With the effects of climate change increasingly apparent — from melting glaciers and record heat waves to floods and wildfires — many young people today are concerned about climate change.
A 2021 survey of 10,000 young people ages 16-25 in 10 countries found that 84% were at least moderately worried about climate change, and 68% reported feeling sad and anxious about it. Numerous studies have indicated that younger children and adolescents are also experiencing climate anxiety.
So how can parents help their children cope? Opening up a conversation is the first step, experts say.
Talking with your kids about climate change is a key to preparing them for the future and also helping them manage their anxiety, says Harriet Shugarman, executive director of the education and advocacy group ClimateMama and author of “How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change.”
“To not provide that information to young people, it is truly a disservice,” Shugarman says.
What Kids Learn About Climate Change in School
Schools may cover climate change very differently — or not at all — depending on the state. According to a 2020 report by the Aspen Institute, K-12 science standards in 29 states and D.C. require teaching about human-caused climate change. Fifteen other states mention climate change in their standards but not that it is largely human-caused, as is the scientific consensus. Five states include climate change only in standards for science classes that are optional, not required.
[READ: What to Know About STEM Public High Schools.]
In 2022, New Jersey became the first state to require students in all grades to learn about climate change. But generally, how schools teach about the science and social-emotional impact of climate change varies greatly depending on the grade and location. The result is that many kids may have little or no exposure to climate change education until high school, if at all.
For parents, it may be a difficult topic to broach: A 2022 survey commissioned by This is Planet Ed, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, and Capita, a think tank, found that while nearly 8 out of 10 respondents agreed that climate change is a “very” or “somewhat serious” problem, only about half of parents with children under 18 (49%) said they have talked with their kids about it.
But overcoming this hesitancy is important, some say. Maggie Handelman, a 10th grader at LaGuardia High School in New York City and a member of the Climate and Resilience Education Task Force‘s Youth Steering Committee, says that when schools and families avoid the conversation, they leave young people “not equipped to handle it, and it just makes everything 10 times more terrifying.”
[READ: Managing High School Stress]
Tips for Talking With Your Kids About Climate Change
Experts suggest keeping several considerations in mind.
Educate and Care for Yourself First
Parents do not need to be experts on climate science to explore the topic with their children. But educating yourself on the basics is “a critical first step in being able to talk,” says Shugarman.
In addition, Elizabeth Bechard, senior policy analyst at the advocacy group Moms Clean Air Force, suggests parents and caregivers start by seeking emotional support for their own climate anxiety or feelings of grief.
“We often give parents advice or have expectations of how parents should be handling these really difficult conversations with little to no support,” Bechard explains, and that can have unintended negative consequences for young people.
Whether talking with trusted friends, a support group or a mental health professional, attending to one’s own climate anxiety is a vital first step, according to Bechard.
“Parents need to think about how they’re going to support themselves before they go into these topics, both because parents deserve that support, but also because no parent wants to dump their emotional baggage onto their kid.”
Listen to Kids’ Concerns
Conversations about climate change should begin by asking young people to share what they know about climate change, including anything they’re worried about.
Vivian Wanjing, another member of the YSC in 12th grade at John Dewey High School in New York City, says she sometimes feels ignored by adults. It’s frustrating, Wanjing explains, “when you’re kid, when you want to talk about the issue and your parents (say), ‘Oh, yeah, you know it’s urgent, but what can I do?’ You know they are not really listening to their kid about it.”
Adult experts echoed Wanjing’s concerns. “When our children tell us they’re angry, they’re scared, they’re worried, they’re afraid, don’t ignore it. Don’t try to make it all better for them,” Shugarman says.
[READ: Understanding School-Based Mental Health Services.]
Be Age-Appropriate but Honest
Laura Schifter, a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute who leads This is Planet Ed, relies on a framework developed by the group Science Moms that suggests four points to guide your conversation: “Climate change is real, climate change is us, climate change is happening now to people, and it’s solvable.”
The details of that conversation will look different depending on the developmental phase of each child, but Schifter says kids can understand the facts of climate change. Her daughter, who is 9, learned about climate change at school through a kid-friendly analogy, comparing Earth’s atmosphere to a heat-trapping blanket. Emitting greenhouse gases is like changing from a light blanket to a heavy down comforter which makes the planet hotter.
Analogies like this can help make a complex concept like climate change accessible for any age, she says.
Focus on How to Take Action
Experts say that climate change conversations can and should feel empowering. But they should avoid inspiring cliches and focus on collective action.
Research has found that acting collectively, rather than individually, to address climate change can lead to more tangible effects and help combat climate-related anxiety and depression.
When talking about action with young people, look for ways to make an impact that’s both systemic and relatable.
“One of the important things to emphasize is that it will take us as individuals and us as systems to make a difference in solving this,” Schifter says. For instance, she says, she might say to her daughter: “It’s great that we have an electric car, but all your school buses are running on diesel. How could we make changes to the broader community to balance this individual and community action that’s necessary?”
By having direct yet hopeful conversations with young people, parents and caregivers can help them feel supported and empowered.
Additional Resources
Moms Clean Air Force offers a number of resources on its website, including this list of articles, podcasts and other media with advice on “navigating climate and environmental distress.”
Social Justice Books, a project of the education nonprofit Teaching for Change, suggests “Books for Talking About the Environment and Climate Justice,” with titles for all ages.
Schifter recommends this TED talk by Katharine Hayhoe of Science Moms, explaining why climate change conversations are essential and how to have them effectively.
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How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change originally appeared on usnews.com
