What Kids Aren't Telling You About Their Climate-Change Feelings

Melissa Fortenberry’s three kids have always thrived playing outdoor sports around their Austin, Texas homebase. But recently, oppressive temperatures have made enjoying outdoor activities tougher. “My kids have gotten sick from the heat after practice,” she says. “That’s real to them, so I don’t minimize climate change, or pretend it’s not happening.”

Melissa’s son Sam, 16, admits he finds climate change pretty scary. “I know that kids have died playing sports in the heat,” he says. “I’ve had games moved because it's too hot. Climate change is not some future problem—it’s happening now.”

Sam’s concern is legitimate—and he’s far from alone. A new study review from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia found that most young people up to age 19 experience a full range of eco-emotions, including fear, anger, paralysis, and grief, among others. This aligns with some other pretty dramatic trends: a 2025 report from Greenpeace found that 78% of elementary school-aged children have eco-anxiety, and a multi-national study from researchers in the US, Canada, Germany and the UK found that 85% of 16- to 25-year-olds across all US states report worry about climate change, with almost 39% stating their concern negatively impacts their daily lives.

While lots of kids are worried, many are hesitant to talk about their concerns. This can actually compound the problem; if your child is not expressing their emotions, those bottled-up worries can magnify, and make them feel even less hopeful about the future of the planet, along with their own goals and dreams.

As a parent, it’s key to understand your child’s feelings about climate change, whether those feelings encompass melancholy, anxiety, or depression. When you understand exactly what your child feels, you can help them channel emotion into action. “A large majority of current research on eco-emotions is focused on eco-anxiety—however, different eco-emotions may have unique impacts to well-being and behavior,” says Judy Wu, MPH, co-author of the Simon Fraser study and PhD candidate in the faculty of health and sciences at the university. “For instance, research on adults suggests that people who experience eco-anger may be more likely to engage in pro-environmental actions and report better well-being than those experiencing eco-anxiety or eco-depression. Consequently, greater understanding of the range of youth eco-emotions may also help in the development of healthy and effective coping methods for those who are most psychologically impacted.”

After learning how kids and teens feel about climate change, adults are better able to understand their concerns, alleviate their worries, and take positive action to work on solutions where they can make a real difference.

The Simon Fraser study found that kids and teens worry about the length of their lifespans due to climate change. Kids also said they feel grief for the loss of animals and species due to climate change, and some feel guilty when they eat meat. They told the researchers that they feel powerless over what they can do as a whole to combat climate change, and expressed anger at systems and corporations that they see as contributing to the problem. In the study, many teen girls in particular reported that they may not want to have children because of climate change.

There’s nothing wrong about feeling this way. “Climate change is a real threat to all children and families,” says Elizabeth Pinsky, MD, a pediatrician and child psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, associate director for advocacy at the MGH Center for Environment and Health, and co-chair of the Mass General Brigham Climate Mental Health Initiative. “Worrying about it is normal—in fact, it’s healthy. In general, parents should be reliable sources of information for their kids about difficult topics, and that includes climate change. For this reason, I encourage parents to talk openly about climate change whether their child is having negative emotions or not. Kids almost always know more than we think they do, and big worries are always harder when you think you’re alone with them.”

Kids may also take eco-anxiety to the extreme, and worry that the world could end soon. “This kind of catastrophic thinking is actually a normal fear response, and it deserves to be taken seriously rather than dismissed,” says Leslie Davenport, MS, a climate psychology educator and author through the American Psychological Association. “Don’t rush to fix the feeling: allow time for your child to express themselves, and voice questions they may have.”

The Simon Fraser study reports that many young people are afraid to talk about these feelings because their ideas wouldn’t be taken seriously by adults in their communities.

Instead, their fears come out in other ways. “Children often signal eco-anxiety indirectly, through mood changes, reluctance to talk about the future, or avoidance of news and climate-related topics,” Davenport says. “They sometimes show their distress through stomachaches, for example.”

In this regard, it’s up to adults to get the conversation rolling. “A good way to open the door is through shared experience, rather than direct questioning,” she says. “You can watch an age-appropriate nature documentary together or visit an aquarium or nature center, and let those shared moments start a conversation. Should your child not be ready to open up, don’t push it, and give them time.”

If your family lives in an environment that’s directly affected by climate change, that can make kids feel like they need to be “brave”—and maybe even less communicative. Before trying to draw their feelings out, it’s important to do what you can to make them feel physically safe.

“When your family is living inside climate disruption—whether smoke seasons, flooding, or extreme heat—involve your kids in family preparedness,” Davenport says. “You can all make an emergency kit, or learn together what to do when air quality is bad. Framing these things as problem-solving activities rather than crisis responses builds a child’s resilience.”

Addressing the issue directly is important, but you want to choose the right place and time. “Talk about your child’s feelings during a relaxed activity, like going on a walk or driving in the car,” says Lise Van Susteren, MD, a general and forensic psychiatrist in Washington, DC, clinical associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and an expert on the psychological effects of climate health. “You can walk or sit side by side, not directly looking at each other, which can make conversation easier for your child.”

Start by asking what your child knows about climate change first. “You might say, ‘You asked me if it’s hot today because of climate change. Did you hear something about that? What do you know?’” Dr. Pinsky says. “Once you’ve opened a dialogue, the key is to be honest—even if it’s hard—and age-appropriate.”

That’s an important point: You shouldn’t hesitate to discuss climate change with even young children. “For younger kids, answer questions simply and directly, and let your child take the lead on how much detail to give,” Dr. Pinsky says. “Validate your child’s worries without minimizing them, and be curious. This might sound something like, ‘You’re right, climate change is a big problem. I understand it can be scary. Tell me more about what worries you.’” It’s also key to let your child speak without jumping in to fix things immediately.

Also, be careful with how you talk about your own feelings about climate change, so you don’t overwhelm your child. “Sharing your feelings with your child is different from processing your feelings through your child,” Davenport says. “What you want to avoid is expressing fear or despair in a way that leaves your child feeling like they need to comfort or reassure you. With your child, the goal is to show that big feelings are normal and survivable.”

If your child’s worry continues, seek help. “Rarely, worry about climate change can get in the way of sleep or enjoying activities, or impact a child’s ability to function at home or at school,” Pinsky says. “In that case, your child may need an assessment with a mental health professional.”

The Simon Fraser study pointed out a true bright spot: Kids reported that they do have hope that things could turn around, and that the right actions could diminish the negative effects of climate change. Suggesting concrete and constructive ways they can try to help with environmental issues in your community is a great way to help channel your child’s anxiety into feeling positive and useful.

There are lots of ways to get started. As a family, you can watch a fun and educational movie about the environment, like Hoppers, to inspire your kids, and show them they can indeed make a difference. Then, encourage your kids to make hands-on environmental change by:

• making a compost bin
• seeing who among your kids can conserve the most water or electricity in your home by turning off taps when brushing their teeth, or the lights when not in a room
• recycling materials for craft projects (like old newspapers and fabric scraps)
• making a bird feeder and maintaining it every day
• gardening or planting trees
• volunteering to keep local storm drains clear
• cleaning up a local park or playground with a group of other kids and parents.

Kids can also use their schoolwork to their advantage. Choosing an environmental topic for their next book report or science project can teach your child the upside of eco-activism. “Climate solutions are underreported,” Davenport says. “Kids can discover what’s actually working, like renewable energy growth, wildlife recovery, the efforts of young climate leaders, and conservation efforts that have brought species back from the brink of extinction. This counters the narrative that nothing can be done. A science-minded child might dig deeper into clean water solutions or habitat restoration. Whatever your child’s passion is, there’s an entry point.”

Make sure you and your kids keep up consistent efforts to make your environment healthier, however you can. “The most important strategy is making climate action an ongoing, core part of your family’s life, and how you interact with the community,” Pinsky says. “Climate change is not going away anytime soon. Adult climate action reassures young people that their concerns are valid, and that they are not responsible for addressing climate change on their own.”

Melissa is living proof of how this works. “Last summer, sitting in the stands at my son's football game when it was 107 degrees, I couldn't stop thinking about the kids on the field,” she says. “That led me to start a company that monitors heat strain in athletes in real time. My kids have seen me turn worry into action.”

This has definitely been a great example for Sam–and eased his eco-concerns. “It helps that my mom is doing something about it,” he sums up.“That makes me feel like you don't have to just worry about climate change. You can actually try to fix things.”