Tip o’ the Day: Teach Your Children Well
We know that the children are our future. We know we need to teach them well, and with good values, so that they will grow up to appreciate the earth. But sometimes it's tough to see how to put that into action. This past weekend, I got a glimpse into how it can work.
Please humor me as I format today's tip into more of a story. Let me set the scene: Orlando, Florida. Hot as heck. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. I went up to see a friend who was there with her husband and two small children, a 2 year old boy and an almost 5 year old girl. This was the first time we had really met the kids and you never know what to expect. They were the sweetest things.
After lunch, we swung by the bathroom to change a diaper and well, use the facilities. I washed my hands and helped the little girl wash hers as well. Another girl was in the bathroom, maybe around 10 years old; she pulled the lever for the paper towels a couple of times and tore off a piece. Then she handed it to me. It was such a sweet act. I then tried to hand it to my friend's daughter, so that she could dry her hands, which were currently being dried on her pink dress. She wouldn't take it. And here it comes, the six little words that made a huge impact on my day, and really, on my way of thinking.
"We don't need to waste trees."
You have to understand, this was said in the littlest, softest, little girl voice you can imagine. She's not even 5 years old and she really made my jaw drop. Of course, she didn't come up with that by herself - that's her parents' doing. You see? If you start young enough, and with the right lessons, it just becomes second nature to these kids.
How else can we teach our children well?
May 8th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Did you tell her she is only correct in that the United States lost forestland throughout much of the 19th century, as the nation grew - but the amount of forestland stabilized throughout much of the 20th century?
Or that our logging industry helps to plant new tree and doesn’t just cut them down?
And that according to the Forest Service, we have actually seen a net reforestation since 1985 …meaning we aren’t losing forestland, we’re actually gaining it?
Is there a difference between teaching kids facts and teaching kids to tow the party line? Which is better? Personally, i would rather have my children growing up to learn the realities of life as opposed to repeating someone elses rhetoric. Now this is a five year old, so we can’t pick on her..it’s cute that she wants to save trees and not be wasteful…and these ARE good values - but we need to teach our children well and not dilude them into only accepting one side of the story.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
That’s cute! I don’t think my own kds would have answered that way.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
So cute!
So naive!