Let Your Child Get Dirty! It's Essential for Physical and Mental
Development
Are you still following your child around worrying that they
might stain their clothes? Do you forbid playing outside because
they might get dirty? Do you see germs and infections in every
step they take? Are you trying to keep away friendly dogs or
cute kittens because they might be disease carriers? Do any of
the sentences above represent your attitude towards your child?
If yes, you must reconsider. Depriving your child of physical
contact with the "Dirty, Outside World" is bad for its health.
Sound unbelievable? How can something full of germs be essential
for a kid's development? First of all, your child, in the
delicate years between childhood and puberty, develops its
immune system. The immune system is designed to defend the
organism against millions of bacteria, microbes, parasites,
viruses and toxins. But it needs to be trained; just us muscles
need exercise to function properly. In order to recognize
harmful germs, it needs to meet them first. Then it creates an
archive, where it is all installed. When the time comes for a
fight, the immune system will be prepared because it knows the
enemy. Pure exposure to various microorganisms and other
environmental factors leads to pure immune resistance. That
means, that the child will be less susceptible to disease later
in life. So, don't exaggerate in hygiene matters. Let your
child's immune system harden, with the help of dirt. Your child
needs also to be active, run around and feel happy playing
outside. Worrying about stains will make the child feel guilty
about activities that make it happy. You cannot replace that
happiness with clean clothes, or with indoor inactive activities
such us TV or video games. This is especially true during the
school year. Imagine being seated in a chair while experiencing
growth and energy spurts! Getting loose outside home will help
the child deal with that pressure. Don't underestimate your
kids' explorative skills. By exploring -not the house of course-
it discovers the world. Exploration boosts the imagination as
well as creativity, social and physical skills. Well-developed
physical skills result in a healthy body. Creativity will bring
adaptability, and social skills will bring success and mental
health. All those will eventually turn an active child, into a
lively, successful healthy adult. Let friendly animals approach
your child. They won't hurt it; they will be of benefit. By
keeping animals away you teach your child to do the same. Have
you considered having a pet? Children raised with pets show many
benefits. Developing positive feelings about pets can contribute
to a child's self-esteem and self-confidence. Your child will
develop trusting relationships with others much easier. A good
relationship with a pet can also help in developing non-verbal
communication, compassion, and empathy. Finally, how important
do you think memories are? Memories are moments of our lives,
forming our personality. What would you like your child to
remember from its childhood memories? Clean, germ-free clothes?
Or shiny days outside, filled with laughter and a sense of
adventure? Are you still afraid of dirt? No need to be, after
all, dirt is health! So, let your child go and play outside,
loose in the dirt. Join in if you get jealous, you might want to
get a little dirty too!