Teaching our kids about our precious wildlife in a time of crisis

Parenting Resources
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1. Take the Lead & Encourage Questions
I led the conversation around the current fire crisis and what is happening to our beautiful country. We asked her if she had been seeing things on TV about the fires and if she had any questions. This was a really great way to gauge what she had been seeing and what she may be processing in her little brain. For example, I wasn’t aware that she had been seeing the ‘dead animals’.2. Reassure feelings & emotions
Through our conversations on what was happening, we uncovered mostly feelings of sadness. Whilst she hasn’t mentioned feeling scared just yet, it’s not to say it won’t come. It’s only through having these conversations that we can truly see what they are thinking about – and reassure them it’s ok to have these feelings because we do too! “Mumma feels really sad too.. it’s horrible to see the animals hurting and the fires”. Thankfully we are safe here, so maybe we can help to make them feel better. Let’s think about what we can do together!”3. Let’s make a plan together!
Steph says that children thrive when they feel part of the solution – and it’s so true! If there is any way to turn anxiety into control, it’s through being able to contribute in their own way. I have seen so many wonderful charities circulating and we decided to stay on theme with the animals and adopt a Koala: https://www.koalahospital.org.au/product-category/adoptions We are also going shopping to buy some of the much needed things for our local drop off centre, which is a tangible way for them to contribute. Finally, visiting the Zoo is always one of the top things on our ‘Summer Fun List’ and I personally think this provides a great opportunity to have a positive experience with our wildlife to counteract all the tragic scenes we are seeing. Sure there will be questions but it is the perfect platform for teachable moments about our precious wildlife and the environment. Spending time together appreciating the animals, talking about their needs (what they eat/what they do) and why it’s so important for us to respect and protect their homes. After discussing this with our friends over at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, we learnt about some of the wonderful initiatives they have been working on to help support our wildlife through the Wild Life Conservation Fund.
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