Large numbers of teachers and policy makers agree that this is the time for families to align themselves with initiatives that will help combat climate change. Parents need to Green Things Up!
Millions of children are still anxious about COVID-19, and the possible prospect of returning to lockdown. This means no, or limited, outside play. For those children who eschew the great outdoors in favour of screen time, parents can role model healthy behaviours like solid stewardship and appreciation of all that nature can offer.
They can also point their children in the direction of the many stories of how being outside can enhance confidence and happiness and lead to increased fitness and focus. This can also mitigate the anxiety children may feel if they think that the planet is dying.
The message is, says Alabama A&M University:
‘Children may not understand environmental issues and are not connecting with the ecosystems in which they live. The basic necessities of life – clean water, air, and food – depend on a healthy environment. It’s important to recognise this principle and the importance of protecting natural resources.’
While no one wants children to feel more anxious, they do need to understand what’s behind the climatic changes in weather patterns around the world.
This could be an ongoing discussion topic at home, and it could lead to the whole family becoming more proactive in terms of connecting with the community around, say, the establishment of a vegetable garden, and doing simple things that are critical, like recycling, or writing to district officials or the media about pressing pollution problems.
If children are absorbed by online offerings, guide them to sites like iNaturalist, which allows users to upload photos they’ve taken of flora and fauna.
The app All About Birds will allow children to identify and learn all about birds around the world. After that, it’s a short step to families establishing blogs or websites about the nature walks they take, and a nature table at home for extraordinary finds like an abandoned bird’s nests.