While we were stopped at a traffic light, my older grandson noticed a spider on the windshield.
Both boys got excited on seeing a spider. I told my grandsons, that spider is harmless. They looked at me like I am an arachnologist. They asked me, "how do I know it is harmless?". I told them, that when I was at their age, my friends and I would go inside some bushes somewhere, and catch spiders. We would keep them in matchboxes. Later we would put them in another bigger box with another spider to see them fight to the death. Note: Children, DO NOT do this. It is cruel and wrong.
If you have children growing up in the urban areas, you will noticed, our children are not so exposed to seeing bugs and even some plants.
We live in a hygienic, sanitary, antiseptic sterile world. More so, since the COVID19 epidemic of 2020. We still have sanitizers here and there for people to use. We then wondered how our kids get sick easily.
My 8 yo grandson has a slight advantage to his older cousin. My 8 yo grandson's father (my second son), works for a social enterprise that promotes sustainable organic gardening and farming. He does a lot of work with Yayasans of organizations to teach organizations and school children. At his workplace, they have a garden. My son, regularly takes his son there. To my 8 yo grandson, getting his hands dirty with dirt, picking fruits from the trees is as natural of other kids going to the fridge. He is not afraid to go to our backyard and rummage through back there, and picking the mulberries.
Lesson here is, sometimes, in our effort to be great parents, and protecting them from harm, that we should, unfortunately, we may be doing the opposite.
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