Cool Moms Care

Natural curiosity

Kids are naturally curious about the world around them. This curiosity can turn into an appreciation for the environment, and isn’t that the goal? It is easy for you as a parent to help foster this growth, and there are a few things that can be done without taking any time out of your day.

Some ideas to try:

Call attention to what you see around you. Modeling your internal thoughts can show your children what matters to you. Try pointing out what you see while in the car: “Wow, look how fluffy the clouds are today! “or “Do you see all the colors on the trees?”

Pay attention to how you relate to your environment. Spend time with your children outside, be it at a park or on a walk around your neighborhood. Go past sight to include all five senses. Ask your children what they see, smell, feel, and hear. This is especially appropriate during spring and fall. Everyone can find those trees with fluffy white blossoms that smell awful, or people mowing the grass that looks bright green again and smells strongly. Don’t forget that for little ones, many types of flowers and plants are right at eye (and nose!) level.

As a parent, the first step in developing environmental sensitivity is showing your child what the environment is. Once they learn to pay attention to what they see, and learn to love the earth in which they live, you probably won’t have to explain why it is important to recycle and turn off the lights. They will already understand!

-Abby Claire Hardy