Bridget Shirvell is a journalist and author based in Mystic, Connecticut. She is the author of Parenting in a Climate Crisis: A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action, a guide for parents navigating the challenges of raising children in an era of climate uncertainty. Her work, which focuses on the environment, food systems, and parenting, has been featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, and more. In her book, she draws on insights from climate scientists, activists, child psychologists, and parents to help families foster hope and action in the face of the climate crisis.
Food Policy Center: What inspired you to write Parenting in a Climate Crisis?
Bridget Shirvell: My writing background is in food systems reporting, so I was already enmeshed in environmental issues when my child was born in 2018. After the birth of my child, though, my reporting interests began to focus on the environmental choices parents face every day. Really thinking about, okay, the world is on fire, so how do I parent? In 2018, I wrote an article for Good Housekeeping magazine on the idea of whether I can climate-proof my child. At the time, I was thinking a lot about survivalist skills—does she need to know how to grow her own food, how to can, how to sew—but I kept coming back to the idea of resilience and what it means to be climate resilient. That became the jumping-off point for the book.
Food Policy Center: Can you summarize the key message of the book for our readers?
Bridget Shirvell: Hope. The book is a guide to parenting ethically and responsibly in a time of climate grief; it provides (I hope) both support for parents trying to live in ecologically sound ways and guidance about how to answer their children’s questions about what is happening to our planet.
Food Policy Center: How do you see the relationship between environmental issues and parenting today?
Bridget Shirvell: I think it’s impossible to separate the two. Many parents, understandably, are very emotional about the world their kids will inherit, and we’re also seeing more and more instances of extreme weather fueled by climate change impacting daily lives.
Food Policy Center: How can parents create a sense of hope and empowerment for their children in the face of climate change?
Bridget Shirvell: Spend time outside. Really, whenever I’m feeling down about the state of the world, I find that even taking a short walk fills me with joy and makes me forget, at least briefly, my worries. Besides that, though, with younger kids I think simple things like explaining why you do certain things, such as turning off the lights, or using reusable water bottles, are helping to show them what they have agency over. With older kids, really following their lead and interests and encouraging them to find solutions they can implement, such as organizing a beach clean-up, or helping to put on an environmental fair, or making a change at their school, such as setting up composting. Finally, it’s also important to showcase what other people are doing, including kids. I think knowing that so many people are working on different solutions is empowering and hopeful.
Food Policy Center: What do you think is the biggest challenge parents face when it comes to discussing climate change with their children?
Bridget Shirvell: Starting. A lot of what I’ve heard from parents is that they are afraid to talk to their kids about climate change. They don’t know how to bring it up. They’re worried they don’t have all the answers or know all the right terms; they’re worried about scaring their kids. I hope that through the book, parents get some practical tips for talking to their kids about climate change and also realize it’s not a one-and-done big sit-down conversation. It’s an ongoing discussion that can happen in everyday moments that aren’t always serious, even if the topic is.
Food Policy Center: In your book, you emphasize resilience. How can parents cultivate resilience in their children while managing their own anxieties about the climate crisis?
Bridget Shirvell: It’s such a delicate balance. I don’t think parents need to hide their own emotions concerning the climate crisis, but, like anything, I think you have to share what’s age-appropriate with your child in terms they understand. So, for instance, after the LA wildfires, I told my child that the fires made me both sad for the people who lived there and also angry that they happened in the first place. But then I focused a lot on the things we can control and what we are doing in our own lives to help the planet. Resilience is all about flexibility, adaptability, and curiosity. When something goes wrong, even everyday problems like burning dinner and then needing to come up with something else, or rain on a day we had planned to spend outside, I try to model that while it’s okay to be upset, I’m also going to problem-solve and find a solution. Practicing that on a smaller scale is one way to know you’re capable when something bigger comes up.
Food Policy Center: You discuss the concept of “eco-anxiety”—how can parents help their children cope with these feelings?
Bridget Shirvell: I think this is a particular concern with older kids who are more aware of the problems the planet is facing. Checking in, in whatever way works best for your child, and really keeping lines of communication open, is one way to start. Then it’s really acknowledging how they’re feeling and asking what they want to do about those feelings while modeling how you deal with your own eco-anxiety effectively. For me, it’s spending time outside, but I’m sure other people have lots of different coping methods.
Food Policy Center: What practical steps can parents take to raise children who are environmentally conscious, and how can they make sustainability a natural part of their daily lives?
Bridget Shirvell: Start small. Figure out what you gravitate towards. Maybe, for instance, your family is really into food. What small changes can you make in your meals? Maybe it’s to eat more plant-based foods or reduce your food waste. Pick one thing to start, talk about why you’re doing it, but just make it a part of your everyday life. Then you can add in another action, and it all slowly builds. For instance, my child has grown up separating waste into trash, compost, and recycling. It’s second nature to her.
Food Policy Center: How do you advise parents to navigate the tension between instilling a sense of urgency about climate change while also protecting their children from being overwhelmed or fearful?
Bridget Shirvell: There are lots of different options, and some of it is going to depend on your particular child. I generally don’t hide anything from my kid, but I talk to her about things in age-appropriate ways she understands. I am also big on forgiving ourselves. Some days my kid will say, “Oh, we weren’t really good friends to the Earth today.” We were perhaps out and wanted a drink, and ended up with coffee and lemonade in plastic cups. And I’ll say, “Yes, that wasn’t great, but it was our only option, and there are lots of other things we did today that were good for the planet. Maybe next time we’re out we’ll remember to bring our own cups.” I’m happy that she’s thinking about the choices we’re making and understands the values of sustainability, even if we don’t get it right all the time.
Food Policy Center: How can parents strike a balance between raising awareness of climate change and focusing on solutions, rather than just emphasizing the problems?
Bridget Shirvell: Talk about what you’re doing–why you’re eating certain foods, or why you are not buying plastic toys, or whatever it is you’re doing and why that matters. Then, really showcase what other people are doing. There are so many people and organizations working on solutions. My kid is at an age when she loves stuffed animals. So I found a British company online that gives old stuffed animals a new life. They have an Instagram page and videos, so I show her that and we talk about how it’s a climate solution. I bet if you look, there is someone doing something to make the planet better in a way that corresponds to whatever your kids’ interests are at the moment.
Food Policy Center: How can parents help their children understand that they are part of a larger global community working toward solutions to climate challenges?
Bridget Shirvell: This is something I think parents can really build on as their children age. It can start really young by showing how we’re interconnected, how our actions affect other people, and the world around us. Then, as they get older, it’s expanding on those concepts, like how composting is a small part of reducing our household’s environmental impact, but more and more people doing that around the world have a bigger impact. And then going back to what I said earlier, I think really showcasing others who are working towards solutions.
Food Policy Center: In your book, you highlight the fact that climate change disproportionately affects certain communities. How can parents talk to their children about social justice about the climate crisis?
Bridget Shirvell: With my child, who is still quite young, I try to talk in really practical terms about why we do certain things, and why it’s okay that not everyone does. For instance, we have an electric vehicle, and I bought an EV because we live in a place where we need a car, and the EV was the most environmentally friendly option we could afford. But right now, not everyone can afford an EV, and that’s okay. We make the best choice we can based on our needs and abilities to support the planet, other people, and animals. We also talk about that when we’re buying anything. She’s started to get into shoes (always wants a new pair), so I’ve started talking about the fact that what we buy and how we get it affects other people. This is, I hope, laying the groundwork for bigger conversations about social and economic injustice as she gets older, but also really just making it second nature for her to think about everyday actions in terms of how they affect the larger system.
Food Policy Center: What role do you believe educational institutions should play in supporting parents and children navigating the climate crisis?
Bridget Shirvell: Educational institutions are critical for so many reasons. They can help nurture children’s resilience by fostering problem-solving, curiosity, and emotional learning. They also can, and this is very individual, school-dependent, teach their students about climate change and climate literacy. One of the most important things they can do, though, is create a community for both kids and parents, and then it’s sort of up to all of us to take advantage of that community. I’ve met people through my kid’s school that I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise, and I talk about climate change all the time. It’s probably annoying, but I also see it as something I can do as an individual, and being part of the school community just gives me another audience for it.
Food Policy Center: Looking ahead, what kind of world do you hope children growing up today will be able to inherit, and how can parents contribute to creating that world?
Bridget Shirvell: I hope our kids inherit a more just, sustainable world where environmental consciousness is second nature. I think that, as parents, we can contribute to creating that world by instilling environmental values in our kids and advocating through our votes and what we buy (or don’t).
Finally, what would be your top three pieces of advice for parents who feel overwhelmed by the climate crisis and unsure where to start making a difference?
Pick something you can do in your everyday life and just start doing it. Don’t worry about getting it right all the time. Talk to other parents (and your elected officials) about how you feel about the climate crisis.
FAST FACTS
Grew up in: Mystic, Connecticut
City or town you call home: Mystic, Connecticut
Job title: Writer
Background and education: Bridget Shirvell is a Mystic, Connecticut-based journalist and author of Parenting in a Climate Crisis: A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action. Her work on the environment, food systems, and parenting has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, and many other publications. She has a B.S. in political science from George Washington University and a master’s degree in communications from Quinnipiac University. Bridget also writes at raisingclimateresilientkids.substack.com
One word you would use to describe our food system: hard
Food policy hero: Bri Warner of Atlantic Sea Farms
Your breakfast this morning: A soft-boiled egg mashed up with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and salt on a slice of sourdough bread. It’s my go-to quick, yet feels indulgent weekday breakfast.
Favorite food: Changes frequently, but if I had to pick, chocolate chip cookies made at home with my kid.
Favorite food hangout: The Velvet Mill in Stonington Borough – it’s got a great collection of restaurants, shops, and artist studios, and is home to a farmers market every Saturday.
Food policy social media must follow: FoodPrint
