Talking to Your Kids About Global Warming
Have you had “the talk” with your kids yet?
No, not that talk (whew!)
The other talk…about global warming.
Unless they have absolutely no contact with the outside world, it’s likely that your kids have heard about global warming by now. Not only is it a frequent topic on the news and in adult conversations, but it is also a common theme in the music, movies, and video games geared toward kids. So there’s no point ignoring it. If your kids are concerned about global warming, maybe it’s time you had “the talk.” Here are some tips to get you started.
You Know Your Kid.
There are lots of different ways that you can approach the topic of global warming. But when it comes down to it, you know your child better than anyone else. If your child gets frightened easily, then take fear off the table by focusing on all of the efforts that people around the world are making to prevent the problem. If she’s a budding scientist, like my eldest is, explain the issue from a scientific perspective, “Human activities like driving create gases that are trapped in the atmosphere and make the planet warmer. We need to walk (or ride, or take public transport) whenever possible to keep those gases at a minimum.” The bottom line is that you should keep the conversation age and personality appropriate for your child.
Focus On Solutions.
Keep the conversation positive by focusing on the worldwide efforts that are underway to halt global warming. If your child is afraid, acknowledge those fears, but make sure he understands that lots of people are working hard to solve the problem. Provide opportunities for your child to become part of those solutions at home.
Give Them The Power.
Talk to your kids about all of the things that they can do to prevent global warming. Riding their bikes, planting trees, recycling, buying less stuff…these are all efforts that your child can make to reduce her impact on the environment. If she’s concerned about global warming, be sure she knows she has the power to stop it.
Listen.
When it comes to talking about global warming, let your kids guide the conversation and be sure that you listen to what they have to say. Don’t overload your child with details if he just has a passing interest in the subject. Even if your passionate about the subject, just give him enough info to pique his curiosity and know that he’ll probably ask more questions at another time. If he asks questions…answer them. And if you need to, brush up on the answers to kids questions about global warming or give yourself a climate change primer at Climate Classroom to make sure you’ve got your info straight.
This post is part of the Green Moms Carnival, hosted this month at Not Quite Crunchy Parent.
Photo by Treehugger.
Well said - focusing on all the COOL stuff such as electric cars or windmills will turn it into fun instead of doom and gloom.
I’ll never forget how my mom freaked us all out when she decided to discuss the epidemic of mosquito-transmitted encephalitis that was all over the news one summer. She had us so worried about every mosquito bite that we were afraid to go outside. I like your idea of focusing on positive solutions!
How about not destroying your children’s trust by indoctrinating them into the lie of human caused global warming at a time when the planet is rapidly cooling.
Jenn, I like your approach as well. Get them involved in what they can do. Simple things as turning off the lights, recycling, and riding their bikes are great starters.
This is probably the stupidest article I have ever seen. Seriously? “Talking to you kids about Global Warming.”
Jenn,
Unlike the anonymous negative poster above, I think this is one of the best posts I’ve seen in a long time. I can tell you’re not only a great Green Mom, but a great Mom, period, by the way you approach this discussion with your kids.
I’d add that there are an increasing number of books out there about global warming, but I do think that they need to be “previewed” by a parent first as some of them look to be a bit scary. And God knows, global warming is scary, like so much else in our adult lives. I know we all try to keep them somewhat sheltered and protected as long as we can…
Thanks for participating in The Green Moms Carnival!
Lynn
Thanks for the comments all! And for those who still don’t believe that global warming is really happening…you are not alone. You are not correct, but you are not alone. Read Peter Dykstra’s acct. of “the skeptic tank” over at MNN: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-change/stories/media-mayhem-the-skeptic-tank
Jenn
Like many topics, this one can be tricky with younger kids. We used language our kids were hearing in lots of contexts - phrases like sharing, teamwork, and cleaning up after oneself - to discuss climate change with our daughters.
They are now 6 and 4 (everyone warned me but, seriously, how did that happen?) so the discussions are starting to become more sophisticated but the foundation of their caring for the earth was laid when they were younger.
Thanks for a great article!
jenn…love how you parallelled this topic to the other talk…too funny
i also think that because our kids are exposed they need help processing what this all means to them…we all bring in our individuality to this important issue
Jenn - I love that you focus on solutions and the tangible daily events that we can control in order to minimize our impact on global warming. Kids should not have to shoulder the burden of fear for what is to come - that should be our responsibility for now.
But what they can become is thoughtful, responsible stewards for our planet so that when we do succeed in cleaning it up a bit, they will be in an ideal position to care for it with wisdom, perspective and respect. You just gave me a great idea for a topic to toss out at our dinner table!
I enjoyed the links you included to the Climate Classroom. Great information for kids, but also a good way for me to brush up on my climate change knowledge.
Great advice. It is always so difficult to talk to children about this.
Our kids have been lucky enough to live within walking distance of a subway. They also learned to drive on a hybrid car. When they speed, the dashboard monitor shows how much more gas they use than when they drive reasonably. It’s been practical steps like these that have helped them understand they have an impact and can make a difference.
Haha, I just made a climate change/teen sex analogy too today!! Weird!!
I think this is a great post. Just like everything else, I think honesty is the best policy, you just have to dole out the honesty in age-appropriate amounts.
omg global warming! everyone needs to shut up. its fake. your predicted 3 degrees warmer just turned into 1 degree colder than the worldwide average. omg co2!!! humans produce only 3 percent of all the co2 each year. oh and green house gasses! okay, well we only produce 4 tenths of a percent of green house gasses each year. not such an impact huh? its colder now than ever. global warming is a theroy, if you can call it that. earth temperatures do NOT follow co2 and green house gas levels. they follow SUNSPOTS and SOLAR ACTIVITY. the sun is whats making the earth warm and cold. there hasnt been a sunspot since august, and oh look, its freakin colder than its been in 40 years. admit defeat, get with the program, and stop wasting my tax dollars.
and since when is co2 bad? is it not the main source of life on this planet? i mean its the ONLY source of nutrition for plants besides sunlight. more co2 means greener and fuller plants which means, guess what, MORE OXYGEN. why kill the food of our food? its like basic stuff people. stop freaking out and buy a tahoe for 2000 bucks already before everyone else comes to their senses.
Teaching kids about global warming is so important and the best way to get them interested is to get them involved. Kids learn by participating. My kids are following Andrew Regan and his transantarctic team on the expedition to Antarctica taking place this November.
http://www.juniorpolartraveller.com/
This website allows kids to follow the expedition and see the experiments that are taking place. Some of the experiments are tailored to teach kids about the effects of global warming. My kids have really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the tip Laura! I’m going to check out this site. It sounds great!!
the effect of Global Warming these days is even worst. i think every government should pass stricter laws on Carbon Emissions. we should also concentrate more on renewable energy sources and avoid fossil fuels.
+ We should be more concerned about Global Warming and Climate Change because Typhoons are getting much stronger and there are greater incidence of Flooding. take for example the recent Typhoon Ketsana which devastated some countries in South East Asia.