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“All children, except one, grow up.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Part of this journey that the little Ps and I are on is about seeing some of the beautiful things of the world. It’s important to me because I fear that many of them may not be around when my children are my age. Climate change is eroding buildings, monuments, seas, and finances.
I’m also trying to capture my children’s imaginations with the trips we take. I take great effort to frame each journey as an adventure, with accompanying tales and bits of interesting history. Most places we visit are exciting, so it’s not much hard work on my part.
But, there is a dark corner of my psyche that forces me to tell my little Ps to take note of these beautiful places, cement them in their memories, because theirs is a fragile beauty. I sometimes think I tell my children too much of the truth. I don’t want to rain on their parade, but I don’t want them to be naïve, either.
So, how do I preserve the magic of youth and foster an attitude of being able to play in the world, while still making them aware that our actions make a difference in the world? One strategy I have is trying to balance the positive and negative. Our actions DO make a difference—sometimes positive and sometimes negative. When talking about climate change, for example, I don’t want to give them unneeded anxiety about the end of the world. I also want them to know that they can be the positive change.
I found a website that I use to highlight some positive and exciting news in nature, science, news, and technology that is designed to appeal to kids. Whenever Mrs. Gloom and Doom takes over parenting in my house, GoGo Planet is a good antidote.
I don’t know if I’m getting the balance right. I don’t know if what I’m trying to teach my little Ps is what they are learning, or if I’m damaging them or making them stronger by trying. But I’m doing my best.
Do any of you struggle with this issue? Do you have any resources or suggestions to offer?
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This is so true! I always think whether I give F too much information, but I like to be honest where I can. I think teaching kids to think positively is the most important thing. x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori. You're right--I'm going to try to stick to gentle honesty.
DeleteSomething I've grapped with myself as it's hard to inform without scaring, like you I try and base a lot of fact and I'm gentle with my explanations, focusing on the positive as much as possible. It's that balance of keeping childhood worry free but keeping them safe too. Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts
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