Why You Should Let Your Children Play in the Dirt
Nolan loves dirt. He loves to smear his little fingers in whatever gooey muck he can get his little fingers into. If there is a puddle he will splash in it, if there’s a chunk of thick brown soil he will attempt to insert his limbs as far as they will go. And up till now, I have stopped him: Nolan, yuck. That’s dirty.
But he might just know exactly what he’s doing. This recent BBC article claims that exposure to dirt might lift mood as well as the immune system. Apparently, seratonin, a key ingredient in the brown gunk, may restore a healthy immune function in people who are depressed and prone to infection.
More study is needed, caution experts, but in the meantime, I guess it wouldn’t hurt all of us to learn from our kids and smear a little mud.
– Kristin Scott