Why should children and youth worry about major world conundrums such as ongoing deadly pandemics, or human-triggered climate change that promises to soon broil more and more life on earth? Why worry when you can’t do anything about it?
Alas, the young acquired their worrying genetic makeup over many millennia. They still practice the skill of worrying today in many, if not most, corners of the world — children who neither play all day nor are excused family survival work on the grounds of some vaguely beneficial higher education.
Not for every family is the luxury of helicopter parenting to coddle offspring. Genetically-speaking, children should certainly be, and many undoubtedly are, worriers about both their immediate circumstances as well as their future. That broadly includes worrying about the health of their entire world, their community, the well-being of their family, as well as their individual survival.
So there’s something to be said about giving youth a hands-on role in learning the practicalities of a future that they will all too soon help to carry upon their shoulders. Here’s an interesting example of how “green” thinking and hands-on decision-making can be offered to the young in order to hopefully give useful focus to anxieties. Read more in In Your Area: New youth board gives young people power to direct eco-change in their communities
This idea began when an 11 year old realized that the ice cream served at his school contained palm oil. He organized 9 to 11 year olds and founded Eco Emeralds. The school agreed to stop serving ice cream with palm oil, and things blossomed from there. Find out more at youtube: Meet the Eco Emeralds
