Balance is what we all strive for when parenting, we start to realize that it’s not black and white but instead it’s very fluid and the goal is to find the balance and maintain a healthy mindset.
For me, starting off the book club with “Balanced and Barefoot” was the perfect fit because it is written by a pediatric occupational therapist with experience working with children. It reminds me of the importance of the outdoors. It builds the foundation of my parenting.
Yes, we have practical life, shelf work, and playtime but we always default to saying “how can I take this outdoors.”
Why do we encourage and promote outdoor play? Because the outdoors offers a perfectly balanced sensory experience. Just step outdoors with your child (or alone!) and notice how calmly it is. It provides an opportunity to explore but also to calm us in the process.
We all know the importance of sensory exposure for young children and the long-term benefits. Children learn through touch and the outdoors has endless opportunities. Pebbles, rocks, sticks, and so much more are a great way for a child to strengthen their palmar and pincer grasp. These are stepping stones to coloring and writing in school.
The book also focuses on the importance of child-directed play, unstructured play, and emotional regulation outdoors. It’s easily written in a manner to allow parents to continue to use the book as their children grow, which I have enjoyed. I first picked up the book last year and I reread it again this year but with a different view. Last year I was learning, this year I’m reminding myself of our outdoor play and small tweaks to make.
The downside of the book? It’s pretty dense. It also goes into detail about classrooms and recess. All things that are important to talk about but it can feel pretty loaded for a new parent. I would’ve appreciated it in two volumes. Being a new parent is hard enough and thinking 5/6 years into the future can also feel very overwhelming and out of our control. I live in Texas and we don’t have many outdoor schooling options so I felt like my hands were a bit tied when it was brought up.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
I am a strong believer in all of the benefits the outdoors provides for us and our children. This book is a great learning tool for parents/grandparents. It goes into detail on all the benefits of the outdoors. It teaches us about terms such as vestibular balance and why it’s important. My only wish is that it would be less dense for new parents. It’s definitely a book you keep long-term and continue to refer back to.
What were your thoughts on the book? Comment below!
Interested in book recommendations for books on pregnancy? Check out our post on Mindful Parenting Books for Pregnancy!
Interested in participating in next month’s Book Club or just looking for a new book to read? Check out the August 2022 Book Club post linked here.
Check out the full listing of books recommended for our book club.
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