An Important Aspect in Your Climate Work

It’s been an incredibly challenging year with wildfires and changes to our laws that were meant to prevent further harm from fossil fuels and protect us from continued pollution, wildlife extinction and preservation of natural lands. It’s been devastating to know we are willingly walking into a future that our children do not deserve.

With all the knowledge that I’ve been gaining from my Climatebase fellowship while being a highly sensitive person (HSP) with two young children, it’s been difficult to digest the reality of what we are doing to our planet. I’ve experienced all the emotions from anger to grief and anxiety. Because of this, I wanted to talk with someone who is an expert in climate resilience.

I am fortunate to have Kristan Childs, M.Ed. on the blog today to teach all of us how to mitigate this unknown territory with help on how to parent our children while we’re also struggling to cope with our own fears about climate change.

The Thing Parents Wish We Never Had to Teach Our Kids

Kristan Childs is a Climate Emotional Resilience Institute faculty member. She is also a facilitator for the Good Grief Network and a co-chair for the Climate Scientist Support committee, CPA-NA Parenting Support. For 12 years, Childs was a parenting instructor and support person for the Hand and Hand Parenting Network. With three kids of her own who were curious about climate, she says, “I was feeling so anxious about how to be honest with them without scaring them. It was hard for me too cause I was freaking out inside and that made it hard to be responsive for them. I was wondering…should I bring them to marches? Is that too much of a burden?” That’s when she heard about Good Grief. 

Childs experienced what many of us are feeling right now. “Underneath the anxiety, I had so much sadness for the kids and how they are growing up in this world compared to the world I grew up in.”

As a result, Childs got involved with Good Grief Network’s 10 week program, and later facilitated groups for parents. They journaled, shared feelings, and participated in grounding practices. 

Currently Childs works largely with climate scientists. Many of the groups she leads isn’t as dark and full of despair as you may think. “It really engages people and makes them realize that they are still allowed to have joy and beauty. People come to my groups kind of frozen. You free yourself so you can feel all the feelings. People get unstuck in these groups. They become so connected and so grateful.”

What Can You Do If You’re Feeling All the Normal Emotions of Climate Change

“There are things you can do to regulate like exercise, journal, mediate. For me, the most powerful is coming together and sharing. It’s very powerful medicine…It’s such a deep relief to be with other people and share the raw truth of what you’re feeling. You feel so sane.”

Childs also recommends the following:

1. Get involved in a group with The Good Grief Network or participate in a climate cafe.
2. Don’t give up. The difficulty is acknowledging the state we’re in without completely checking out. Childs says you can do both-regulate your emotions while you are actively participating in climate action.
3. Read Joanna Macy’s Active Hope. 
4. Get to know your neighbors. Using this time as an opportunity to come together with others.
5. Reflect on the kind of world you want to live in. “Live your life that way instead of waiting until the world changes the way you want it to.”

If You’re a Parent, Read This

Childs says, “Parenting has a certain kind of ache when it comes to the climate crisis.” If you’re a parent, here’s what you can do to help your kids navigate these uncertain times.

1. Do your own emotional work. Childs says, “The future we imagined is going to be different. Processing your own feelings, can help you show up for your kids with cleaner energy.”
2. Listen more than you speak. One of the most healing things you can do, Childs says is simply listen to your kids.
3. For younger kids, give reassurance. Remind them that right now, we are all safe.
4. Tell them the truth. Don’t say there isn’t a problem, but also don’t leave out that a lot of people are searching for solutions.
5. For teens, Childs says to provide validation for their feelings. Things like: “You have every reason to feel upset.”
6. A script to remember: “I’m so glad you came to me. Anything else you want o know? It’s hard that you been sitting with that.” Childs says, “They need to be seen and heard and accepted
7. Read “How to talk to your kids about the climate crisis,” by Jo Mcandrews.