As the planet continues to warm and weather patterns become ever more unpredictable, families everywhere face a daunting question: how do we bring up children in the midst of a climate emergency without surrendering to anxiety? In a ground‑breaking conversation between host Tiyana J and climate journalist‑parent Bridget Shirvell on the Changemaker Q & A podcast (produced by the School of Social Impact), the focus is squarely on parenting in this era of upheaval — and on how we can shift from dread to determined, generational change.
From Food Systems to Parenthood: A Personal Journey
Shirvell’s pathway into climate‑conscious parenting began in her childhood coastal town in New England, where she was immersed in the rhythms of the local fishing industry. That early proximity to food, nature and livelihoods disconnected from big‑industry abstractions led her into food‑systems journalism, and eventually to writing about climate, environment and then — inevitably — what it means to raise a child in a time of global change.
When she became a mother, Shirvell says she confronted one of the most existential of questions: “What kind of world am I bringing this kid into?” Rather than letting that fear become paralysis, she reframed it. To not have a child because of the climate crisis, she realised, would be a form of giving up — and also presumptuous, given the unpredictable nature of the future. She chose instead to focus on what she can influence: how a child is raised, the values they inherit, the hope they carry.
Parenting in the Climate Crisis: A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action
Shirvell’s new book, Parenting in a Climate Crisis: A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action, offers both a compass and a toolkit for parents navigating these waters. The handbook draws on scientists, child‑psychologists, environmental activists and other parents, to move beyond alarm to agency.
She emphasises three interlocking themes:
- Feel: Acknowledging eco‑anxiety and grief without allowing these emotions to freeze us.
- Love: Cultivating a child’s curiosity, connection with nature and sense of agency.
- Build & Act: Embedding sustainable habits at home and empowering children to engage with community, activism and shared purpose.
In her conversation with Tiyana J, Shirvell explains that she doesn’t hide the reality of the climate crisis from her six‑year‑old daughter. Rather, she frames it in age‑appropriate honesty: yes, things are hard — but yes, we are doing something about it. She models how to pick up litter, how to ask questions about why cars pollute more than others, how to surface solutions. “I don’t know if all the animals are safe … but I can show you people who are rescuing dogs and cats in the fires” is one example she gives.
Why This Matters — For Families & Society
Research now shows that children are not only aware of climate change, but they’re emotionally affected by it. According to a recent expert‐dialogue publication from Australia, children and young people are experiencing climate anxiety and reduced feelings of agency — especially when communities discuss climate only in doom‑laden terms.
Moreover, poverty and inequality intersect with climate vulnerability: a UN‑linked report notes children in poorer households face disproportionate risks from extreme climate events.
What Shirvell’s work does is offer a pathway out of passivity for parents — and in doing so, indirectly, for children and communities. It reframes parenting in the climate crisis not as an act of despair but as one of hope and action.
A Call to Action — For Parents, Educators and Social Impact Makers
As you listen to the podcast episode of Changemaker Q & A and reflect on your own parenting, caregiving or mentoring context, here are some questions to consider:
- What one small sustainable habit can your family pick this month — just one?
- How can you translate climate concern into everyday conversations with children: “Why do we turn off lights?” “Who makes the toys we buy?”
- How can you use your voice — with neighbours, in the school community, with friends — to normalise climate‑conscious parenting choices?
- How can you encourage children’s curiosity (the essential “skill” Shirvell emphasises) so that they become problem‑seekers rather than passive inheritors of the crisis?
- If you don’t have children, what role can you play in supporting young people or families in your life who do? Shirvell reminds us that this is a shared enterprise across generations.
Parenting in a climate‑shifting world is unquestionably harder than before. The stakes feel high, the unknowns many. Yet as Bridget Shirvell and Tiyana J’s conversation reminds us, the work need not be grounded in perfection or paralyzing fear. It can instead be rooted in curiosity, small steps, community and purpose. In that way, families of all shapes may not only survive this era — they may help guide the next generation into it with resilience, agency and hope.
