One of the top secrets in keeping your youngster healthy is a dose of the outdoors in such a fast-paced world.
Any parent can tell you that babies tend to fall ill quite often as they grow. Toddlers and babies usually get the cold an average of eight t0 10 times every year before their second birthday. Toddlers also get allergies, ear infections, eczema, asthma, and fits of diarrhea among other illnesses, before they turn six years old.
As your baby grows, so does his or her health. There are things parents can do to prevent germs from compromising their child’s health. According to Medicalopedia, one of the top secrets in keeping your youngster healthy is a dose of the outdoors in such a fast-paced world.
Here are seven important ways spending more time outside helps your baby:
7 Boosting Immunity
As your little one spends time outside playing with pets or getting dirty, he or she is getting a fill of healthy and diverse bacteria. Scientists and physicians believe that letting your baby play outside exposes them to a variety of microbes that help the body fight against several infections, according to Healthline.
Likewise, outdoor experiences such as visiting a farmhouse or gardening can help your child’s immunity. Just make sure that the environment your baby is playing in is not dirty with fecal matter or polluted water.
6 Getting Vitamin D
There are numerous benefits of sun exposure from enhancing a person’s mood to producing Vitamin D. Being out in the sun not only helps your little one feel great but can also help develop his or her bones and improve immunity, according to Medical News Today.
Sunlight helps the body create Vitamin D, which is beneficial for blood cells, bones, and immunity. Vitamin D works to help the body absorb and use minerals such as phosphorus and calcium. While your baby can get Vitamin D from food and supplements, some exposure to the sun particularly early in the day, every day is the best option.
5 Enhancing Creativity
If you are worried about your toddler being able to read and write before he or she starts school, you should not ignore outdoor play.
Spending time outside promotes curiosity and awe, encouraging kids to engage in creative play, arts, and innovation. Studies show that spending regular time in free outdoor play helps kids to concentrate more and perform better in school. The ability to use imagination to solve problems and have fun boosts creativity. As such, unstructured time outdoors gives kids the opportunity to create their own play, entertain themselves, and figure things out as they go.
4 Improving Sleep
Exposure to the sun along with outdoor physical activity helps kids to sleep better, and all parents love that!
Whereas time in the sun helps the brain to stay on track for a steady sleep-wake cycle, bodily exertion from exercising, and playing outside will make your baby more exhausted and likely to maintain a healthy sleep-wake pattern.
3 Cultivating Happiness
Spending time outdoors means that your little one will have the chance to make friends with other toddlers and learn how to do things together. Amidst all that play and interaction, your baby is developing important skills in behavior and attitude, which is quite a good thing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that a hurried life can trigger anxiety and stress, and could even lead to depression among kids. Allowing your baby to play outside freely will bring a sudden change in his or her:
•Stress levels
•Self-control
•Self-esteem
•Happiness, in general
2 Learning To Take Risks
Self-regulated play with more freedom exposes your child to inevitable risks. Your baby may face rejection when venturing to make a new friend or scrape their knee while running after a squirrel.
These thoughts can certainly make you worry and want to keep your baby safe, but doing so will prevent your little one from taking risks and knowing what he or she can do. Also, your baby may grow up lacking bravery and confidence to challenge life’s unavoidable risks.
1 Reducing Symptoms Of ADHD
It turns out nature is the secret to treating symptoms of ADHD, as recent research suggests. Researchers have found that typical leisure activities are done in backyards and green settings like parks lessened children’s ADHD symptoms remarkably more than if the same activities were conducted indoors. Researchers believe that exposure to greenery can substitute the need for ADHD medicine altogether.
More and more, studies are showing that playing outside in nature and simply spending some time outdoors is incredibly crucial for babies, for their emotional and cognitive development, and overall health. Unfortunately, in this digital age, kids are spending less time outdoors.
Sources: medicalopedia.org, healthline.com, medicalnewstoday.com.
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