Appreciating nature

Image by ashley.adcox via Flickr

By Dr James Dobson

When you teach your child about the natural world, you can start in your own backyard. Teaching children to appreciate nature is one of the most enjoyable tasks of parenting. It is also one of the simplest.

Children are naturally curious about the world around them. When you start teaching your own child about nature, I suggest you take a cue from his own curiosity.

If he walks into the house with an earthworm or a frog in his hand, see it as an opportunity.

Our own two-year-old once asked his mother if worms could yawn. She was unprepared for the question.

If you have a backyard, walk around with your child and look under the leaves and rocks to see what you can find.

Even in a small fish tank, you can grow a garden and teach the miracle of plant life from seed to harvest.

It only takes a little effort to kindle in your child a lasting fascination with the natural world.

From TODAY, Voices - Friday, 16-April-2010
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