[wisconsin_cur]

My three-year-old has been asking for another "big book" that I could read to him since we finished Tom Sawyer a week or so ago. We went upstairs and looking through our collection of young people books I found a copy of Swiss Family Robinson that was given to my wife 25 years ago. We have only read the first chapter but I was thinking that an older child really could get something out of it.

trusting in something larger than yourself in times of stress and danger

adapting and changing to your situation (lots of examples of "making do" in the first chapter alone)

fun and adventure of exploring the island (the future)

and (as a parent) allowing children to explore the unknown.

Since time spent reading to a child is never wasted I would recommend this book as a way to provide a resource, a way of thinking about adversity and the unknown, moving into the future. Besides, it is fun.

[RedStateGreen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fredrik', '
')Like your sig, by the way

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

I have one worry wart who is concerned about how things are going to go. I just tell her that we will do ok. Things will change and we will chage with them. Then I remind her of all the things we are doing now, to give ourselves the best chance of survival.

Since I am now a single mom of 3 kids, I am teaching my daughers how to cook since my time (other than canning food) is best spent doing the heavier manual labour with my son. But they have been helping me with the garden and yard.

My son (14yrs) is looking forward to having to chop wood as he says it will give him muscles. If they do get a little worried about things I just explain taht life is just going to go back to the way it was before. Our lives will change yes, but it would change in one way or another, no matter what.

I also point out that the most important thing will never change. and that is that no matter what happens, we will always have our family to help us through. Then I make them work their butts off to forget all their concerns.

I think Swiss Family Robinson is a great way to get them thinking and introduce them to a different potential.

[wisconsin_cur]

Anyone still talking to their kids?

[CarlinsDarlin]

My ten year old went out to gather the eggs yesterday. There were already a dozen in the bucket that hadn't been cartoned up yet. Well, he was in a hurry to get back to whatever he wanted to do and being careless, and on the way back to the house he tripped. There are now 8 eggs in the bucket. He broke all the eggs he gathered, and four that were already in there. (I get 2-3 dozen a day.)

We had a long talk then about 1) being careful, and 2) how important food is. I told him right now we can go to the store and get our food. We use what we can of the eggs, and sell the extra. There may come a day when, if he trips and breaks all the eggs we might not get breakfast.

We talk regularly about how, by the time they are adults, my boys will probably not drive cars because gasoline will be too expensive and most people won't be driving everyday. We talk about the importance of taking care of our belongings because it uses more resources to make new ones, and the day may come when we can't buy replacements. We talk regularly about everything that is made from oil.

They're aware, if not fully understanding, of Peak Oil. They'll be less blindsided than a lot of people.
Kathy

[CarlinsDarlin]

Ice on the inside of the bedroom windows

Many mornings I woke to that. Lots and lots of blankets on the bed and a room sooooooooo cold. I used to throw my pajamas on the top of the wood stove at night to get them warm before I put them on... and then RUN! to the bedroom and jump under the covers before they cooled off.

To this day, I still love sleeping in a cold room with lots of blankets

Thanks for that memory
Kathy

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('CarlinsDarlin', 'I')ce on the inside of the bedroom windows

Many mornings I woke to that. Lots and lots of blankets on the bed and a room sooooooooo cold. I used to throw my pajamas on the top of the wood stove at night to get them warm before I put them on... and then RUN! to the bedroom and jump under the covers before they cooled off.

To this day, I still love sleeping in a cold room with lots of blankets

Thanks for that memory
Kathy

[CarlinsDarlin]

My bedroom window faced west or I'd be able to call your curtain blowing

K

[wisconsin_cur]

I would point the readers of this thread to this other thread where someone was asking for the skills that would be necessary for the future. The poster was thinking of things that should be studied in college but the responses range much further afield than that. they are things that need to be taught to children while they are still young and before they already know it all

What other ways are we preparing our children?

I may have mentioned it before but my oldest is learning that sometimes we have to do things that we do not want to do. I tell him sometimes when I go out to weed the garden ,i don't want to weed the garden but sometimes we have to do things that we do not like. Likewise when he responds to a request of mine with "I don't want to!" I remind him that sometimes we have to do things we do not want to.

It is enough to get him to do the job without a power struggle.

He turns 4 this week.

You have to start them young.

[heartandseoul]

My kids are 14, 11 and 9. (Two adopted from S. Korea, one birth child). I have been working on reducing our energy output and discussing PO in general terms with them.

My oldest is on his own mission to replace every lightbulb in our home and barn (we have horses) to energy-efficient bulbs.

As one who is a "newbie" to PO issues, I have learned that my kids tend to find these new goals as challenges to be met with energy and pride.
They are asking more questions and I'm helping them find answers.

[Hermes]

I tell my children that soon I'll be doing work every day that they can do WITH me (farm work, hunting/gathering, working with the land) instead of work that keeps me separate from them.

I tell them we're going to be spending much more time together. That we're going to be eating more healthy food. That we'll be hunting and fishing. That we'll be camping sometimes. That I'll be stressed less about bills and money. That there will be less pollution and noise and dangerous things. That people will be more connected to one another and will hang out together more and talk and play.

I've told them that the world is currently being hurt by lots of people making some very huge mistakes, and that the stuff that they're using to fuel their mistakes is running out.

I've also told them that in a while there won't be movies or cars or airplanes. They're sad about that. I also told them that there will be less people around by the time they're as old as I am ( I chose to NOT go into the gorey die-off stuff... but frankly I think they already get it. ).

In a nutshell, they're really happy and excited about the future.

[turner]

I'm not sure what happens in other countries but in Australia the combination of global warming awareness and the prolonged drought means that kids are now being taught in school about how to use less ff and conserve water. I find that my kids know more about these issues (and practice what they have learnt) than many adults. PO is not discussed but the solutions suggested are also helpful for PO. There is a gradual awareness, and as they get older they also pick up on what your thinking/doing. I think that the pace is about right - they can buy into the idea of mitigation without being completely overwhelmed by doom. Young children are not such an issue but a dramatic introduction to PO at the teenage stage could be quite dangerous. Some already have a dim view of the world even if that is more related to their role in it rather than global concerns. PO could tip some kids over the edge.

Agree with others that if you aren't rural introduce kids to free camping, making/fixing things etc - they love it.

[Mominator]

I just thought of something today. It's just a little thing, but I plan on reading them books like Little House on the Prarie to give them perspective about world possibilities.

[Anjorni]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned the boy/girl scouts.

At least for me, that was the perfect embodyment of 'powering down'. As a city-boy, i had no idea what sleeping outside was like, or hiking for miles on end with 15-20 lbs on your back was like, or making due with whatever unusual food they were putting on your plate, or... I could keep going for hours, but although i'm not near ready for power-down, esp with my kid (and soon that will be plural), I do feel like ive experienced enough to fare much better than most of these ya-hoos in the city. (My wife included).

In any case, I plan on starting the garden and having them pull their fair share, and putting them in scouts will be a great leg-up on the millions that they're eventually going to be competing against. (Sorry, but cant leave the rest of my extended fam to live in the boonies)

[Mack12345]

meh ,

for what little it is worth .. the boy/girl SCOUTS , are about the most moral insittution that is avalible for young girl's/boy's . becase is treats them SEPERATELY .. little BOY , little GIRL = 2 different thinngs .... dont try to treat them as if they were the same organisam .

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hermes', '
')In a nutshell, they're really happy and excited about the future.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Mack12345', 'm')eh ,

for what little it is worth .. the boy/girl SCOUTS , are about the most moral insittution that is avalible for young girl's/boy's . becase is treats them SEPERATELY .. little BOY , little GIRL = 2 different thinngs .... dont try to treat them as if they were the same organisam .

[mercurygirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Mominator', 'I') just thought of something today. It's just a little thing, but I plan on reading them books like Little House on the Prarie to give them perspective about world possibilities.

[mommy22]

Definately Little House books (and the TV series, believe it or not) and also, The Waltons, all have interesting aspects of what PO might look like for families.
As for Girl Scouts, I've been a leader for 5 years now, and as one, every time I meet with my girls, it's about empowering them to be strong women one day. That service is important, and we talk throughout the year about earth resources, protecting the planet in any way we can, and about finances. If you have children, please consider having them join scouts...and volunteer yourself. Because I am PO aware, I feel I have an extra sence of responsibility to the next generation, as we all should. Scouts is a great way to teach kids things they really don't learn in the classroom. Like a serious, ongoing enrichment group.