Brainwashing at its Finest Part IV: Hug a Squirrel…Oh But Maybe Not that One
This will be the last in my series of blabbings about how I am attempting to make greenness easier for my offspring. I promise. Unless they do something really amazing….like fart in a really cute way.
The truth is, right now it is easy. I have a captive audience. At 2 &4 my boys naturally do everything with me…allowing for thorough brainwashing. It is also easy because toddlers by nature are incredibly inquisitive, creative, and eager to be just like us. As much as it has been the greatest experience of my life, I know it won’t last forever. Friends will become more important, school, fashion, and even……girls. (Where ever did I put those umbilical cords?) So what can a mama do who wants her boys to always have a little green core even when they aren’t sitting in her lap? Teach them the most important lesson…to care. To care about the world, the people, the plants, the animals, even the rocks. If I can instill a love for these things, they will hopefully always keep in mind that their decisions in life affect the things they care about. Fortunately kids have a very natural affinity for the earth’s treasures. You just have to offer it and foster an on going exploration. Yes…we live in one of the biggest cities in the world which might seem to some as a major roadblock to connecting my boys to the living world. Couldn’t be further from the truth. We belong to the zoos, the botanical gardens, the science centers…and we go…a lot. In addition, we pay attention to all of nature around us. My 4 year old is a science geek through and through; the way to his heart…learning all the facts. We have a growing collection of field handbooks for him to take along on our walks to ID trees, flowers, bugs, and birds. To see the pure joy on his face when he spots a new bird he hasn’t noticed before, you would think he was the first to discover it ever. My little guy is more hands on, in the “I’m gonna call you George” way. If he can hold it…he is in love, and a Vet should be put on speed dial. If only I could find a way to bottle the purity of these connections! It is one of my greatest hopes for them, no matter what they choose to be, that they care…simply care about the world in which they live. That and they only wear fresh, locally made, sustainable cheese pants. A mother has to set SOME standards.
When I watched the documentary “Pale Male” (the red-tailed hawk in Central Park), I was pleased (and a bit teary eyed) to see city bred kids get all excited about a random bird. They couldn’t grasp the concept that there were animals & birds that didn’t “belong” to anyone that they were free to do as they please. That I think is the most important lesson that kids should be aware of..that creatures don’t need to be captive to be appreciated by humans.