In todays modern world, many children begin their academic lifestyles at the ripe old age of 2. That’s right, 2. These days you will find many preschools advertising for turning out the kids who get the best grades in school and go on to be accepted into the best universities. Many toys are advertised as helping to develop a babies brain. And the majority of children start their extra curricular afterschool education as soon as they start grade school.
Education is king.
But why?
Because we want to give our children the best chance at living a good life. If they do well in school they will get into the best colleges. If they get into the best colleges they will get the best jobs. And if they get the best jobs they will live a good life. Or at least that is the theory.
But something is being overlooked with this theory.
The Future
The one thing that is being overlooked in this theory of more education leads to a better life is… will there be a future?
Well yes, there probably will be. The world isn’t quite ready to explode into space junk just yet. But… what will the future look like?
There is a lot of research being done right now to answer that question. And, unfortunately, the answers they are getting are not good. Climate change is accelerating at an alarming rate. We are already seeing the beginnings of the apocalyptic change that has been predicted due to global warming. Super storms are becoming common. Wildfires are raging all around the world. Oceans are acidifying and our food sources are shrinking. Some areas are experiencing extreme droughts while others are literally being washed away with flash flooding.
All of this is due to climate change.
Our Children
If things continue at the rate they have been going, the future for our children is not all sunshine and roses. (Or mansions and Lamborghinis if your prefer to think about it in terms of money.) How much good will all that education do our kids if they are fighting simply to survive in a world that can no longer sustain them?
All of this sounds very much like the plot from a doomsday movie. But, unfortunately, it is a plot that is far to close to becoming reality. But unlike those end-of-the-world movies, we still have a chance to change things.
And we should. For our children.
It is no secret to anyone that the current generation needs to cut back on consumerism. Needs to stop using plastic the way we have been using it. Needs to eliminate and even reverse our carbon footprints. Needs to plant a bazillion more trees. Etc…
But we also need to change the way we raise our kids.
Children For The Future
It is up to the current generation to make the drastic changes needed to stop the snowball effect of climate change. But we also need to prepare our children to take up the reins when it is their turn.
Children aren’t separate from all of this. They are the future of it.
If parents are willing to sacrifice play time for education starting at the age of 2, then they should also be starting to prepare their children to be caretakers for the world at the age of 2.
But luckily, preparing kids to be caretakers for the world is actually fun!
Protect What You Love
We do all the things we do for our kids because we love them. We are protecting what we love. And that is exactly the concept we need to use to prepare our children to take care of the planet in the future.
They need to love it.
If our children love the natural world, they will take the steps necessary to protect it.
That is part of the problem going on today, too many people don’t love the natural world. I have heard too many people say things like “nature is gross!”, and “why would I want to go outside when I have a nice couch right here?”. Well nature is also the reason you are alive! This is why so many people have no problem throwing trash out the car window. Why so many people spray huge amounts of pesticides in their lawns simply because they don’t like bugs. Why so many people simply hop in the car and drive around for no better reason than that they are bored. And those are the actions that lead to the problems we are having today.
This is a mindset that the next generation simply cannot afford to have.
Building That Love
So the question here is, how do parents build that love for nature in their children?
Well that is easy!
All kids need to do is spend time playing in nature and that love will grow on its own. Loving nature is a natural thing (pun intended). Curiosity will lead to questions, which will lead to understanding, which will lead to a desire for more. All the while building the bond with the natural world that is so necessary to have a good future.
Healthy Side Effects
Spending time in nature actually has healthy side effects too. There have been many studies done proving that. So many studies with positive results that people have actually starting to capitalize on it. ‘Nature Bathing’ is a relatively new thing that is, essentially, people spending time in nature to gain the mental and physical health benefits that comes from it.
Spending time in nature has positive health effects like:
- Lowering blood pressure
- Reducing damaging hormones like cortisol
- Lowering stress levels
- Improving mental state
- Increasing creativity
- Boosting immunity
- and faster healing from trauma
All of these things are true for kids too.
And in the case of children the health benefits run even deeper. Many kids today are lacking in proprioception. (This is the sense of where the self is in space.) In other words, coordination and physical awareness. When kids aren’t given enough time to learn how to use their bodies it leads to clumsiness and a tendency toward weight gain. Playing in nature encourages using the body, and in turn improves proprioception. Climbing trees, playing in puddles, burning calories, and running over uneven terrain are all good for a child’s physical well being.
Nature also improves immune function. Living in an environment that is too clean leads to a weak immune system and an increased likelihood of developing asthma and allergies later in life. The immune system is like a muscle, if you don’t exercise it it gets weaker. But, also like a muscle, you don’t want to over do it either. Playing outside exposes children to bad bacteria in small doses which allows the immune system to build up responses without the body actually getting sick. And on top of that, being outside exposes children to good bacteria too. Which will actually help boost their immune systems.
In summery, spending time outdoors is mentally and physically good for children. Which means that teaching our kids to love the world so that they will someday be driven to protect it, is also improving their health along the way.
Nature is Part of Childhood
The moral of the story is that we need to bring nature back into childhood. For the good of our children and for the good of the world.
Nature is our life support system. Literally. We need to protect it today, and we need to teach out kids to protect it tomorrow.
We can teach our kids to love nature simply by allowing them to spend sufficient time experiencing it. And we can also lead by example. Our kids may refuse to listen to us when we give them instructions, but they are always watching what we do. If we follow good habits they will also follow those same good habits. We can do our part to reduce waste and save the world today, while simultaneously teaching our kids the habits they will need to follow in the future.
If you liked this article, and want to learn more, download our free e-book ‘An Eco-Minded Childhood’ for many more ideas and inspiration about how to help your children live an eco-friendly lifestyle that will help prepare them for the future in a fun way, without sacrificing the things that are important in modern day life. Find the e-book on the right hand side of the screen for desktop, and at the bottom of the page for mobile.
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