A couple weeks ago I was invited to talk to some Jr. Naturalists about Nature Journaling. Kids are the best ambassadors into the outdoors if you need one. Most have not learned to fear all of the outdoors (yet) and have an endless bout of curiosity. Many parents don't realize that their own fear of the outdoors will translate to their children. Also, as a parent myself, the endless barrage of questions can be overwhelming. As a parent, sometimes we feel like we have to know the answer.
Guess what, you don't. If you take your child on a walk through the park and you find an interesting bird, you don't have to know the name of the bird. Even if you do, it is much better to pretend you don't and ask the child what do they notice about the bird. Have them draw it or write it down. Then when you get home you can look through a bird identification book, or both look it up on the internet using the child's observations. Kids see so much more than we do and in different ways. When my child won't relent with the why's I always say, "I don't know, what do you think?" It is wonderful to watch her little mind at work. It also shows her that even I, a parent and knower of all knowledge, doesn't actually know everything, and that is OK. It is a big world out there, with lots to learn so get out there and start journaling!
