Raising environmentally conscious children
Classes are not the only things that have started. The rains have also arrived and from the looks of it, true to global warming, they are here to stay.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, you will know the telltale signs of calamity are constantly, yet unpredictably woven into the heavens. Sadly, we almost expect disaster to strike this time of year. From Ondoy, to Sendong to even the Habagat — there seems to be nowhere to hide. For those of us who have been lucky enough to have been donors rather than victims, whether through volunteer groups, direct financial aid or long-term rebuilding projects, we understand that like a common language, religion or creed — natural calamities bind us long after the rains have receded.
Unfortunately, many times, action when in times of need is often a REACTION. We find ourselves frantically buying boxes of bottled water, cooking cauldrons of hot meals, and hoarding bales of blankets always at the last minute, always only when the spirit moves us. But sadly, by that time, the “spirit†is already moving 250kms an hour with gusts and debris. Yet committed to memory somewhere in the recesses of the chatter of everyday life, is the certainty that the typhoons will return and with it, the usual routine of a conscience trying to do its part.
They say that insanity is defined by the act of doing the same thing incessantly but expecting a different result every time. By that definition, perhaps we should all already be committed to some dark basement asylum. Although a broken record played over and over by relief operation centers, flood management teams and environmentally conscious groups, maybe we need to hear it again.
So here it is.
We may not be a First World country. We may not even expect our government to completely address the environmental issues that plague us. But we do want to help somehow — in our own personal capacities, as citizens, as human beings. Perhaps we feel we should leave the gargantuan tasks of cleaning up the Pasig to the better able or dredging projects to alleviate our waterways to the ADBs of this world and their generous foreign funds. But it should not stop us from packing a bag of relief goods to be delivered to some far-flung forgotten area of our archipelago even if it is just a band-aid solution. More so, it should not stop us from trying to change the world, to be proactive one mind at a time — and what better place to start than with our children’s minds.
Here are some ideas that may help along this path…
Websites
We all know the abundance of information at our fingertips available on the Internet. Instead of kids spending endless hours on Minecraft or on the Candy Crush Saga, why not take a look at some of the following:
Links for kids:
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/03/environmental-websites-for-kids/
http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/Navy%20Pages/recommended-books-children-environment.htm
http://www.sciencediscovery.ph/activities
http://www.nrdc.org/reference/kids.asp
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm
Links for parents on how to educate their children about the environment:
http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/children_environment/
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/1/015016/article
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/themes/theenvironment/
Raindrop Online Cartoon —http://www.youtube.com/user/raindropcartoon
(A cartoon series for kids about water, the planet and the environment)
Links for activities for kids and adults:
http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/philippines/
http://oceanadventure.com.ph/environmental-education-center/environmental-field-trips/
Books
If computers are not your thing, good old-fashioned books will never fail you. Here are some to choose from:
1) Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel
2) The Family of Earth by Schim Schimmel
3) Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You by Karin Ireland
4) Where the Wisdom Lives by Hope Ives Mauran
5) Facts, Not Fear: Teaching Children About the Environment by Michael Sanera
6) Kids Care!: 75 Ways to Make a Difference for People, Animals & the Environment by Rebecca Olien
7) The Great Kapok Tree by Lynn Cherry
8) A Drop Around the World by Barbara Shaw McKinney
9) Pass the Energy Please! by Barbara Shaw McKinney
10) The Tree in the Ancient Forest by Carol Reed Jones
Activities
No matter how interactive websites, toys or even books can be, sometimes kids learn best through actual experience. Here are possibilities that you may consider:
1) Volunteer. Giving both time and effort to any worthwhile endeavor will always reap wonderful rewards. Check out your neighborhood/village outreach programs, non-profit foundations, and other socially relevant projects that your entire family can participate in.
2) Visit museums and exhibits. Information about the environment will always be invaluable. Expose your children to the results of various research grants that provide a real picture as to the state of the planet we live in.
3) Be a more discriminating shopper. Teach your children that awareness of every choice we make can contribute to either preserving or destroying our world. The simple decisions we make every day: what kind of detergent to buy, what hairspray to use or even what food to eat and where we buy them can indirectly be detrimental to their future. Choose commercial products wisely and understand that we are all connected.
4) Save! Save! Save! There are times when technology has unfortunately made spoiled children of us all. Everything is instant and, in many cases, in excess. Get kids into the habit of consuming things with balance: water, food etc.
5) Move that body! Exercise is beneficial not just to our bodies but also to our environment. Make kids aware of the importance of their carbon footprint. Although far from the reality of living in this city — walking, running, biking should be as second nature to us as breathing.
6) Encourage “out of the box.†Gone are the days when occupations were reserved only for the doctors, lawyers, teachers or priests. The world is a very different place now and so are our children. If you have a budding Greenpeace activist housed in your premises or a stalwart environmental lawyer or even a socially conscious urban planner in the offing, embrace him/her! The world needs them.
7) Pray. Particular to no religion or creed, making children aware that we are all responsible to a Higher Being as stewards of this gift called our planet will help foster respect and genuine concern for all that surrounds them.
As you can see, the list of what to do and how to do things to help our environment is endless. The only specific is WHEN. Now is just as good a time as any, don’t you think?
So, the next time you hear raindrops on your roof, or thunder from the heavens, know that you can help this earth by more than just running for cover.
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E-mail tcbautista@arkeology.org.
