Whether we were raised early 80’s-90’s or 2000’s we received education, the difference is in the method that was used to teach us. Is one better than the other or are they both important? Should we neglect one because of how we have evolved technologically speaking or should we seek ways on how to implement our learned skills in our children?
I often ask myself this question as I find great value in the that way I learned growing up.
As a child, I grew up playing outdoors. The magical experience of being able to use our imagination was inevitable and it’s something I feel has been lost in some ways. Times have changed and it’s not quite as similar as it used to be. Our parents freely allowed us to play outdoors without much worry. We as parents today find it difficult to fully engage after school or even on weekends because we have to work more since the cost of living has risen tremendously. I thought it’d be fun to share some ideas of things we can do to help our children see the world, even if just through a small scope, the way we did.
How can we encourage our children to appreciate nature and the importance of caring for our earth?
As much as we can, we should strive to engage our children in all sorts of activities that involve nature. A simple walk through the park, analyzing flowers, trees or the complex design of it all are all opportunities we can take to show our children the beauty of nature surrounding us, even if we live in a city. Through the observance of such beauty, we can create art and science projects as well as talk about why all of these natural beauties are important and how we can keep our earth clean. One of my favorite hikes that I have not been on in years is the trail in the Ross Dock Picnic Area in the Palisades Interstate Park. http://www.njpalisades.org/rossdock.html I used to love walking through there as a kid and can’t wait to take my daughter there this summer. As an added bonus to our hike, I would conclude with some research as to the history of the park and nature than can be found there.
Technology, Library or both?
I say both, while technology is all the information we need at our very fingertips, it is important to teach our children about the use of a library. The Dewey Decimal System is a system that was created to classify books in an order so as to always have the books organized and returned to the same spot for another user to find. It’s important to give our children the knowledge so as to use not only technology but raw materials that can also provide this information, such as books dedicated to a particular subject or the use of an array of encyclopedias. Not only will they learn how to find such information on any subject but they will also learn to appreciate the value of what they have and how learning has evolved. It’s gives them a broader perspective. As a fun project, why not try having your child pick out a subject of their interest and take them to the library to find the answer? The North Bergen Library has a great staff eager to help our children as well as weekly programs our children can partake in. Check out their site http://www.nbpl.org/ for more information, they should be posting summer programs soon.
Let’s take this opportunity we have to give more to our children in ways they never thought they can encounter.
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