Mother nature, the one who nurtures us all,
In her lap we have grown big and tall
Threatened, abused, she lays bleeding
Press ctrl + save she is pleading
The path is tough, but lets not lose hope
Young and old let's join hands for there is scope
We can still save her & fight hazards away
For where there is a will, there is a way.
I was fortunate to have spent a childhood very close to mother nature, for my mother was a nature lover herself. Early mornings I would see her spending an hour in the garden, watering the plants, trimming worn out leaves and examining each plant. Being a child, I often got jealous and told her, "You love your plants more than me, seems you talk to them everyday like they are your children." She would laugh and tell me, "These plants are a part of our family. When you climb the Guava tree, don't you feel he is your buddy, playing with you? Just like we care for our family members, these plants too need our love and care."
Most importantly, she used to say something which has stayed with me,
"Save nature and nature saves you"
And so, right from recycling waste to planting tree on every birthday, my parents taught me to care for environment like one would care for their parents.
Now that I am a mom myself, its time to pass the baton of wisdom to the next generation.
But, things aren't the same as they used to be when I was a child. Rising pollution levels in the metros force small children to wear masks to school. The depleting water resources sit like a time bomb. News reports of rising chemicals in foodstuffs scare me as a parent and I often fear if the food I am giving my child is laced with chemicals.
It is high time, we all take accountability of saving mother nature. By teaching our children these simple ways of protecting nature, we can surely make them better citizens of tomorrow.
Waste less and reuse more
Using products that can be recycled (glass instead of plastic bottles, cloth bags instead of plastic bags, rechargeable batteries), we can minimise non biodegradable waste, saving our land from abuse. Simple habits like switching off the fans, lights and appliances when not in use can help minimise Carbon footprint. But, as adults we need to lead by example.
A plant a birthday
I loved this custom mom followed. In today's era of reducing spaces, this may be tough, but the world is our home and the parks always welcome more trees with open arms. The next time you take your kid for walk, the breeze in the garden and the fresh air will be nature's return gifts.
Reduce paper wastage
I still remember a classmate of mine, who used to fill her notebooks to the fullest. Often when others joked why she was being such a miser, she told them she was saving trees. By teaching our children to use papers left in old notebooks, print on both sides of paper and use recycled paper, we can partner in saving trees.
Value of fresh water
By making small changes in our daily routine, we can teach kids to conserve fresh water resources, which are depleting at an alarming pace. Recycling water in garden, using bucket instead of showers and keeping tap closed while brushing teeth are small drops in the ocean.
Inspiration & visits
Visits to places like Rock Garden and nature parks can be great source of inspiration for children, becoming the perfect "fun and learn" moments. Children are great observers and pick up good habits easily for life.
All this would make no sense until we don't practice what we preach, for a wise man once said, "Children learn from who you are, than what you teach."
I’m blogging about how I’ll remind kids to press Ctrl+S for nature for the Shortcut Safaari weekend activity at BlogAdda
