I've been watching my kids play in their sandbox. It is their favorite place to play these days. It used to be just an ordinary play area until Mom added WATER. Last year, I would not allow them to put too much water in there. "Too dirty!", I would shout. This year,I say "We'll just take a bath before lunch time." Now, they have full access to their own hose. They've made rivers, lakes, mountains, caves & canyons. They've gotten their boats to float down stream. And they've gotten DIRTY!!!
When we garden, we do not wear gloves. It is very calming to go into the garden & just start pulling weeds. It is monotonous. It takes no thought. There is instant progress. And I'm getting DIRTY!
That dirt, if it has not been "fertilized" with chemicals, is full of billions of bacteria, GOOD bacteria. That good bacteria is so important for our health, for our immune systems. There are numerous articles on the link between colon health and overall health. Here are two that I have found to be very helpful to us. The Case For Healthy Bowels & Bacteria, The Soil, The Gut & Detoxification. (Do not substitute this for medical advice from a professional. I am just a mom with a few opinions & real life experience)
There are a few things that we, as a family, avoid like the plague. "City water" is treated with chlorine. Chlorine kills bacteria. All bacteria. The good, the bad, the ugly. Antibiotics kill bacteria. Not all bacteria, but they cannot tell the difference between good & bad. Ever eaten TONS of yogurt while you on are an antibiotic to try to prevent a yeast infection? Yeast infections are caused by too much yeast, not enough good bacteria to "eat" the yeast. Antibacterial soaps & hand sanitizer not only kill the surface bacteria but also enter the body & kill the good bacteria. All these things, when used on a regular basis are actually doing MUCH more harm than good.
I implore you to do some research & see if what I say is true.
So, the next time your kiddos want to run in the mud. Let them. Get in there with them. GET DIRTY, Mom! Make a mud hole for them to create in. Build a garden. Who cares about having to give them another bath? The joy on their faces is SO worth it!
This is so good! One more suggestion: forget the bath! (Until bedtime, that is.) Just hose them down or let kids 'wash' off in a small wading pool. Keep a couple of old towels outside, hanging on a handy limb or something. If they just brush the clothes off, and limit the water to the extremities (yeah, right!)they'll get most of the crud off. Might not be perfect...but then, they'll just be getting dirty again later on anyway!
ReplyDelete