygen. Going barefooted puts out feet in touch with the ground, producing negative ions that reduce the damage caused by being around electronics such as cell phones, and computers. It cannot be healthy for boys and girls, teens , or adults to spend every day all day going from TV to stereo, to cell phone, to laptop, to game systems yo bed. We may be setting our young folk up for future health issues without even realizing it.

Children should be climbing trees, playing on the jungle gym at the park and fishing on streams. The precautions that protect against the coronavirus may be opening a Pandora’s box of other ills once things begin going back to some sense of normalcy. We are being inundated with celebrities and news casters telling us how many times to wash our hands and to please where facial masks and everyone is ignoring the fact that we are missing the beauty of spring. There was a lot of focus on Christians who missed attending Easter Sunday services but staying indoors robs us all of vital felt good nutrients serotonin and dopamine. Numerous studies indicate that not enjoying the sunshine can lead to depression.

Not one expert has addressed this issue publicly that I know of because the fear of Covid-19 spreading suffering and death seems to be the focus. If sheltering in place goes on much longer children and adults might become complacent with their current lifestyles and be afraid of catching the virus if they venture out. Many simple pleasures are being missed like cookouts, picnics and birthday parties. It’s wishful thinking to believe that everyone is simply going to make up for lost time. I understand that we must do what’s necessary to stop the pandemic but we can’t ignore what is happening to our children. It’s bad enough they are out of school and when you consider the entire picture it is not a pretty one.

Nature walks, hiking through the woods, trails and mountain climbing are challenging as well as healthy. Fresh clean air is always in order. When Michelle Obama was First Lady of The United States she emphasized that our young people needed to keep moving. Unfortunately what we are currently dealing with is news reports and commercials reminding us to wash our hands, wear face masks, and use sanitizer. I know I mentioned this earlier and I repeat it to get my point across. No one seems to be considering that all the down time and sitting in the house will cause our young people to have lax attitudes, fight laziness and deal with obiesity. Without the reinforcement of little league, school physical education and gym classes where is the motivation to stay physically fit?

Even in third world nations, the children are free to run and play, What will be the repercussions for this season where kids can’t be kids. I don’t know how anyone can think this sequestering indoors won’t hurt our teens and young adults in the long run.In addition, there are no new movies at the theater, no hit records being made and no new fashions being created. Everything is at a standstill and sooner or later there will be a price to pay. I’ve heard people say they wonder if their are any long term after effects of contracting the coronavirus. I’m wondering what will be the long term side effects from children literally being incarcerated ftom normal life. They say every action has a reaction and in time we may see this is true.