let them eat dirt
In an International Herald Tribune article – Eating dirt can be good for you – just ask babies – Jane Brody quotes Dr. Joel Weinstock saying that “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat”.
[image: robynejay]
I once knew a child who was not allowed to eat solids until 12 months of age. By 5 he was allergic to everything on the earth, or so it seemed.
I’m looking back on my boy’s childhood on the eve of Nic’s quarter century. It was a childhood of freedom, security, exploration, and good old fashioned grovelling around in the dirt. The food my kids ate was fresh and home cooked, the clothes they wore were of natural fabrics and usually home sewn. They were happy and healthy and loved.
It pains me to see children in the city coddled in $1000 strollers, swaddled in designer garb and as far from the ground as a city will allow.
Time to get back to basics.
Yes, yes, yes! My boys have climbed trees, eaten dirt (and vegemite sandwiches off the floor – same as eating dirt probably!), choose to swim in summer as a preference to showering, ride scooters, skateboards and bikes freely and are fed good food, even leftovers and are even disciplined!
They are healthy, robust kids, who are rarely sick and go to the doctor even less. And on the odd occasion they are unwell, are given the opportunity to heal, without medication, unless we think it prudent!
I love your “common sense” approach Robyn…. may there be more of it!
Meredith Collins said this on February 26th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I agree with your comments. Diversity in diet I think would be very important, playing around in the dirt and mud after a good rain storm…these things I had when I was growing up. I didn’t grow up in a rural town like the boys, and my parents held pretty tight reins on us when we were kids in terms of where we played and who we associated with but that was due more to not knowing all our neighbours and living in a busy suburban area. I’m sure I ate my fair share of sand (yes I have photos to prove), dirt and grubs. It breaks my heart to see my nephews being brought up on 3 meals of runny lentils a day, no solids until nearly 2 years old (to then question why he has an under developed jaw) and no honey in the diet because it has bacteria in it, but maccas beef patties and cheese is okay so long as you don’t let them eat the bread! Insanity! I look forward to providing our kids (when they arrive) home cooked nutritious meals. I’ll be curious to see if the dried banana Nic loved as a baby will remain popular. I hope so
Where we live, it is mum central with the expensive prams and yummy mummy exercise groups that get together of a morning. I think there are certain staple items that I would spend money on, knowing it would get good use and be handed down to baby #2, but I still think there is nothing wrong with second hand either. My brother and sister in law just bought a beautiful cot and matching change table from EBay in sold dark timber for less than half the price in store. I can’t say I’m much of a sewer, but I think you could take the reins on that one when/if the time comes.
At the end of the day, we havent been there on done that yet so no doubt it will all be a learning curve, but i say bring on old school up brining. Get em well fed and grubby! haha
Kate said this on March 8th, 2009 at 3:18 pm