My Fuzzy Tarantula: Stories from a Sustainable Mom

When I was 20 I walked outside with my 2 year old niece. She screamed and ran back inside. Shocked I stood there looking into the empty street wondering what she saw that was so frightening. It turned out to be a bee. She learned from her mom who doesn't like bees.

This stuck in my head and I filed it away only to be pulled out over ten years later under the file ‘I don’t want my girls to be petrified of bees (or other insects).’

When my girls were one and three we would have scavenger hunts, looking for plastic insects (yes, plastic) I would hide around the yard - bees, ants, butterflies, spiders, etc. We would finding real ones too. I would put rolly pollys (sow bugs), worms, lightning bugs, whatever I could catch, in my hands for them to see, touch, and maybe hold too. I love nature and wildlife and I wanted my kids to appreciate nature too.

Bella holding a tarantula at the Field Museum

We played the scavenger hunt at least once a week. The following spring I took my family, including my 9 year old niece to Members Night at the Field Museum in Chicago. I always like the insect room because the beetle collection is as beautiful as it is diverse.

We walked in and the first part is live bugs. Among them there was a tarantula and Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I wanted my niece to touch the tarantula. I knew I had to do it first so she would feel it was no big deal. It worked. (Aunt pressure can be as persuasive as peer pressure).

When we moved up a bit I turned around and there was my preschooler (with her father), trying to snuggle with the ‘fuzzy’ tarantula, almost rubbing her face on it. Well, mission accomplished! I will never forget that night (even though I forgot the camera) because my little preschool girl did not see that big hairy tarantula as a scary monster. A few years later and I got a picture of her holding one.

The point is, if you want your kids to do something, sustainable or otherwise, it is best learned through modeling.

You can find more anecdotes and information on raising a sustainable child in Alexandra Gnoske's upcoming book: 'How to Raise a Sustainable Child' coming out soon.