Here’s my second extract from the book ‘Noah’s Children’ by Sara Stein. Here she observes how American (probably western) culture has increasingly divorced children from directly finding things they need or are interested in; things that children used to find outside in the natural world:
‘Our culture makes the point that much of what most interests children is not obtainable by them. It’s our cotton balls and cinnamon sticks, not their free-for-the-gathering furry mullein leaves or minty wintergreen. What rolls or smears or makes a noise when it is squeezed is a truck we’ve bought, a set of finger paints, a stuffed animal- not the log or mud or toad that children might obtain for themselves. They can’t even get some berries for their breakfast unless we buy the fruit.’
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and the wider issues raised…
Norfolk Green Care Network 