Nature: Nurturing your child’s bond with Nature

How often do you take your children to the terrace for stargazing?

Honestly, we’ve been to the terrace only once. During our that one night visit, I was surprised that my boy showed interested to identify the North star in the sky, after once listening to my children’s story about locating the North star. ‘Perhaps we should do this often,’ was what I thought that night.

From 1st to 30th April, I write one post a day on The Things that really matter to Children. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the complete list of posts in the series.

N for Nature: Nurturing your child’s bond with Nature

Last week, we had been to a jungle camp to celebrate the boy’s birthday. As we had a moonlight dinner in the open space under the tall trees and the mountains, I realized what we are deprived of in the city life – the wilderness of the jungle!

All along, I had assumed that since we live in a suburb with ample trees in the surroundings, cocks and cows in the neighbourhood, a beautiful (I mean it) balcony garden and a full view of the sunset from our sofa, we are living a life with close connection to nature. But after the jungle camp, I realized that nature can only belong to a place where it is left untouched. Clearing off the forest, raising buildings and roads on forest graves, planting ornamental plants around the buildings and growing lovely trees along the roadsides may not be nature in the real sense.

Our children have an inner world. To keep it alive and enriched, nurture their bond with nature. Find places where children can touch the running stream waters. Let their hands and legs messy in mud and puddles. Teach them to look at the sun to read time. Make them observe grey clouds and anticipate rain. Talk to them about trees and flowers. Grow a garden together. Harvest the yields from your garden. Allow them to climb a tree. Stop on the highway to thank the farms. Build a bird feeder together. Follow ant trails wit them. Drench under the water falls. Trust their feet and hands as they climb rock mountains. Listen to the silence of the sea. Stargaze at the night sky. Create new friendships with the stars. Connect with the moon’s cycle. Collect pebbles from the ground. Throw some into the pond. Watch the ripples they leave by. Chase the crabs at the shore. Sing with the birds.

Walk together as a family. Whenever you can. Walk in the rain, walk in the snow. Walk through forests and fields –  walk towards any strip of green (however small). Walk in wonder. Walk in awe.  And one day know  that your children will walk in the wild with the memory of it all. – Nicolette Sowder

Whenever possible, choose a nature stay than a luxury stay. Our everyday lives within the walls of our homes can be so enchanting that we may forego to be outside in nature, to leave the comfort of modern life. Remember, we are living in nature-deprived parts of earth. Take your children occasionally to the real earth to show her true magnificence. Your children will begin to love, care and protect this earth without having to tell them. We don’t teach them how to love one another in the family because their bond with the family is nurtured everyday. That is what they need with mother earth too – when their bond with nature is nurtured, they’ll look after her in the years to come. 

List of posts in the Series