As Bryan and I have been working on Playful Planet over the past few years, we have been going on instinct that the earlier you begin to infuse messages about the environment and treating it with respect, the more likely you will raise conscious beings that will naturally tend toward conservation and sustainability.

One of my favorite stories that confirmed this for us came last June while Bryan was filming in Australia on Dog Whisperer (the 'day job.')  He noticed as he walked through the streets and by the water's edge that the ground was pristinely clean.  No rogue wrappers, no pesky plastic bottles.  He asked one of the local crew members about this 'phenomenon.'  "How is is that your streets are so clean?"  She replied, "It's simple. We are taught from an early age - preschool age - that when we throw trash on the ground, it ends up in the water and damages the marine life.  Since we, as a people, are so very connected to our oceans and the life within it, keeping our streets clean is the obvious choice."

Of course I know that studies have shown that whatever materials you present a child with at an early age make lasting impressions, but I was happy to find that studies have been done to test specifically for "raising consciousness about the environment." Susan D. Witt and Katherine P. Kimple conducted a study in 2008 titled "How Does Your Garden Grow," that states: "Young children are particularly receptive to learning new concepts; thus the preschool years are an ideal time to teach lessons about the environment."

As I walk through these precious days with Lily having an open mind and open heart, I am glad for little reminders like the painted sidewalks that we passed last week while taking a walk.  It gives the perfect opportunity to talk about why we should be so careful not to litter and other ideas about healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

Stay Playful,

Karen