7 Tips on Teaching Your Kids to Love Living Green

Since the industrial period, humanity has adopted lifestyles and habits damaging to the environment. What we eat, how we travel, and what we decide to wear are just a few of the domains that are known to be damaging to the earth. Renewable energy and adopting eco-friendly and sustainable ways of living are the solution to protecting the environment.

Even though the trend of eco-friendly living is not a new one, parents around the world are looking for ways to instill this in their children. Teaching your children to love nature and protect the environment is essential, as this means protecting their future. The planet should be protected by everyone as it is the only planet we have.

Parents are children’s role models. Kids mirror parents’ behaviors and ways of living, so you need to teach your children to love green living. But how can you better do this?

1. Take Your Kids in Nature

To help your kids understand the benefits and importance of living green, they first need to know what they are protecting. If they spend all their time playing with toys in the house, they will not understand what nature means.

Just showing them pictures of animals or mountain landscapes is not enough. This is why it is important, as parents, to expose your kids to nature. When they are smaller, you can take them to parks. As they grow up, you can take them on hiking trips and even camp for the night in the woods.

Living and constantly interacting with nature will allow them to understand it better. They will appreciate and love it and will want to protect it. How can they do this? By living green.

2. Donating Clothes

Kids are constantly growing so every few months they need a new set of clothes and shoes. But what does happen to their old clothes? Throwing them out is not an option, as they will end up in landfills and will pollute the soil. Reducing the amount of waste we generate is important and it can reduce the damage to the environment.

Donating outgrown clothes is a nice way to teach your children the importance of green living. At the same time, you teach them the power of kindness and helping those in need. Because their clothes will surely be of help to families who cannot afford new clothes.

3. Reuse and Recycle

Almost everything we buy comes packed in plastic or cardboard. These are usually considered waste and end up accumulating in landfills. Teaching your kids to reuse toys or objects and recycling those they do not need anymore will protect the environment.

One way to help your kids put to practice these sustainable habits is by organizing short craft sessions. You can find online many ideas on how to upcycle, recycle, and reuse some of the most common waste products, such as pet bottles, cardboard, and so on.

4. Have Your Own Garden

Buying locally is important as it sustains the local economy. Moreover, it protects the environment because the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport are reduced. The vegetables and fruits we buy from supermarkets usually travel a lot until they reach your town. So, the environmental impact is huge.

One way to teach your children to buy locally is to take them to shopping sessions at the market. They can also interact with the local producers and find out more about a specific vegetable or fruit. Another way to teach your children the importance of green living is to plant herbs in your own garden.

Having small pots with different herbs can be a good example for your kids. Teaching them how to grow their own food and caring for it is essential and it protects the environment.

5. The Power of Conservation

One of the most environmentally pressing habits is water and food waste. About half of all the vegetables and fruits produced in a year are wasted. It is estimated that about 30% of global food production is wasted every year. Few of it is composted, which means that almost all of it accumulates in landfills. At the same time, about 45 trillion gallons of water are wasted every year. Teaching kids that the resources the Earth has are limited is important.

You can do this by teaching them how to conserve fruits and vegetables. Show them how they can keep them fresher for longer times. Also, teach them to take short showers or turn off the tap when brushing their teeth.

6. Electricity

Electricity and the power needed to produce it has devastating effects on the environment. Teach your kids to turn off the light when they leave the room. Moreover, it is important to unplug their charges when they are not using them. Encourage them to turn off the lights in rooms that are not used and to do the same with their friends or with the rest of the family.

7. Public Transportation

Using the personal car even for short trips can be damaging to the environment, especially if the car is not electric. Air pollution is one of the most pressing problems, as there are many cases of people who developed allergies or respiratory problems. Cities are the most polluted places on Earth, even though we do not see the toxic particles.

One way to teach your kids to live green is to encourage them to use the bicycle for transportation when applicable. This can be done easily if you lead by example and have regular bicycle trips with your kids. Another way would be to use public transportation or carpooling to work with other colleagues. This will save greenhouse gas emissions and helps make the Earth a healthier place.

Conclusion

Teaching your kids to love green living starts with leading by example. Your children will do what they see you doing, so it is important to watch your habits. Take them to regular nature trips, use the bike, and donate regularly their outgrown clothes. Organize small sessions where you reuse the plastic and have your own garden. Kids will grow fonder of nature and animals and will want to protect them when they will understand how they can better do this.

Author Bio: Leon Collier is a blogger from the UK, who loves to write about everything: pop-culture, history, travel, self-development, education, marketing. He is a daily contributor to write my assignment, where he offers college essay help. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.

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