Growing up green: How to discuss climate change with your kids

Look for teaching opportunities in daily life

Sadly, it’s not difficult to find opportunities to talk with your kids about the impact of climate change on New Zealand, Australia and around the world.

In 2009, Australia had the Black Saturday fires, followed by the terrible flooding in Brisbane in 2011. There was also the superstorm in South Australia in 2017 where all the power went out for two days. More recently, there was the devastating impact of the 2020 Black Summer fires. Even on the news now – there’s stories on climate change and extreme weather events all the time. If you want to have the conversation with your kids, use an example of something that crops up day to day that lets you broach the topic.

One of the earliest signs of my kids showing an interest in environmental issues was on a trip across Western Australia. We passed road trains carrying lambs, and my then six-year-old said, “Dad, where are the lambs going?” I told him probably to be eaten, and he replied, “Well, I’m never eating them.” These little moments open the door to discussions that can broaden their understanding of nature – which will persist into their teens and adulthood. 

Instil urgency, without scaring them

In some ways, I don’t think discussing climate change with your kids is that different than with adults. You want to instil a sense of urgency in them, change their behaviour and get them to be part of the solution. At the same time, you don’t want to scare them.

When adults fear something, they often pretend it’s not there. Most will do the same thing and continue their lives as normal, justifying their inaction by deciding their role is too small to be significant and hoping somebody else will sort it all out.

The way to navigate this is by coming up with solutions. It’s easy to note that a problem exists, but then you must match it with an answer. For example, taking the school bus, cycling or walking to school, or eating less meat than other families – things like that are easy to bring up with your children. And as they get older, they’ll start to understand the numbers and the connection between the scale of what we’re facing and our behaviour.

Being a role model is also important when broaching the topic of climate change (and anything else, really). You can’t impose behaviours on others you don’t match yourself. If I’m leading an expedition, I can’t send off the men and women I’m with to do all the dangerous stuff. I have to fall in just the same as them – otherwise, you lose respect very quickly. I see parenting as the same.

Inspire them with action

If your child is scared about melting ice, rising sea levels and increasing temperatures, you can use this as moment of empowerment. Show them the things you’re doing – growing native plants in the garden, using less electricity and having shorter showers. While the scale of the challenges we’re facing is vast, it’s reassuring to show your children that we are taking action.

That being said, don’t go too extreme – you need to find a balance that works for your family. If you frame caring for the environment as something that steals away your children’s fun, inevitably they’re going to resent it.

It’s never too early to speak with your children about climate change – and it’s a lot easier than you might think. Get creative, approach the topic in a positive light and be proactive with solutions you can implement as a family.