Let’s talk all about getting outdoors with your sweet baby & how the exposure to nature can benefit your baby’s development.
Observation: Do you ever notice how you are able to be much more “present” in nature? Or notice how you feel calmer or more relaxed?
For me personally, I know I always feel such a deep sense of peace whenever the ocean water brushes my hair as I dive under a wave, or when I immerse myself in fields and trees on a summers day hike, or even just sitting out in my backyard as I listen to the birds sing…
That being said, one day when I was teaching at the Montessori School, in one of those moments where all of my babies seemed to either be teething, sleepy, or just ready to move on to the next activity, I took a deep breath and quickly took myself to my happy place in my head.
Which I’m sure you can guess (by our topic of conversation) that that place is in nature, surrounded trees, animals, and the sound of running water. I quickly gained a sense of peace in that moment and was able to sufficiently guide each child through their next step of the day.
But that moment that I had at work got me thinking…
If I find such a sense of peace while I am in nature, and even thinking about nature, could it have an effect on my babies too?
So I researched. And the results were astounding… and yet completely expected to me.
To make things short and sweet.. yes!!! It has a huge effect on our sweet baby’s development and will continue to as they grow. To start, exposing them to nature of all sorts naturally reduces stress levels, causing them to more effectively learn and make connections about their world!
And then, I read one really interesting study on “Earthing.” (Earthing is essentially where one walks barefoot on dirt, grass, or sand, connecting with the energy that the Earth naturally releases)
The research showed that 30 minutes of Earthing a day can affect multiple areas of a persons life (such as sleep, anxiety, and energy levels) in an incredibly positive way. So I decided to try it with my babies.
Once a day, usually in the afternoon when the temperature was just right, I would open my door to our playground and let my infants sit, crawl, and walk in the grass without any shoes on.
And let me tell you… they loved it!! The exposure and the sensorial experience combined with the joy that exuded from each of their faces that very first time I did it was enough to keep me doing it every chance I got.
But the cool part is, all that stuff that I had read about being more peaceful and less stressed was true! We noticed such a shift in mood and energy in our babies each time we would come in from our “Earthing” experience of the day!
Mind you, based on the sensorial exposure and temperaments of some of the children, we did have to warm up to that new sensory experience (which we will definitely be talking more about sensory experiences and exposure soon 🙂 ) One way I was able to help children warm up to the grass was by placing them near the edge of a quilt that I had placed on the grass.
Then, I would lay next to the child and “model” or show them how much I enjoyed the sensation of the grass, and would talk about how it felt. Sooner or later each child would try it out too. 🙂
So try it my dear friends! I hope you all enjoy it with your babies as much as I did with mine!
Xoxo,
Bianca, Your Baby Tour Guide