How to talk about climate change with children

When it comes to When talking to our children about climate change, research shows that there is a big gap between what parents think should happen and what actually happened.A sort of NPR 2019 Poll It shows that nearly 85% of parents, within the political scope, believe that their children should learn about climate change. But only about half of parents said they had talked about it with their children.

The problem is, your child may have heard of climate change.Leslie Davenport (Leslie Davenport) is a therapist and the author of a workbook to help children deal with climate change, she says All feelings under the sun: how to deal with climate change, Said that while studying her book, she talked to many children who knew more about climate change than their parents. “I am very surprised that many children know so much about the science of climate change, even if they are only 8 or 9 years old.” As the climate crisis becomes more urgent and continues to make headlines, it will only continue to permeate children’s consciousness middle. Quoting an article from the COP26 summit An 8-year-old child from Glasgow said: “I am worried because if the world becomes too hot, all animals will start to die and (…) people will not be able to survive.”

According to Davenport, the problem is that the information does not come from trusted sources, such as teachers or parents. Instead, the children who talked to her got part of the information—something they overheard from the broadcast or conversation—and then they tried to conduct research on the Internet. “Therefore, the level of emotional distress is quite high,” Davenport explained, describing everything from anger and depression to panic, depression, and even headaches, stomach pains, excitement and manifestations. “Although these are normal emotional reactions when understanding the world in crisis, they are not capable of handling these feelings.”

Before you talk to your child, it is important to deal with your own fears and lack of knowledge about the climate crisis. Mary DeMocker, environmental activist and ” A parent’s guide to the climate revolution: 100 ways to build a fossil-free future, nurture capable children and still get a good night’s sleep, Pointed out that climate change is not only a terrible concept for children, but also a terrible concept for adults. This may be the reason why these important conversations did not happen. “Adults are often shut down because of climate issues,” she said. This may result in ignoring your child’s concerns or trying to appease them by downplaying the severity and urgency of climate change, or it may cause your own pain to steal the show and make your child more afraid. Davenport pointed out that any meaningful discussion of climate change requires a balance of science and emotion. “It can’t just be facts and data. When we only show science, we ignore a large part of the meaning of being human-our life beliefs, values, and behaviors.”

Now, before you text/Whatsapp/Alexa come/send an email/DM your child goes downstairs to talk, here are some age-appropriate ideas to help you prepare.

Under 6 years old

Children under the age of 6 are too young to understand climate change directly, so Davenport recommends fostering a love of nature through seasons, plant cycles, beauty, games, and teaching the basic responsibilities of caring for life. This has laid the foundation for children to grow into excellent environmental stewards. Demok’s children are all grown up now, and she said that her children didn’t have language about climate change when they were young, so she tried to lead by example. “We immerse them in nature, we immerse them in stories about nature, we compost, we do a lot of care for the natural world. Therefore, they are just immersed in the caring ethics, joy and miracles of the natural world. Growing up in the concept of life and that we are responsible for it.” Demok also worked hard to get her children to participate in protests and familiarize them with the concept of political participation.

DeMocker emphasized that the most important thing is to make people feel at ease. “Whenever they ask a question, or you think it’s important, because you’re talking about [the climate crisis] In your family or in front of them, do something that makes you energized, like,’Oh yes, we have a problem. It is heating up the earth, which is causing problems, and we are working on it. ‘” DeMocker said that young children need to know that they will be fine and have a feeling that when it happens, their parents or caregivers are taking care of it.

Example phrase:

• “The earth is our home, so we must take care of it and make it a safe place to live.”
• “Climate change is a big problem, but there are many people working together to solve it.”
• “Pollution created by people enters the air, just like a blanket, which heats the earth and causes problems.”

7-12 years old

Davenport said that at this age, children are already interested in climate science and have heard of it. “From around 8 o’clock, people began to understand the larger perspective of climate change and its impact, and began to feel that way,” she said. So before you start talking, ask what your child already knows.

This is also the time to start naming feelings and practicing emotional resilience. Davenport pointed out that although it is normal for you to have strong emotions when you understand that the world is in crisis, children are not able to deal with these emotions. “They feel overwhelmed, which can subvert almost every aspect of life,” she explained. Davenport’s book suggests “switching” or learning to switch back and forth between distressing climate news and tools for self-regulating emotional responses. “These are the life skills necessary to successfully navigate the world with clear-headed and compassionate actions, especially when the challenges escalate due to climate change.”