For this month’s column, the Green Sheikh suggests that giving children a sound, stable, kind upbringing in turn cultivates their relationship to nature.
When we are talking about environmental domains, who among us would not be happy to have his body in natural harmony? This naturalness creates self-esteem and satisfaction and generates in each person ideas that may be useful during more depressing periods. On the other hand, echoes can be seen in a person’s behavior, sometimes making him hostile or lonely, when that body is out of harmony.
Staying healthy
It is possible for children to reach suitable fitness levels with gym lessons or other sport activities, and that is alright. It is also possible to diversify one’s daily routine using various European or Eastern exercises, such as tennis, jogging, shooting and horse riding, according to each person’s will and scholastic ambitions. Diet plays an essential and completing role with sport; therefore constant awareness about healthy eating habits becomes useful for the needs of the body.
Regarding a distinctive variety of healthy meals, canteens at school provide some fruit salads, green salads, sweets made of guaranteed-source milk, good and healthy ingredients for sandwiches, as well as low-calories oils, fresh juices, and yogurts at reasonable prices. It is especially important to support children at school during their gradual growth, and aware of giving them carbonate beverages and chips, only when it is understood that they have grown up and their interests have become more mature.
Feelings can’t be left apart from the student’s education, because when boys and girls are confident and they love themselves, they develop the satisfaction that they will use to interact with the others in public.
Love and Understanding
Parents’ love and understanding of their children travels with them throughout their childhood, giving them the self-esteem they need and a basis for trust. Parents know this is meaningful for their child so that they have self-awareness, follow honest principles, and take care of their responsibilities in various aspects of their lives. And since they spend all morning at school, the role of the institution on the behavior of its students is substantial such that any denial, any carelessness or humiliation, any ostracism, or any use of offensive commentary about others’ scholastic failures affect them in a negative way.
It is suggested to avoid giving direct advice or to embarrass students in front of their colleagues; it is better to use kind words and praise and to clarify points of disagreement that will instill love of the teacher. Furthermore, the aesthetic aspects of life have a significant impact on students’ psychology.
Clean Body, Clean Mind
Commending him/her for having a clean body, clothing, and hair, and handing out school honors for distinguished work, generates enthusiasm so that he/she becomes an example for other students to imitate. It is equally important to follow-up with children who have a weak infrastructure at home, or who struggle with health problems such as obesity, in order to motivate them to overcome their suffering. School builds loyalty within the students, which in turn makes them loving participants of society.
Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan (the former UAE President) said that: “future generations will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world.”
Reconnecting with the Planet
Reconnection with our beautiful planet is not a default process. We need to create educational programs at schools, homes, groups, or through social media that facilitate discovery of the world’s many weird and wonderful creatures, which live with and around us. We need to help our students understand what makes nature tick, how its systems work, what problems it is facing and how we can do our best to fix them.
Feel in love with nature, we are part of this earth ecosystem. Love the planet, look after it, and it will love you back.
This column was translated from Arabic into English by Silvia Gandolfo, a translator and interpreter based in France. She can be reached at silviagandolfo [at] hotmail [dot] it.
More Green Sheikh Columns:
The Green Sheikh on Ramadan: Waste 2 Food or Food 2 Waste?
As-salam`alaykum, peace be with you Green Sheikh, great to hear your wonderful advice. I’m hoping our teachers are reading this as it is on-point to all educators too.
Peace & eco-jihad.