Are Children Losing the Ability to Play? What We Gain and Lose When Every Minute Is Scheduled

 I grew up in a public housing project, and it was full of kids. After school, our moms would say go outside and play until dinner time. The kids in the neighborhood would spend hours outside making up games, building forts, riding bikes, and finding creative ways to entertain ourselves. Adults weren't organizing every minute of our day. We figured things out as we went along.

Today, many children go from school to sports practice, dance lessons, tutoring, music classes, and other organized activities. While these opportunities can be wonderful, I sometimes wonder if we've lost something important along the way.

Are children getting enough time to simply play?

In addition, are parents losing their ability to do what they want to do? My nieces, who each have 2 kids, go from rec soccer to travel soccer to rec baseball to travel baseball to dance lessons to gymnastics class. After school, they are always running around and don’t really have time to relax and think!

Even researchers have noticed that free, unstructured play has been declining for decades. Psychologist Peter Gray has written extensively about how children have fewer opportunities for self-directed play than previous generations. At the same time, rates of anxiety and other mental health challenges among children have increased. While many factors contribute to these trends, it raises an important question: what happens when children have less freedom to explore, create, and solve problems on their own?

More recent research has also found that unstructured play in the preschool years predicts stronger self-regulation abilities later in childhood. Self-regulation—the ability to manage emotions, focus attention, and control impulses—is one of the strongest predictors of future academic and social success.

In other words, what may look like "just playing" is actually some of the most important learning a child can do. It’s much more than having fun.

When children create their own games, they learn how to negotiate, compromise, solve conflicts, and think creatively. They learn resilience when things don't go as planned. They develop confidence because they are making decisions without an adult directing every step.

I can remember having physical fights one day and being back playing together the next day.

Today, the coach is making all the decisions - deciding what position everyone will play. The kids have no input.

Plus, skills like negotiating and compromise can't always be taught through instruction alone.

This doesn't mean organized sports and activities are bad. Sports teach teamwork and perseverance. Music lessons build discipline and focus. The issue isn't participation…it's balance.

Children need opportunities to be bored.

They need time to build a fort out of blankets, invent an imaginary world, or spend an afternoon creating something without a specific goal or outcome.

One program that recognizes the importance of imaginative play is Filament Theatre's FORTS: Build Your Own Adventure. Instead of sitting and watching a performance, families are invited to build, create, explore, and tell stories together using simple materials and their imaginations. 

Experiences like this remind us that children don't always need more structured activities. Sometimes they need more opportunities to lead their own adventures.

Other programs, including nature schools, forest schools, adventure playgrounds, and loose-parts play spaces, are built around the same idea: children learn best when they have the freedom to explore.

As parents, grandparents, and educators, it may be worth asking ourselves a simple question:

Have we become so focused on providing opportunities and wanting our kids to win at whatever sport or activity they are involved with that we've forgotten to leave room for play?

Research continues to show that free play supports creativity, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and social development. In many ways, play is the work of childhood.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give children is not another activity on the calendar, but the time and space to create an adventure of their own.

So…anybody have a big cardboard box and some sheets?

Got a Tick? Don't Do What Grandma Told You

Tick season is here. I’ve decided to write about it, because last week both my wife and I found ticks on our bodies and we hadn’t been in the woods…just in our back yard! So, I decided to look at the tick picture.

First of all, if you get a tick on you, somebody is about to suggest one of the worst pieces of health advice that just refuses to “die.”

"Put a match on it."

"Cover it with nail polish."

"Smother it with Vaseline."

"Rub it with soap on a cotton ball."

No. Just NO.

While Grandma may have been right about many things, these things are BIG mistakes. Why…they stress the tick.

And a stressed tick is the last thing you want attached to your skin.

When a tick gets irritated, burned, suffocated, or otherwise disturbed, it can regurgitate the contents of its gut back into the bite before it lets go. Think about that for a second. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are spread through the exchange of bodily fluids.

So instead of helping the tick leave, you're increasing the chances that it dumps potentially infectious material into your body on the way out.

Not exactly a winning strategy.

So, here's what actually works.

Get a pair of fine-tipped tweezers.

Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, right where the mouthparts enter the skin. Not the body. Not the swollen abdomen. Right at the head.

Then pull straight up with steady pressure.

Don't twist.

Don't jerk.

Don't try to rip it out.

Just pull steadily.

The mouthparts are barbed, so it may feel like the tick is hanging on. That's because it is. Keep the pressure steady, and it will usually release within a few seconds.

If part of the mouthpiece breaks off and stays in the skin, leave it alone.

Most people immediately reach for a needle and start digging. That's usually a mistake. Your body is surprisingly good at pushing tiny foreign objects to the surface on its own. Digging around often causes more damage than the leftover fragment ever would.

Once the tick is out, wash the area with soap and water or clean it with rubbing alcohol. Then wash your hands.

Simple.

But here's the part almost nobody talks about.

Don't flush the tick.

Don't throw it in the trash.

Save it.

Take an index card and tape the tick to it with a piece of clear packing tape. Write down the date and where on your body you found it.

Then stick the card in a drawer.

If you develop unusual symptoms over the next month, fever, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, a rash, or that weird "I think I'm getting sick" feeling that doesn't quite fit, that tick could become important.

Some laboratories can test ticks for disease-causing organisms. Tick testing is not a substitute for medical care, and a positive or negative result doesn't automatically tell you whether you've become infected. Still, it can provide useful information for your healthcare provider and may help paint a clearer picture if symptoms appear later.

A taped tick with a date on it may end up being one of the most useful things you can bring to a doctor's appointment.

There's one more thing people need to know.

If the tick was engorged when you removed it, and you can't honestly say it was attached for less than 24 hours, call your healthcare provider that same day.

Don't wait for a bullseye rash.

A lot of people assume they'll know they have Lyme disease because they'll get the classic target-shaped rash. The reality is that many people never see one. Waiting for a rash can mean waiting too long.

In some cases, a healthcare provider may prescribe a preventive dose of doxycycline if treatment begins within 72 hours of removing a deer tick. That's a conversation worth having sooner rather than later.

The bottom line is simple.

Forget the matches.

Forget the nail polish.

Forget the Vaseline.

Forget the soap tricks.

Use fine-tipped tweezers. Pull straight up. Clean the area. Save the tick.

Sometimes the best medical advice isn't complicated at all. It's just the stuff that actually works.

 

Breathing Your Way Back to Balance

Lately, science has been catching up with something ancient cultures have known for thousands of years: the way we breathe affects nearly everything…stress levels, sleep, energy, focus, and even emotional balance.

A recent article in Discover Magazine called “All in Your Breath” explored how slow, controlled breathing may help regulate the nervous system and calm the body naturally. Researchers are finding that breathing slowly, especially around five to six breaths per minute, may help synchronize heart rhythms, lower anxiety, and improve resilience to stress.

The researchers also found that people have specific breathing patterns that are similar to fingerprints. They found that an individual can be identified with almost 100 percent accuracy by their breathing pattern.

Subtle differences in these patterns can provide important information about a person’s health status, as well as mood, cognition, and behavior. This means that down the road, our unique breathing pattern could be used to diagnose and treat certain diseases and conditions.

In addition, changing the breathing pattern might even lead to a better mental state.

What is fascinating is that these discoveries are not new at all.

Ancient yogic traditions have practiced breath control, or pranayama, for centuries. In yoga philosophy, breath is considered the bridge between the body and the mind. Slow breathing was believed to calm the nervous system, sharpen awareness, and restore internal balance long before modern science had equipment to measure these effects.

Today, studies are showing that yogic breathing techniques may:

• lower stress hormones
• improve heart rate variability
• support better sleep
• reduce anxiety
• improve focus and mental clarity

One of the simplest practices is alternate nostril breathing, known as Nadi Shodhana. This technique is believed to balance the body and quiet mental chatter. Another calming practice is Bhramari, or “bee breath,” which uses a humming exhale to relax the nervous system.

Even ancient Buddhist and Taoist traditions emphasized slow abdominal breathing during meditation. Zen monks often practiced long, steady exhalations to cultivate stillness and mental clarity. Taoist breathing practices focused on conserving energy and promoting longevity through calm, gentle respiration.

Modern researchers are now discovering that nasal breathing may also play an important role in health. Breathing through the nose helps filter air, regulate airflow, and increase nitric oxide production, which supports circulation and oxygen delivery.

What I find most interesting is how something so simple can have such a profound effect on the body. Breathing is automatic, yet it is also one of the few body functions we can consciously control. That means we have a built-in tool for calming the nervous system anytime we need it.

Here’s a simple breathing practice you can try:

• sit quietly
• breathe in slowly through the nose
• exhale gently and fully
• slow the breath without forcing it
• continue for 5 minutes

Sometimes, the oldest healing techniques still turn out to be the most powerful.

And science is finally beginning to explain why.

A Very Touchy Subject: What Happens to Women When They’re Denied an Abortion?

For years, abortion has been debated as a political issue, a moral issue, and a legal issue and with the latest court decisions around the pills, I feel I need to add my voice to the mix about the one thing that often gets ignored in the conversation which is what actually happens to the woman afterwards? I know this is a charged issue, but people need to know about this aspect and its importance.

This is not hypothetically. Not ideologically. I want to share with you what happens in real life.

Research has now followed women for years after they were denied abortions, and the findings are to put it mildly sobering. The effects go far beyond the pregnancy itself. Denying abortion access can impact a woman’s physical health, mental well-being, finances, safety, and future opportunities for years afterward, as well as, the wellness of the other children she may already have.

One of the largest and most widely cited studies on this issue is called the “Turnaway Study,” and was reported in 2013 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers followed nearly 1,000 women over five years. Some were able to receive abortions, while others were denied it because they were just past their state’s gestational limit. Keep in mind that this was before the Supreme Court gave states the right to ban abortions in 2022.

What they discovered in their research challenges many of the assumptions people have about abortion.

The Emotional Impact of Being Denied

One of the most repeated claims in abortion debates is that abortion harms women emotionally. But the research did not support that idea. Women who received abortions generally did not experience worse long-term mental health outcomes. In fact, more than 95% said years later that having an abortion was the right decision for them.

The women who received abortions did not experience worse long-term psychological outcomes than those denied abortions. The women who struggled the most emotionally were often the women who were denied abortions.

Researchers found that women denied abortions experienced significantly higher stress and anxiety immediately afterward. Many reported feeling trapped, overwhelmed, and fearful about the future.

So just imagine today already knowing you are not financially, emotionally, physically, or mentally prepared for another child and then you’re stuck in a state where abortions are banned, and you have no ability to get to another state that permits abortions.

That kind of loss of control can affect every part of a woman’s life. Let’s talk a closer look at these aspects.

Poverty Increased for Women Denied Abortions

One of the clearest findings from the Turnaway Study was financial hardship.

Women denied abortions were:

• More likely to fall below the poverty line
• More likely to be unemployed
• More likely to rely on public assistance
• More likely to struggle paying for basic living expenses like food, transportation, and housing

And newer research found these financial effects lasted for years.

Researchers also connected study participants to actual credit report data over a ten-year period. Women denied abortions experienced:

• Increased debt
• More unpaid bills
• Higher rates of bankruptcy and eviction records
• Greater long-term financial distress

One of the most important details in that research was this: before the pregnancy, women in both groups had similar financial situations. The economic decline happened after the denial of an abortion. Researchers found these financial effects lasted for years.

This is important because many women seeking abortions are already mothers. Many are already trying to hold together jobs, rent, childcare, and rising costs of living. Adding an unplanned birth into an already unstable situation can create negative long-term economic consequences.

And those consequences don’t just affect the woman. They affect the children she already has too.

Physical Health Risks Were Higher

Pregnancy and childbirth are not medically risk-free.

Women denied abortions experienced more serious physical health complications than women who received abortions. Some reported chronic pain, hypertension, and other lasting health problems. Two women in the study died from childbirth complications.

That part often gets left out of public conversations about abortion.

People talk about abortion as though carrying a pregnancy is always the safer or easier option, but medically, childbirth carries significantly more risk than abortion procedures, especially in the United States where maternal mortality rates remain concerning.

Increased Risk of Staying in Abusive Relationships

One of the most heartbreaking findings was that women denied abortions were more likely to remain connected to abusive partners.

When a woman shares a child with someone abusive, it can become far harder to fully separate from that person emotionally, financially, and legally.

Access to reproductive healthcare is not just about pregnancy. Sometimes it is directly connected to safety and survival.

Existing Children Were Also Affected

Research found the effects of abortion denial did not stop with the mother.

Children already living in households where a woman was denied an abortion were more likely to experience economic instability and developmental hardship.

So, this is not only about one pregnancy. It can affect an entire family’s stability and future.

Life Goals Were Delayed or Lost

Researchers also found women who did receive abortions were more likely to achieve personal goals like:

• Finishing school
• Finding stable employment
• Leaving unhealthy relationships
• Becoming financially independent

Women denied abortions were less optimistic about their futures almost immediately after being turned away.

This means that underneath all the politics are real women trying to build lives for themselves. Some are trying to escape poverty. Some are trying to finish school. Some are trying to protect the children they already have. Some are simply trying to survive.

Research Continued After Roe v. Wade Was Overturned

Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, researchers have continued studying the effects of abortion restrictions nationwide.

New research examining online discussions after Dobbs found women frequently described:

• Fear
• Financial panic
• Delayed medical care
• Emotional distress
• Confusion about healthcare access  

Researchers are especially concerned about increasing maternal health risks and growing healthcare inequality in states with severe abortion restrictions.

Why This Conversation Matters

No matter where someone stands politically, I think we should at least be honest about the reality’s women face.

Research does not show that denying abortions magically improves women’s lives. In many cases, the evidence points in the opposite direction that having
the abortion keeps the woman’s life from deteriorating.

The women denied abortions in these studies experienced:

• More poverty
• More health complications
• More stress and anxiety
• More exposure to abusive relationships

It’s these real-life experiences that are often missing from the public debate. It’s easy to discuss abortion as an abstract issue or legal issue.

It’s much harder to look honestly at what happens to these women afterward and is I worth banning both abortions and the pills that will stop
a pregnancy.

The bottom line is that these women’s lives are not political talking points. They are human lives, with consequences that continue long after the headlines fade.

You Have a Super Highway in Your Body, and You May Not Know It

This superhighway that you may never have heard of is called the vagus nerve, and it may be one of the most important systems in the human body.

It’s a Super Highway because the nerve travels from the brainstem down through the neck and into the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines and other organs. It’s like taking a trip to all the great National Parks in this country. This means it acts like a communication highway between the brain and the body.

So, when the vagus nerve is working well, the body tends to function in a calmer and more balanced way. Your heart rate stabilizes, digestion improves, inflammation decreases, and stress becomes easier to manage.

However, when what is called your vagal tone is in poor condition, the body can remain stuck in a constant “fight or flight” state. Over time, that can affect nearly every organ in your body.

Researchers are now looking at vagus nerve stimulation for conditions ranging from chronic pain and inflammation to depression and stroke recovery. 

Since the vagus nerve sends signals back and forth between the brain and many major organs, it influences everything from mood to immune function.

What I find especially interesting is that ancient healing traditions have long recognized the importance of calming the nervous system. Now modern science is finally catching up.

The vagus nerve is also closely tied to what is called the parasympathetic nervous system, which is also called the “rest and digest” system. This is the opposite of the body’s stress response.

This means when the vagus nerve is activated in a good way, breathing slows, blood pressure can lower, digestion improves and the body shifts into repair mode.

Now think about what chronic stress does to people today: Digestive problems. Anxiety. Insomnia. High blood pressure. Fatigue. Inflammation. Sound familiar? It does to a lot of folks. 

Many researchers now believe that what they call low vagal tone may play a role in these issues.

There is now growing interest in what is called polyvagal theory, which explores how the nervous system responds to stress and trauma. 

One study explains how the nervous system constantly scans for danger, even at levels below conscious awareness, and this affects emotional and physical health.

So…what can you do to get this Super Highway working so you can cruise along at high speeds?

It turns out that many of the methods used to strengthen the vagus nerve are simple and natural.

Here are some of them (I’ve listed a bunch, so that you can find, at least one or two to do regularly).

1.   Deep, slow breathing is actually one of the best tools you can use. Breathing slowly from the diaphragm sends calming signals through the vagus nerve. Even five minutes a day can help shift the body out of stress mode.

A simple method is:
Inhale slowly through the nose into the diaphragm for a count of 4
Exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of 6

Keep in mind that deep belly breathing works better than shallow chest breathing because the diaphragm is closely connected to vagus nerve activity.

2.   Another technique is humming, singing, and chanting, which may also stimulate the vagus nerve because it connects to the vocal cords and throat muscles. This may explain why singing in choirs or listening to calming music can feel healing.

3.   Cold exposure is another technique many people swear by. It can be as simple as splashing cold water on your face or ending a shower with cold water (and no, you don’t have to do a plunge into ice water!)

4.   Meditation and prayer can also strengthen vagal tone. Many studies have shown that regular meditation helps regulate stress hormones and calm the nervous system.

5.   Exercise is important too, especially walking, yoga, and tai chi. Movement helps regulate the nervous system and improve circulation throughout the body.

6.   Gut health also matters because the vagus nerve is deeply connected to digestion. Eating whole foods, reducing ultra-processed foods, and supporting the microbiome may positively influence vagal function.

7.   Another often overlooked factor is our social connections. Positive relationships, laughter, and feelings of safety in our relationships all support the vagus nerve. Chronic isolation and emotional stress can do the opposite.

All of this highlights how interconnected the body truly is. The vagus nerve reminds us that mental health, digestion, inflammation, immunity, and heart health are not separate systems operating alone. They are constantly communicating!

Researchers are even studying medical vagus nerve stimulation devices for epilepsy, inflammatory diseases, and treatment-resistant depression. 

While some of these therapies are still evolving, they show how central this nerve is to overall health. The vagus nerve is not our Super Highway for Nothing!

So…anybody for breathing, humming, meditating, and taking a walk. And no…you don’t have to do them all at once. Just pick one or two to start on your drive along your Super Highway to Better Health!

The Overlooked Fat That Is Missing From Your Diet - C15:0

I’ll bet you never heard of C15:0 because I never did and I’m always reading in this area. This is actually one of those times where something shows up in the research that makes me stop and take a closer look.

Not because it’s flashy. Not because it’s being pushed everywhere but because it’s challenging what we’ve been told for years.

That’s exactly what’s happening right now with C15:0 also called pentadecanoic acid and C15:0 is much easier to say that pentadecanoic acid!

So, What Is C15:0?

C15:0 is a type of saturated fat. It’s what’s called an odd-chain fatty acid, and you’ll find small amounts of it in things like:

• Whole-fat dairy
• Butter
• Certain fish

Here’s the interesting part…for decades, all saturated fats got lumped into one big “bad” category. No nuance, no distinction. Saturated fats were just plain bad for you. Period!

But now researchers are starting to take a closer look and C15:0 is looking very different from other saturated fats.

Some researchers are even asking: Is this actually an essential fatty acid that we’re not getting enough of and to me the key word is essential!

What the Research Is Actually Showing

Let’s look at a couple of areas where multiple studies validating the impact of C15:0 have been conducted.

1. Better Metabolic and Heart Health

People with higher levels of C15:0 tend to have:

• Better cholesterol markers
• Lower triglycerides
• Improved insulin sensitivity

There are even strong links in multiple studies to people having a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

2. It Helps Calm Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is behind a lot of the health issues that people are dealing with today.

What’s interesting about C15:0 is that it affects inflammation by:

• Reducing inflammatory markers
• Supporting healthier cell function
• Protecting against oxidative stress

And unlike a lot of fats, it’s very stable, which means it doesn’t easily break down and cause other kinds of damage in the body.

3. It’s Tied to Longevity Pathways

This is where things get even more interesting.

C15:0 interacts with some of the same pathway’s researchers look at in longevity science, including these two areas:

• AMPK, which relates to energy regulation
• mTOR which affects cell growth and aging

These are the same pathways targeted by doing things like fasting or taking certain medications.

4. There Are Some Early Signals Around Liver Health and Aging

This part is still developing, but worth being aware of.

Lower levels of C15:0 have been linked to:

• Poorer liver health
• Fatty liver issues
• Higher overall mortality risk

There’s even some early lab research looking at anti-cancer effects.

Here’s the Part Most People Miss

C15:0 isn’t new. What’s new is how little of it people are getting now since we’ve moved away from the foods that naturally contain it because we’ve moving into eating less whole-fat dairy, more processed fats and more “low-fat everything.”

So…the outcome is we wound up removing something important from our diet.

So, Can You Get Enough From Food?

Technically, yes. Realistically… it’s harder than it sounds.

C15:0 shows up in small amounts in butter, cheese, and full-fat milk which has been reduced as a part of our diet.

This is why supplements have started getting attention.

If You’re Considering a Supplement, Here’s What You Need to Know

Not all options are created equal here, and quality matters.

There aren’t dozens of well-established C15:0 options out there (at least not yet). A handful of companies are leading the space right now, and they’re not all approaching it the same way.

So instead of just listing products, it makes more sense to understand who’s behind them and what they’re actually doing.

1. Seraphina Therapeutics (Fatty15)

This is the one you’re going to see the most, and for good reasons.

Seraphina Therapeutics is the company doing much of the actual research on C15:0, and their product, Fatty15, is a pure, patented form of pentadecanoic acid.

If you’re looking for the option that’s most aligned with the research, this is it. It’s also the most expensive, which isn’t surprising given the level of development behind it.

2. LipiLab (Lipi15)

LipiLab takes a different approach.

Instead of focusing on creating or patenting the ingredient itself, this company has focused on how it’s delivered, using a liposomal format that’s designed to improve absorption.

Now, does that make it better?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Liposomal delivery can be helpful in some cases, but it’s not automatically superior across the board. And there’s less direct research behind this specific version compared to Fatty15.

Still, it’s a reasonable alternative if you’re specifically interested in absorption-focused formulations.

Final Thought

A lot of health isn’t about adding more and more.

Sometimes it’s about putting back what’s been missing and C15:0 might be one of those things.

So…how about some organic, grass fed, unflavored whole milk yogurt anyone?
(Adapted from an article in January/February 2026 WDDTY)