This little round globe that I have in my pocket
April 17, 2008 – 5:44 pm
CJ: Mommy, what is the Earth?
Me: Well, it’s a planet. And it’s where we live.
(his eyes widen in wonder)
CJ: Mommy, you mean we live on a planet?
Me: Mmhmm.
CJ: On the Earth?
Me: Yep, we sure do.
CJ: You mean we’re on the Earth right now?
Me: Mmhmm.
CJ: (looks around, then up, then down. Then raises a skeptical eyebrow) You mean we’re in the Earth, right mommy?
Me: No, we’re on it.
CJ: (thinks for a minute) What’s in the Earth?
Me: Um, like, uh, dirt and… worms, and magma and stuff.
CJ: Hmph. (he pauses) Mommy, what’s a planet?
You know one of the hardest things for me about raising CJ to be a responsible, civilized individual?
It’s hard to talk about caring for the Earth with a child who doesn’t actually get what the Earth is.
I am positive that when I talk to CJ about the Earth as something we need to care for, he’s picturing this little round globe that he can keep in his pocket and protect from harm. And how that correlates to him not using 15 paper towels to dry his hands at the zoo bathroom?
Yeah somehow I don’t think I’m getting through.
I need help. Surely there must be a book about this.
How do you teach your kids about caring for this amazing place that we live? What words do you use? What rules do you abide by?
I wish I had the answers but the truth is that all I have are questions. And, of course, this little round globe that I keep in my pocket.
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By Baby Mama (Tamra) on Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
When you get a good answer, let me know! I was just teaching my 6yo (again) how to count tp squares so she wouldn’t waste… And she just says to me, But I don’t want to get my hand wet!
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By Jen on Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
I reccomend “The Earth Book for Kids” by Linda Schwartz. I found it pretty helpful anyway.
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By Rhea on Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
Difficult concept for little kids, I agree. Just make recycling and conservation natural to them…and keep explaining it over and over and over again. It clicks in one day. lol
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By parentingissues on Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
My 4 year old thinks monsters live on planets, so I haven’t even attempted to explain the concept of Earth yet. Not sure I completely understand it myself some days!
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By Mamma on Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
Didn’t you think they’d give you the answer key when they handed you the baby?? Me too.
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By Sara on Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
One night I was sitting on the front porch with a friend’s 4 year old daughter and we were looking at the sky. She was fascinated by the stars and we were talking about them and there was one that looked really bright. She pointed it out and I told her that that one wasn’t a star, it was a planet. She asked which one and I told her it was Mars. She looked at me and goes, “Wow! Which one is Earth?”
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By Lani on Apr 19, 2008 | Reply
I guess mainly teach by example, huh? I didn’t realize and appreciate until just recently all my parents did for recycling when we were growing up - back when it wasn’t the cool “in” thing to do. They recycled newspapers and glass and tin cans and soda cans and fed our table scraps to the chickens and burned all the paper waste in an old barrel and used cloth diapers for FOUR kids. But guess what? Now I know how to do it, because we did it when we were growing up.
My oldest can’t quite get his head wrapped around this thing we call “Earth”, either.
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By Stacy (mama-om) on Apr 19, 2008 | Reply
My take is not to overtly “teach” too much at this age. I think modelling is great thing and I think the magic is in the details.
For us, respecting and taking care of the earth means noticing the things living around us (the ants in the backyard, the mushrooms in the ravine) and showing respect for them.
If my son (who is 4 1/2) wants to pick tons of berries, I say “Let’s leave some for the birds.”
If he wants to squish an ant, I say, “Oh, please don’t squish that ant, Boo. Because that would end his life and he’s just here doing his own thing. Look, he’s following that other ant. Where do you think they’re going?”
As he ages, we will explore why we recycle, buy organic, conserve paper, heat and light; and how these actions relate to a better quality of life for all things on earth.
But for now, I focus mainly on him enjoying all life on this earth.
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As for the paper towel thing, we have that issue, too! Sometimes I try to share but he doesn’t want one that is already wet. So I’ve been using his when he’s done. At least he sees me trying to conserve. And they’re barely wet after he uses them anyway! :)
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By Lani on Apr 20, 2008 | Reply
Oh… and I forgot to mention the clothesline - we NEVER used the dryer in the spring/summer/fall. Everything always got hung out to dry on the clothesline. I really, really hope we can get our clothesline up this summer. I miss the smell of clothesline dried clothes.
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