Talk to your kids about climate, fossil fuels and renewable energy. If you don't, someone else will.
Eversource gives these free gas promotional products to schools and teachers are using them. These pages are from a workbook given to 4th graders.
We know children are receiving these pro-fossil fuel messages across America in classrooms, in museums and certainly on TV and social media. How do you counter it?
Be educated. Be involved in your child's education. Talk to your kids about climate, how precious clean air, water and safe food are. Tell them we're all responsible for the decisions being made in our communities. Talk to them about the things you value and why.
Kids care. Use age-appropriate language and be honest. Let them know you have concerns, but there are things you can do, they can do, to protect our planet. You won't scare them, you'll empower them with knowledge and they will come to you with their questions.
There are many opportunities for children to be involved in climate activism. Bring them to low-key marches or rallies. Let them make their own poster. Be prepared to have your child's photo taken and maybe even be interviewed for a local newspaper or TV station.
Kids can go to town meetings. Take a peek at the agenda. If you have a kid who crashes out early, this may not be a good option, but tweens and teens can have their say at meetings. Let them bring a few sentences to read. Your child will learn to be an active citizen and speak in public as well.
Build youth empowerment by bringing a group of students to an event to show their support for clean energy and a fossil-free future. Keep messaging positive and upbeat.
Now back to these workbook pages. If you saw these in your child's backpack, what would you say or do? You might ask your child what the lesson was about and if there were other materials provided and how the workbook was used. Is this part of an assessment for a grade? You may want to consider calling the teacher or school to ask why these supplements are being used in the classroom and what the perceived value of them is.
Whatever you do, talk to your kids about the things you value. Whether it's fracked gas or another controversial issue, by keeping the dialogue open, you create a stronger relationship, build trust, independent thought, and allow your child to carefully consider the different perspectives on issues that will come before them in life.
The best thing you can do for your child is model the behavior you want them to emulate. Get involved. Go to meetings on issues you care about, write a letter to the editor, make calls, attend a rally with your kids. Let them see that community involvement is a great way to meet people, feel connected, and make your town or city an even better place to live.
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