Teach Your Child to be Eco-Friendly

by Grace Bailey on April 20th, 2019 | 2 Comments »

Living in peace with the world that surrounds us is of crucial importance. We have to preserve it for as long as possible so we can live a life in a healthy environment. However, apart from doing this ourselves, it is vital we pass on this green way of living to our children as well. When our children grow up they can continue the mission of preserving the earth, and then pass it on to their children. It might be a little bit hard to teach our kids such habits, but it is important we do so. Here are practical ideas on teaching our children how to be eco-friendly.

1. Set a Proper Example
Kids follow the examples they see. Whether the examples are good or bad, small children tend to copy that behavior. So, keeping that in mind, it will be a lot better to set a good example, which your children will then follow. For instance, if they see you turning off the water while you are brushing your teeth, the kids may learn to do that as well. Same goes for unplugging all electronic devices that are not in use. Kids will see and learn these habits as something normal and will learn that it is simply the way it is done. You know the famous saying, 'monkey see, monkey do', right? Well, it applies quite well with children too.

2. Teach About the Importance of Recycling
Talking about being eco-friendly needs to be a top priority of parents. And, naturally, it needs to become your kids' top priority as well. Teach them how to recycle. Talk to them about how almost everything can be used again and again. Make small containers to serve your home recycling needs. Be sure to make them in such a way that the kids find them appealing and easy to use. They could be just regular waste bins, but colored and labeled for their different uses. If you feel artistic, draw images of the items that are to be thrown away onto the corresponding container.

3. Plant a Tree or Garden Together
Planting trees and gardens can help teach the cycle of nature. Looking after the garden will not only teach your child responsibility, but also how to look after the environment.

4. Swap and Share Instead of Buying New
Another highly effective lesson is to teach your kids about reusing. At a certain age, children may lose interest in their toys. Instead of constantly buying them new ones, organize toy-swaps. What this means is that you and some other mom-friends and their kids and organize a 'free market for toys'. This way your child can swap his old toy for a different one, while giving his toys to someone else. Its a win-win situation. Things get reused instead of thrown out, and you get to save some money. Plus, your kids will learn first-hand about the effectiveness of reusing.

5. Take the Tips Out of Your Household
Don't limit the 'green' attitude to your household. Teach your child wherever you are. For example, teach her to throw away wrappers and litter in waste bins, instead of on the ground. Also, when you go together to the store, always bring a reusable tote bag instead of constantly buying plastic ones.
Teaching your children proper 'green' behavior is not as hard as you might imagine. It just takes a lot of dedication and the right approach.

How do you teach green living in your home?

Grace is a writer, passionate about sharing experiences in the field of healthy living, home organizing, and kids. You can take advantage of her tips about Stroud Green moving house, sustainable living, and eco-friendly habits.