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The Challenge and Beauty of Being an Activist Mom

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 12 Comments

Photo: Photo of a husband and wife dressed in winter clothes hugging with the wife holding a Forward on Climate sign; Text: "The Challenges and Beauty of Being an Activist Mom / We'll Eat You Up, We Love You So"

Standing on the National Mall in the  February cold, I stomped my feet and tried to ignore how sore my lower back felt. Watching the stage, I strained to listen to the speakers, from Silicon Valley billionaires to Native American activists. I was at one of the biggest climate change protests ever, focused on defeating the Keystone XL oil pipeline. While it attracted 12,000 people, it’s unlikely that many were in the same situation as I was: five months pregnant.

Despite the cold and a serious lack of bathrooms, I marched in hopes of shifting the tide against climate change. Now, with the election of Donald Trump for president and the Republican domination of Congress, I find it more important than ever before to be an activist mom.

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Guest Post: How to Raise Kids Who Value Biking and Walking

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / Leave a comment

Bicyclists on a triple bicycle in the Tour de Cookie

Among the many skills I want to pass on to my kids, getting around on their own power is actually pretty far up there. Biking and walking places provides exercise, helps get kids outside (with all of the associated benefits!), and provides them a level of independence that they won’t be able to get any other way.

That’s why I’m thrilled that I have a guest post up at Parent.co on teaching kids to value  bicycling and walking.

Here’s the first two paragraphs:

“In my day, we walked a mile uphill both ways in the snow” is the ultimate cliche for cranky parents to compare themselves to kids these days. But walking and biking have huge benefits beyond the ability to complain later on.

Active transportation establishes lifelong healthy habits for life, builds relationships with neighbors, minimizes greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, and increases kids’ independence. While our society advertises a minivan as the ultimate family vehicle, it is actually possible to shift trips away from the car.

Read the rest at Parent.co!

Fantastic Ways to Teach Kids How to Serve Others at Christmas

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 4 Comments

Want your kids to focus less on “stuff” and more on people? Try these six ways to serve others at Christmas with them!

“Did they have a home?” my three-year-old asked as I finished telling him the Christmas story.

“Yes, they had a home,” I said, skipping the whole “escaping into Egypt” bit. While his question surprised me, it wasn’t out of nowhere. We’ve been talking about how not everyone has the same privileges we do, including homes.

Cartoon of a Christmas tree

These discussions are important all year round, but I find them especially important at the holidays. It’s easy for kids to get wrapped up in the Christmas’s surface-level magic, from twinkling lights to presents. Instead, as both a Christian and someone who’s concerned with our society’s inequality, I want to teach my kids how to serve others during Christmas.

Here are some ways to turn away from consumerism and towards serving others at Christmas:

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How Parents Can Help Love Trump Hate

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 5 Comments

how-parents-can-help-love-trump-hate

The election of Donald Trump for president has unearthed a whole spectrum of reactions. While some people are triumphant, many of us are frustrated, sad, angry, and exhausted – including me. Trump’s future policies are likely to be disastrous for climate justice, immigrants, people of color, LBGT people, religious minorities, poor people, and disabled people. Even though Trump hasn’t taken office yet, there have been numerous reports of people emboldened by his rhetoric who are targeting and harassing vulnerable people.

But as Valarie Kaur wrote after the Charleston shooting, “Today we mourn, tomorrow we organize.” Now, it’s metaphorically, if not literally, tomorrow. It’s time to pick ourselves up and take action.

While it can be very hard to find time, energy and money to spare as a parent, here are some constructive things that we can do in response:

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Apple Picking, Hay Bales and Llamas at Homestead Farm

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / Leave a comment

Photo: Rows of apple trees at Homestead Farm; text: "Apple Picking, Hay Bales, and Llamas at Homestead Farm; We'll Eat You Up, We Love You So"

As a native upstate New Yorker, apple picking runs in my blood. In my fourth grade class, not just one, but two of my classmates’  families owned apple orchards. While the picking – and especially the cider – isn’t as good in Maryland as New York, it’s still one of my favorite fall traditions. So for the final day of the Outdoors Family Challenge, focusing on “local food,” I wanted to pick apples at Homestead Farm. Even though my anxiety got the best of me on the way there, the crunch of apples, a friendly llama, and Sprout’s enthusiasm lifted my spirits by the time we finished.

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Outdoors Family Challenge: Day 7 – Eat local!

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 2 Comments

outdoors-family-challenge-day-7-prompt

Welcome to Day 7 of the Outdoors Family Challenge! This is a seven day challenge to help get you and your kids outside, living more sustainably, and connecting more with nature and each other. You can read about our experience yesterday or check out the archived prompts on the Outdoors Family Challenge page. If you would like updates each morning with the activities, sign up for the email list or like my Facebook page.

 

Visit a farmers market, farm stand, local farm or pick-your-own.

One of our biggest but most overlooked connections to nature is our food. More than any other industry, agriculture is intimately connected to natural cycles, influenced by the weather and ecosystems. Unfortunately, most people are quite disconnected from what ends up on their plate. But with the growth of interest in local and regional agriculture, it’s the easiest it’s been in decades to connect with where your food comes from, even if you live in a city.

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Outdoors Family Challenge: Day 2 Experience

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 6 Comments
spiderweb-on-bush

“We talked about how it was different from the spiderweb at the house.” (The one outside our kitchen window.)

My husband took on the Outdoors Family Challenge responsibilities today! (For instructions on today’s prompt, check out Day 2 – Walking and Biking to a Destination.) I have a long commute and often don’t get home until 6:30, so I knew it would be hard to walk anywhere further than the park (which is literally across the street) before dinner.

Chris decided to walk to our downtown area with the kids, which at a mile away, is fairly ambitious. Here’s what they saw, with quotes from my husband:

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Join the Outdoors Family Challenge!

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 6 Comments

the-outdoors-family-challenge-3

Do you want to get outside more with your family? Do you want to connect more with nature, your neighbors, and your kids? Then my Outdoors Family Challenge is for you!

Each morning from September 19-25, I’ll be posting one challenge action you can do with your kids. You can sign up for an email series, follow me on Facebook, or check the blog each morning to get prompts.

After you’ve done the activity, I encourage you to post about your experience on your social media using the hashtag #outdoorsfamilychallenge. At the end of the week, I’ll pick a random participant to recieve a copy of the book Vitamin N.

In the evening, I’ll share our family’s experience on the blog and Facebook. In addition, three more bloggers will be joining me in the fun: Jen Mendez at PERMIE KIDs,  Sandi Schwartz at Happy Science Mom, and Aditi Wardhan Singh at Silver Linings (who will be doing it later). This is also part of the Children and Nature Network’s Vitamin N Challenge to encourage kids to get outside more.

I hope  that you’ll join us for the Outdoors Family Challenge!

How to Start Composting with Your Family

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 12 Comments

How to Start Composting with Your Family (Photo: Tumbling composter)

Sometimes, I question the decision to teach my four-year-old how to compost. Like when he spent 10 minutes today ripping up a tiny piece of newspaper to add to it. Or touched the composter after I turned it and it was dripping with decomposing goo. Thankfully, he didn’t put his hands in his mouth. At least not this time.

Despite the gross moments, composting with kids is worth it. As a way to reduce waste and save money, it’s a worthwhile skill in and of itself. It’s also a pathway into so many other lessons in ecology, food waste, and biological cycles.

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In Defense of Adults Playing PokemonGo

/ Shannon Brescher Shea / 1 Comment

In Defense of Adults who Play PokemonGo.jpg

Some people just hate fun. At least that’s the impression I get from all of the “I have better things to do than Pokemon” posts on social media. But these people are far sillier than the game they’re making fun of.

Play is a fundamental part of human life. It’s the most important for children, who are seriously suffering from a decline in the hours spent in play over the last few decades. But it’s essential for adults as well. In The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin reports that people who make time to have fun are 20 times happier than those who don’t. Play sparks creativity, provides relaxation, and perhaps most importantly, brings joy.

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