Neena Jacob
My husband and I are avid birders, started late when we were in our late 30s and realised how it changed our view of things. We enjoyed nature and were constantly marvelling at things around, and for me this was like going to a cathedral with beautiful paintings…so awe inspiring and humbling.
Recently I was listening to a podcast and was horrified to hear that research has concluded that the kids of this millennium, who are glued to electronic devices and are more often indoors, may be the first generation that will not have a lifespan that is more than their parents!
Drew Monkman and Jacob Rodenburg who promote activity in nature have this to say: “If we keep our children indoors, we run the risk that nature may simply become the backdrop of their daily lives, as inconsequential as the billboards, neon lights and telephone poles that decorate our cityscapes.”
Ecological degradation is an unfortunate reality and when I see our young eco-warriors of Goa, I know that the bond between them and nature was nurtured by their parents who value nature. That is so worrying and when I see the way Goa is changing it sets me thinking.
Parents, start inculcating this love for nature when your kids are young. Nothing big, but develop awareness. I love to look at the sky through the leaves of trees. The shape of the leaves makes the sky look so different and interesting. I used to ask my kids lay down under trees and share the wonder that I felt. They used to ‘humour me’, but now they do the same and say: “You taught us, Ma.”
Nurturing nature is so important; we have to develop this respect for nature. Let them think about how they got food on the table, where water in the tap comes from, and where the cotton fibre of our clothes comes from. Global warming is a reality and we have to develop sensitivity in our kids about waste disposal and recycling.
Educationists and I (being one for over 30 years), feel that the opportunity to explore nature helps children improve their attention span, learning capacity and reduces symptoms of attention deficit disorder.
So how do we go about this?
Set an example: Leave your phone behind and dedicate time exclusively to be outside. Those locked in can start a small window garden with vegetables and butterfly-friendly flowers. Speak positively about nature, don’t say yuck or dirty, instead say: ‘Oh see the different types of leaves’, ‘This butterfly looks like a tiger, it is orange and has black stripes’, ‘Wow I can see blue and yellow and purple in this stone’, ‘How tall the coconut tree is’. Expressing curiosity and wonder makes them more aware
Have an explorer’s mentality: Don’t go out with a rigid or fixed agenda. Let children amble along flipping over stones, climbing rocks, chasing butterflies, watching a spider weave its web; let them have the freedom to explore. You don’t have to have answers to every query. Research together as asking questions develops this curiosity – I wonder why weaver birds’ nests are shaped like this? Why are some leaves so big and some so small? See this mud is so dry and powdery and this so hard
and cakey.
Collect stuff: Have a box for treasures like shells and pebbles. Have a big jar with holes in the lid to watch butterflies emerging from pupa. Collect abandoned nests and seeds of different types. Decorate frames and boxes, string seeds knead clay to make toys and figures.
Build in nature: Tree houses need involved parents with good skills! Children can even build sandcastles and tunnels on the beach, houses for birds or water baths.
Go trekking or camping: These are great opportunities for fresh air and exercise. There are lovely cottages on hire at reasonable rates at Bondla and Kotigao. Here you can sit and listen to the cicadas, the birds, the water flowing in the streams, the squirrels and monkeys chattering, the sound of silence and the sound of the wind.
Keep books available that give information about flora and fauna. Eric Carle and our own Panchatantra have wonderful stories inspired by nature. Books let a child gaze for hours at a picture, and let a child copy a drawing and compare things leisurely.
You can lie flat on your back and watch stars, the apps help you locate constellations and stars. Or just watch the stars dance slowly across the sky and watch the moon playing hide and seek. During the day lie and watch the clouds see the different shapes, types and colours.
Lovely poems and songs are available like this one by Michele Shalton
Zebra, zebra black and white
Early morning dark of night
Beware the mighty lion’s bite
Run, run, run with all your might
Away, away get out of sight.
It is a wonderful world, let’s make sure our children will cherish this world and save it for the generations that follow.
Happy Parenting!
(Writer is a volunteer in local schools and a trustee with Sethu)
