“If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.” ~Rachel Carson
We can help our little ones maintain this gift by encouraging their wonderment of nature (and so many other magical things!). In fact it would do us well to get ours back and discover the natural world through their eyes again! Not everything we encounter needs to always be explained with a scientific reason for occurring.
Often times the best teaching opportunities for our children occur when they are watching us -- in how we react to nature, or how we behave in nature. Do we enjoy living in the moment and allowing a sense of awe or whimsy to settle about us without expectations? Do we pick up litter along the trail? Do we cringe at the site of crawlies or marvel at their tiny existence; do we value their role in nature? Are we comfortable outdoors? Fearful, respectful, at home in nature? Our children are always watching, what are we teaching them?
"Teaching Opportunity" by M. Hedgecock
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Today as I tried to approach a butterfly taking refuge in one of our garden's sunflowers, my 5 yo reminded me that "it's nature, mom. Give the butterfly some space & watch what happens." Oh yeah, they listen all right. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteDebi,
ReplyDeleteThat made us laugh out loud, that is great! It's amazing just when we think they're "NOT LISTENING!!" only to be reminded by a moment like that, that they really are :) Love it, thank you for sharing!