In Kith, (a book I recommend to all CCNS parents), Jay Griffiths asks, Why are our kids so unhappy? Her diagnosis–they don’t get enough time outdoors. The word “kith,” mainly used now in the phrase “kith and kin,” means something like “friends and family.” But originally, kith meant one’s native land and surroundings, and by extension, knowledge. 

To spend time outdoors is to know.

For much of our two year old’s life, there has been a pandemic. This has meant time spent indoors. Raising a child in the city is hard enough “kith-wise” (a park is a poor substitute for the great outdoors), but it’s even harder when you can’t even go outside. Thankfully, CCNS and it’s emphasis on nature and time spent outdoors has been an antidote to this problem. In addition to what our daughter is learning indoors, every Wednesday she gets to “wander” in nature with her class.  From Church Fork to Neff’s Canyon and Miller’s Bird Refuge, she is getting to know her “native land” and herself, her head full of birds and trees, and (for better or worse) her pockets full of rocks.