The author with her family
One common dilemma we often hear from parents is how kids today tend to neglect the real world outdoors due to the occupation and extraction that gadgets or toys give. If today’s generation are to be the stewards of the earth God entrusted us, then they need to develop a heart for it by learning to take delight in it, develop respect for it, and take responsibility as creation’s caretakers.
I am grateful this sense of stewardship of nature was something I learned early on. Growing up, our family spent several years living in a ranch not too far from the city.
I loved having been able to experience both the urban life and the farm life at the same time. In the city, it was a life of going to dance classes, meeting up with friends at a fast food joint, playing in arcades, and strolling inside the mall for hours. While there is nothing wrong with that, I am grateful my parents did not box us in this routine and lifestyle, and so made decisions and took risks that at the time seemed unconventional to many. Along with the decision to homeschool us, they also chose to reside in an environment that let us explore and experience more of what the world around us had to offer.
From how my parents grew in us a fondness for nature, I’d like to share with you some ideas you might want to consider to help your kids develop a heart for it.
Make nature your home. Help kids be comfortable with nature. Hone their familiarity with nature by giving them pets and even plants to take care of. Bring them to the zoo instead of arcades and malls on weekends. Or better yet, explore provinces for family vacations where they can have more access to nature, including the flora and fauna.
City life was something I enjoyed, but nothing beat coming home to a house situated under a canopy of mahogany trees, with a view of the mountains from my window, and surrounded by the loveliest flora and fauna. Houses were streets away and were mostly vacation houses that families would only visit on holidays or on weekends at best. Aside from these occasional neighbors, our most constant companions within the estate were turkeys, goats, horses, sheep, and peacocks. The sound of roosters in the morning was my alarm, and the sound of crickets at night was my lullaby.
Make nature your lifestyle. That environment was a lot of things for us. As homeschoolers, one of the things we enjoyed about this set-up was having the ranch as our classroom, where we learned science, art, and home economics in a way that we would never have been able to do so in any other environment. It was also our market, as there were also several organic farms where we would get most of our fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Once in a while, it served as a rest house for our friends who wanted to take a break from the city life on weekends. Whether we were being simply residents, local farmers, or visitors, nature gave a sense of home to all of us.
Simple lifestyle changes — taking the kids to the local market instead of the grocery, trading fast food for organic snacks, and even sharing experiences with other families — will develop habits that they may carry with them as they grow up.
Make nature your hobby. Kids grow up so fast, so take the time to build as many memories with them in nature through hiking trips, tree-planting activities, and snorkeling.
When we moved to Metro Manila for college, this love for nature was quite hard for me to express and experience. Not to mention getting caught up in the university lifestyle, which was far less conducive for the organic way of learning that I was used to. However, the love for nature is something that was not easily taken away. Every week or so, I would itch to go home to the province. I also discovered a fondness for climbing mountain. Simply put, the longing to be in nature was inescapable.
The love for nature made such a huge imprint in my heart; I carried it with me wherever I went. Having spent my years balanced between the city and the province, I could say that no allure of city skylines and shopping sales could ever replace the sense of wonder that only nature inspires.
In my first semester in law school, one of the first cases we read was the landmark case Oposa v. Factoran, where parents put forward an action against deforestation on behalf of their children. These parents fought for their children’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology because they understood that the world we live in is perhaps the only irreplaceable inheritance we could give future generations. In the same way, it is also important to make sure that kids today also develop respect, fondness, and stewardship towards the environment for the generations yet to see its beauty.
For families who want to kindle this same love for nature, I encourage you to take risks and pursue bold decisions, just like my parents did. It need not be as grand as moving to a farm, or opting to homeschool your kids. Simple ideas make for such beautiful memories that kids will truly treasure even when they grow up. There are countless opportunities to learn to love nature. The world is yours.
From Bible stories as a child, to novels as a Literature major, now to legal cases as a law student, Jasmine Buen has been reading her whole life. She also enjoys telling stories by writing essays, wedding articles, and someday, her own book.
