RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE:

BRINGING UP EARTH-CONSCIOUS KIDS

 
By Eva Gordon, FoDLA Youth Religious Education Coordinator

Spring has arrived in California once again all its beauty and wild glory! The three-year drought has ended with drenching rains, and wild plants grow in profusion in the hills and canyons. Herons and egrets are nesting in the tall trees, willow and cottonwood down is flying, and…our local river is festooned with… plastic shopping bags??

As modern-day Druids, we value the Earth highly, and hold the Land to be sacred. Whether you might believe in an all-encompassing Gaia-like Mother Earth goddess, or in many spirits dwelling in forests, rivers or the sea, or just feel the life forces in nature around you, you will likely see our natural world as precious.

If you have children, you may want to share your ‘green’ values with them. After all, they will live on Earth after us. In what condition will it be then, and how will they live? Will they have love and respect for the Land, or see it as an inamimate place of resources to exploit, or be unaware? As parents, and adults, we must model the behavior we want to see in them as they grow.

Take care not to frighten or depress young children with dire predictions of global ecological collapse, mass extinctions, and so on., but do not pretend that all is fine, either. It may be difficult to find a balance. However, we need to take positive action and show that we care.

Even when our children are newborn, we are faced with the Diaper Dilemma: cloth or disposable?  Cloth diapers and reusable diaper covers are usually preferred by environmentalists, as they create much less waste. However, in drought-prone areas, cloth diapers require more water for washing, and may lead to more vehicle exhaust from diaper service trucks. One other new alternative is to use disposable diapers made from recycled materials.

Plastic bottles, plastic rattles, plastic teething rings,  plastic everywhere….. Breast-feeding is the best alternative for feeding small babies (and is most healthy), but at some point bottles and sippy cups will be needed. These should be BPA-free.

As kids get older,  they accumulate more and more  toys and electronics, and come under the influence of  media, advertising and peer pressure. This can lead to more consumerism, with accumulation of more toys, trading cards, action figures and other collectibles.   Computer games take them into virtual worlds,  leading to a kind of artificial life, cut off from the world of nature, if left unchecked.  Fast food, heavily advertised, starts to replace whole, healthy food.

Parents can involve themselves and their children in many healthy, nature oriented activities to counterbalance these influences.

Gardening – Even if you live in an apartment or a house with a small yard, a lot can be done with containers.  Kids enjoy planting seeds and watching them sprout and grow. Seedlings of tomato or other vegetable plants, or potted herbs  can be bought in garden stores at this time of year, and are easy to raise. Even if the yield is small, it is very satisfying to eat fresh vegetables you raised in your own yard. Organic potting soils are available, or you can start your own compost bin. (How-to videos are available on Youtube.)  Community gardens offer another alternative.

Take kids along to Farmers’ Markets, shopping for locally-produced, organic and fresh foods, and go on farm visits. Knowing where our food really comes from is important.  Avoid heavily processed, prepackaged, hormone and antibiotic-treated and fast foods, and eat less meat, to reduce harm to the environment and have better health.

Practice conservation and teach kids to do the same-- turn off unused electronics, lights and other equipment. Line dry clothes, walk or bike to neighborhood schools and other places, where possible.

Involve kids in recycling at home,  and buy recycled products such as paper, plastic and aluminum foil.

Purchase and use reusable shopping bags, lunch kits, water bottles and thermal mugs.

Older children and teens can participate in river, beach and park cleanup events that are organized by environmental groups. Look for announcements in your local area

Spend plenty of time with your kids, reading books about animals and plants, visiting nature centers, parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and take lots of walks in the woods and at the beach. Take the family camping. These are just a few suggestions. We and our children have a whole world to explore, to love and to protect.