Talking With Children About Climate Change - Jan. 28, 2020

We're thrilled about the fabulous turnout for this event.  36 people total showed up for "Talking with Children about Climate Change". We had a lively discussion about how to discuss climate change with children of various ages, talked about ways we could take action with our families, and shared some tips and resources for ways to navigate this overwhelming issue. These are some very tough questions and we thank everyone for being open to being vulnerable together. While we may never have all the answers, we at least will have a community to lean on as we muddle through it all. 

These conversations are certainly ongoing and have already brought up additional questions to bring into future Mother Up! gatherings. Some related questions that came up included addressing grief, decreasing consumer culture in our families, and how to not shame other kids and families. We look forward to exploring these challenging questions with all of your as we continue to build community together.   

Mother Up! Montpelier's monthly dinner and discussion evenings happen the 4th Tuesday of each month in our very own vestry here at UCM.  5:30-7:30pm.  

Some of the resources we shared are here:  ( I still need to make some of the links live. ) 



"How to Have a Hard Talk with Kids About our Changing Environment" -- an insightful interview with David Sobel about not terrifying kids with doomsday data

General Development Guidelines for Raising Kids that Care about Climate Change 

• Birth - Kindergarten or even up to age 8 ~ Let your child/grandchild/students fall in love with nature! The focus should be on building a bond with nature.  As much as possible focus on direct experience with the outdoors. Books are great reinforcement. Free play with friends and family and even by oneself (with caregivers supervising from nearby) are essential.  Great hands-on stewardship activities include caring for a garden, picking up litter, planting trees.  

There’s generally consensus that we limit young children exposure to dire scientific reports or images. Discussing the heavy, detailed reality of climate change with very young children opens them to fear and grief, yet they are unable to process what could possibly be done to minimize the damages that scientists predict.  

• Sometime 1st grade-3rd grade ~ Timing depends on when you feel they are ready.  Many recommend that you wait until you hear them asking questions about Climate Change based on something they’ve learned or overheard or seen, or questions like “Why are we walking instead of driving?” … have a conversation that teaches them the basics.  NPR’s Life Kit program offers this as a model: 

"Humans are burning lots and lots of fossil fuels for energy, in planes, in cars, to light our houses, and that's putting greenhouse gases into the air. Those gases wrap around the planet like a blanket and make everything hotter.  A hotter planet means bigger storms, it melts ice at the poles so oceans will rise, it makes it harder for animals to find places to live. And it's a really, really big problem, and there are a lot of smart people working hard on it, and there's also lots that we can do as a family to help."

Make sure to pair any discussion of Climate Change with some actions that will help you AND your children feel empowered to be part of the solution.  Continue connection time with nature.  

4th grade -  6th grade and older ~ Depending on the child, they can start to handle more complex science.  If they are wanting more information, help them find sources, without letting them get overwhelmed with dire predictions.  It is still important to limit their exposure to doomsday accounts of human extinction. They can engage more fully in activities to counter climate change.  It’s a great time to help them find other young people who are interested in doing positive action in their communities. This age group can be powerful spokespeople for the cause.  It’s important to also make sure they take breaks to just be a kid, to just have fun exploring all the wonderful people and aspects of being alive in the world. Continue connection time with nature.

From NPR “How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change”

www.npr.org/2019/10/22/772266241/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-climate-change

1. Break the Silence

• Talk with other adults! Share our feelings, fears, questions, and challenges with each other.

2. Give your Kids the Basic Facts 

Suggested script, based on conversations with several educators and psychologists, that could be used for kids as young as four or five:

"Humans are burning lots and lots of fossil fuels for energy, in planes, in cars, to light our houses, and that's putting greenhouse gases into the air. Those gases wrap around the planet like a blanket and make everything hotter.

A hotter planet means bigger storms, it melts ice at the poles so oceans will rise, it makes it harder for animals to find places to live.

And it's a really, really big problem, and there are a lot of smart people working hard on it, and there's also lots that we can do as a family to help."

3. Get Outdoors

• Let them get dirty and fall in love with nature.  Through play and outdoor exploration, teach kids to appreciate the web of relationships in nature

4. Focus on Feelings

• Listen to how our children are feeling and thinking about the climate crisis and help them                   manage those feelings.
• Do positive activities as a family, spend time in nature, have a break.

5. Take Action as a Family

• Compost,
• Pick up trash
• Build a solar oven
• Write a letter to a representative or school administration
• Bring your kids to a protest or meeting
• Support teenage activists
• Don't push any particular action onto our children

6. Find Hope

• Frame problems so we can continue to hope and not collapse into cynicism, apathy, despair
• Reassure them that adults are on the case
• Remind kids to enjoy being kids!
• Celebrate victories together

Talking With Children About Climate Change ~ Jan. 28, 2020

Blessing of the meal: 

I thank the Earth for feedin’ my body,I thank the Sun for warmin’ my bones, 

I thank the Trees for the air that I breathe, I thank the Water for nourishin’ my soul.       

~ by Ana K. W. Moffett    (link to a video of the song here.)

Closing Song:

One Foot / Lead With Love  by Melanie DeMore

Chorus: You gotta put one foot in front of the other and lead with love, 

Put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.  (repeat entire chorus)

(Verses are call and response) 1. Don’t give up hope, you’re not alone

Don’t you give up, keep moving on.  

2. Lift up your eyes, don’t you despair

Look up ahead, the path is there

3. I know you’re scared, and I’m scared too

But here I am, right next to you

Other Resources: 

Books: 

• The Parents' Guide to Climate Revolution-Mary DeMocker 
• Last Child in the Woods-Richard Louv
• Simplicity Parenting: Using the Power of Less to Raise Happy, Secure Children – Kim John Payne
• Drawdown-Paul Hawken
• Dirt to Soil-Gabe brown

Websites: 

NPR 

www.npr.org/2019/10/22/772266241/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-climate-change

Climate Reality Project 

www.climaterealityproject.org/sites/default/files/kidsandclimatechangee-book.pdf

• Breaks down ways to talk with children based on different types of personalities: Pollution Preventer, Climate Change Warrior, Habitat Hero, Biodiversity champion
• Includes conversation starters for each personality type

Chicago Academy of Sciences

https://www.naturemuseum.org/nature-and-science-in-action/sustainability-resources/talking-to-kids-about-climate-change

• Breaks it down by age (2-5, 6-9, 10-12)
• Guiding questions and activities

Carbon Cowboys

https://carboncowboys.org/

• Collection of videos on regenerative agriculture 

Kids Stories: 

• www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2018/08/childrens-books-about-climate-change/
• www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/09/from-greta-thunberg-to-sally-morgan-10-books-to-help-kids-come-to-grips-with-climate-crisis
• www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/kids/7-books-for-kids-of-all-ages-about-environmental-activism-and-climate-change/
• https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/cool-schools-2018/how-talk-kids-about-climate-change 
• Narrated ebook “Is this My Home?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1x7ABDYKbk&feature=youtu.be 

Videos: 

• Call to action video: https://youtu.be/aUCD_24cygQ
• Watch Climate 101 with Bill Nye

Our Climate Our Future 

https://ourclimateourfuture.org/

• Free educational video series, great for teens
• Videos of youth sharing climate stories from around the country
• Resources for educators 

Upcoming Events: 

Mother Up! Montpelier meets monthly at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7:30PM.

5th Annual Festival of Trees and Tu B’Shevat Celebration

Sun. Feb 9, 1-4pm at North Branch Nature Center.  Free. Fun activities for all ages, indoors and outdoors.  Find out more on Facebook Event page.

Earth Day Activities at the Unitarian Church

Sat. April 18th - Visit our FB page for more details closer to the date.  

In Bloom Conference: Promising Practices in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

Saturday, May 16, 2020

hosted by North Branch Nature Center

Moretown Elementary School

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=lzacslrab&oeidk=a07egswhiuse39c0c18

  

Contact:

motherupmontpelier@350vt.org                          350vermont.org

Join our facebook group - Mother Up! Families Rise Up for Climate Action

Crossing Paths Middle Schoolers Visit the Islamic Society of Vermont - Jan. 26, 2020

This year's middle school program, Crossing Paths, culminated their study of Islam this month with a visit to the masjid ('mosque' in Arabic) in Colchester yesterday. Many thanks to our hosts at the Islamic Society of Vermont and the youth, parents, and facilitators who made the field trip possible! Great to be building layers of friendship and understanding with other faith groups right here in Vermont!  One of the facilitators, Cara Robechek, shared this recap of the visit...

We had a very interesting visit to the Islamic Center in Colchester yesterday.  After a quick meeting at UCM, and a chance for the youth to share with our adult travel companions a little about the 5 pillars of Islam, we split up into 4 cars and headed to Colchester.  The Islamic Center is in the Fort Ethan Allen complex (though it will be moving to S. Burlington next month).  When we arrived we took off our shoes at the door and put them in cubbies (they have a great system with a mat to step onto out of your boots/shoes so your sock feet don't get wet).  We were welcomed in and asked to sit in the back of their large open worship room until after the prayer.  We observed dozens of children coming out of their Sunday morning religious education program, and eventually everyone assembled into two long lines, men in front, women in back.  The actual prayer was only about 5 minutes (their main "service" is Friday evenings, so we were not there for that). 

After the prayer time the families began to leave and we sat down with Imam Islam and the president of the Islamic Society for 30-45 minutes and asked questions.  We learned that the 5 daily prayers are timed to the exact location where you are, and that most people now have apps on their phone that tell them when to pray.  We learned a bit more about the Hajj.  We learned that this particular Mosque has immigrant families from all around the world that attend.  We learned a little about this Imam's approach to the Quran including that it teaches peace and compassion, not violence.  I think we all felt welcomed and that they were glad we had come to visit.

We then went on to Pizza Hut and reflected a bit on the experience.  Some interesting observations included the cleanliness of the space (since everything happens on the floor, sitting, praying, etc.)  and the fact that because people are praying according to the sunrise and sunset times, there are probably people praying to Mecca at all times across the various timezones.   ~Cara

Celebrating the Smallest Freedom Fighter and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sunday, January 19, 2020 

What a fabulous crew of young bakers this morning, along with some great LSE volunteers (Margaret Blanchard, Abby Colihan, and Georgina Haase) and parents too! On this day we celebrated Sheyann Webb, who Dr. King called "The Smallest Freedom Fighter."  

As a follow-up to learning about Sheyann Webb, we sang Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around. We also did a service project of baking FOUR CAKES in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The cakes were marbled to celebrate de-segregation. They'll be dessert for the Monday Community Lunch. Oh boy, did we have fun AND make a mess. But we avoided the fire alarm going off (barely). That would have been exciting.

Invitation: Discussion of June 2019 General Assembly Sunday Worship

In late June 2019, in Spokane, WA, UUs from hundreds of congregations gathered for the annual UUA General Assembly. One highlight was a powerful Sunday morning worship, in which Rev. Marta Valentin and others call on all of us Unitarian Universalists to look at how to make our faith truly more inclusive. Join us on Sunday Jan. 19th to discuss from a heart place the feelings and questions this worship service brings up. Also, if time allows, what might we feel called to do... as individuals or as a congregation? Facilitators Pat Carstensen and Kate Plummer will guide the discussion, prefaced by the showing of a few highlights of worship. Lite snacks provided but everyone is encouraged to bring their own snacks or a bag lunch if they wish.

"The question is, are we ready to be better for our own people? Because ‘the world’ includes every person in our faith many of whom have been micro-aggressed right out the door. It is the silent revolving door that many do not want to acknowledge aloud. It is time now to ask ourselves, who are we, really? Which Unitarian Universalism are we taking into our future?"

"...the Power of We moves us from the solitary “I” to the community “We” – where there is a strong sense of belonging and we work together to the benefit of all. In the “We” culture the people are centered, it is impeccably inclusive, and the “I” exists only in relation to others, each of us must be strong for the collective to thrive. At the core the words we carry are not just ours, they include the voices of our ancestors speaking through and with us. And as this “We” engages in the delicate work it is not about the “power of tip-toeing”; the work requires speaking respectfully as we uphold our covenants; it asks us to listen reflectively; to teach the truth authentically and extend compassion to others we might not care for."

But as we all know, worship is about the music and the readings that all weave together, so we encourage people to watch the entire service (two hours) ahead of time at home if possible.

https://www.uua.org/ga/past/2019/worship/sunday  

(Rev. Marta Valentin's sermon begins at around 1hr. 10 mins. if you want to jump to that part.) There are links below the main video for viewing with closed captioning for those who prefer that option.  

Childcare available upon request by Sun. Jan. 12th (to Liza). Questions? Contact Pat Carstensen - or Liza Earle-Centers.

December 29, 2019 ~ Chanukah

Many thanks to Abby Colihan and Steve Grunewald for leading an exploration of Hanukkah last Sunday which was also the last day of Chanukah.  They read a neat book about Hanukkah, listened to a song: Chanukah, Oh Chanukah (with lyrics in English and Yiddish), played the dreidel game, and made menorah art.  

The kids and volunteers were having so much fun there was no time for pictures.  But here are some photos from afterward.  The book they read, the art they made.

Above: Every family and synagogue have different styles of menorahs.  Alex made this fabulous, spider-like menorah!  (notice he included the 'shamash' or helper candle in the middle of the eight)

 Above: Elena made this collage menorah out of origami paper!

Above: Graham did a combination of coloring and cut-out for this bright and cheerful menorah!

A holiday gift to you from Liza and the LSE Committee ~ Songs we love at UCM

The Lifespan Spiritual Exploration Committee and I wanted to share a gift with all of you this holiday season. We wanted to share the gift of songs from our faith, some are from our last several months together and some are just favorite hymns that kids and adults love.  

Here is a Youtube playlist. It's like the modern day mix tape or mix CD!

Songs we love at UCM (UU Hymns and others): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNJdmr_9Ysi6kGGG6_TkuMoAAqkesAWkx  

Singing the songs of our faith is a great way to carry the values of our faith into your life beyond the walls of our church. It helps get it into our bones so we have them on our lips when we or someone we love needs what they offer. Some of the songs offer welcome, some offer courage, others offer reassurance and comfort. I like to sing some to help start the day, and others as lullabies. (If you need it, it might also provide welcome respite from the deluge of Christmas songs on the radio right now!)

There are many more out there, but this is about the number we would put on a mix tape or mix CD for you, so hopefully it is a good amount. Maybe we'll do another playlist in the spring--feel free to let us know YOUR favorite!