I love my husband to death, but since the pandemic started, he’s turned into a total news junkie. It's basically on all day, every day. I also enjoy being up to date on current events and issues, so it hasn’t been much of a problem for me. However, this weekend, things got just a teensy bit more complicated.
“Mom.” My 5-year-old, Alyssa, came up behind me on the couch and put her arms around my neck. “Moooom, can I have an M&M cookie?”
I tore my eyes away from Anderson Cooper and turned to her. “Huh? Oh, yeah, no problem.”
“Mom. Mom.”
“What, honey?” Why hadn’t she gone downstairs to the cookie jar?
“Mom, why do I keep seeing the world be on fire?”|“Mom, why do I keep seeing the world be on fire?”
The first step is to acknowledge the elephant in the room|The first step is to acknowledge the elephant in the room
Talking to other adults about it, and not shying away from news reports, is an important way to dip your toes in the water. Even if it feels like “one more thing” or an extra stressor, the truth is important, even if you take it in small doses.
Then, when your child has questions, or you feel that you’re ready to broach the subject, it’s vital to have a plan for what you’re going to say. NPR has a great article with a whole little script to frame climate change in a way that kids can understand.
It’s so tempting to throw up our hands and say, “Well, this is irreversible, so why even bother?” It’s easy to just be grateful that we as Old Millenials had a chance at a childhood where the earth wasn’t in such a severe state of disaster, or to take our parenting one day at a time and push off the uncomfortable truths until “the day after tomorrow” (see what I did there? A little humor can help with this situation, too). But we owe our children more than that. So, now that you’ve talked to your child about climate change, what’s next?
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Talking to other adults about it, and not shying away from news reports, is an important way to dip your toes in the water. Even if it feels like “one more thing” or an extra stressor, the truth is important, even if you take it in small doses.
Then, when your child has questions, or you feel that you’re ready to broach the subject, it’s vital to have a plan for what you’re going to say. NPR has a great article with a whole little script to frame climate change in a way that kids can understand.
It’s so tempting to throw up our hands and say, “Well, this is irreversible, so why even bother?” It’s easy to just be grateful that we as Old Millenials had a chance at a childhood where the earth wasn’t in such a severe state of disaster, or to take our parenting one day at a time and push off the uncomfortable truths until “the day after tomorrow” (see what I did there? A little humor can help with this situation, too). But we owe our children more than that. So, now that you’ve talked to your child about climate change, what’s next?
For me, it’s all about action|For me, it’s all about action
I want to get my daughter involved, whether she accompanies me to protests, helps pick up litter in the park, or helps turn the water-wasting lawn of the local church into a community garden. We are so blessed to have young leaders like Greta Thunberg to show kids how they can make their voices heard.
In the end, it’s about parents removing their heads from the sand and getting involved. Then, all you have to do is take your children along for the ride. Now, when it’s their time, they’ll have the tools to step in and take over the fight.
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I want to get my daughter involved, whether she accompanies me to protests, helps pick up litter in the park, or helps turn the water-wasting lawn of the local church into a community garden. We are so blessed to have young leaders like Greta Thunberg to show kids how they can make their voices heard.
In the end, it’s about parents removing their heads from the sand and getting involved. Then, all you have to do is take your children along for the ride. Now, when it’s their time, they’ll have the tools to step in and take over the fight.
