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During my childhood I formed a
deep-seated fear of all things nuclear and a grim acceptance of the notion of
a nuclear Armageddon. It literally kept me awake at nights. This did not come
from my parents - it was the media.
Was that fear a good thing? Perhaps. However, it's certainly set me against nuclear
power as a source of energy and it would take some convincing otherwise,
even if it were ever made "safe" and environmentally friendly. The
problem with fear is while it can help us avoid harm, it can also have an
effect of closing our minds or even becoming fatalistic about things;
accepting something is a done deal and that resistance is futile.
So how do we relay our concerns about the environment without frightening the
heck out of our children? How do we translate some of the frightening images
and concepts the media (or even this site) puts forward at times into
something they can deal with?.
Besides setting a good example, we need to empower children; convince them
that while things aren't all sunshine and puppies, they can make a difference
and that in fact the future of the planet depends on them; the decisions they
make right now and tomorrow.
It sounds like a heavy burden for such young shoulders. The key is to keep the
message simple and it's my opinion we should make it one about personal
responsibility first instead of perhaps unwittingly creating mini-activists
fuelled only by fear; or kids so scared they feel powerless to take any
action.
Something else from even further back in my childhood with a strong message
but a positive influence was a song from Sesame Street - Willie Wimple.
It relayed to me that what may be considered a petty issue such as dropping a
single piece of litter was not insignificant - there were consequences. It was
this line that has stayed with me for over three decades:
"Now if every kid did it, can't you see. What an icky, messy, no-fun
world it would be"
It was a big-picture concept conveyed in a way a child could understand - the
rhyming also helped with retention.
While I couldn't save the world as a youngster, I knew that littering was
something I had a personal stake in - a decision that had an impact on the
environment.
It's that simple line from a children's song that is a common theme throughout
many of the articles I write on green living - that the little things all add
up to the mess we have found ourselves in. By starting out small and working
your way through all the green issues in your life, you can avoid being
overwhelmed and possibly giving up - that simple
green actions do have an effect.
Imagine if the basic concept of the Willie Wimple song could reach the
consciousness of however many millions of children in that age group today who
are in a situation to understand and act on it.
What have you found successful in getting the environmental message through to
your children and other kids; without causing them sleepless nights or bad
dreams?
Courtesy : Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com
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