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Teach Your Kids to Go Green
Earth Day isn’t the only time of year when kids should learn to be environmentally conscious. In fact, it’s important to teach your kids to live a “Green” lifestyle year round. They will be the next generation and it is important for them to understand the responsibility involved in caring for the earth. If you think your child can’t make a huge difference, you are wrong. One child or family can make a tremendous difference by making small changes. When you teach your child to make great earth-conscious choices, you are investing in the earth throughout the next several generations. Teach your child to take care of the planet by making these small choices on a day-to-day basis.
Turn Off the Lights!
Every child forgets to turn the lights off from time to time. The next time your child leaves the bathroom light on, use the opportunity to talk about how lights use energy. Explain that energy is needed for all kinds of things, from lights to computers to the heat that keeps us warm. Ask your child to be the “energy police” in your home and make sure all lights are turned off when people leave the room. Whenever possible, you could even encourage your child to play with the lights off during the day. Rooms with plenty of natural light won’t need electric lighting during the day.
Play Time Unplugged
When you explain the importance of conserving energy, ask your child to find other areas of your home where you use energy too often. Point out that anything that has to be plugged in is using up energy. Let your child be the “energy detective” and find things around the house that should be unplugged. Make it a habit to unplug appliances or televisions when not in use. If your child is old enough to safely unplug appliances, make that a special job. Many children spend a lot of time in front of the television or playing video games. The computer can also take up a lot of your child’s time. Make it a habit to have “unplugged” play time during the day. Designate a few hours during the day to live an unplugged lifestyle. Encourage your kids to play outside or read a book. You will be amazed at how a child’s imagination can flourish when they have play time unplugged.
Stop Wasting Water
There are dozens of ways your children can learn to protect the earth, but one of the easiest is to conserve water. Children love to play in the water and they often waste a lot of water in the process. Teach your kids to save water by making simple changes each day. Show them how to turn the water off while they are brushing their teeth or teach them to turn off the faucet while they lather up their hands. They can turn the water back on when it’s time to rinse. Bath time is another great time to teach water conservation. Encourage your children to take quick showers or to take a bath in a small amount of water.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycling is the easiest way to get your children involved in a green lifestyle. Take your children on a field trip to visit a recycling center and learn about how they reuse old bottles and cans to make new products. Get them involved in a recycling project at home by labeling large bins for bottles, cans or paper. They can be in charge of sorting garbage between the appropriate bins and putting them out for pickup each week. If your neighborhood doesn’t have recycling collection, check the phone book for a place where you can drop things off. Some recycling centers will even pay a small price for each aluminum can you bring in. This is a great incentive for kids to collect cans from friends, family and neighbors. When your child turns in the cans at the recycling center, they will receive some money to add to their piggy bank. Above all, teach your child the importance of taking care of the earth. Show them how small lifestyle changes can make a big difference for our planet.