There is much you can do as a person to protect the world we live in.
You can recycle old products rather than throwing them into the trash. You can insulate your home with replacement windows and doors to make your home energy-efficient. And most importantly of all, you can teach your children lessons around responsibility when it comes to protecting the environment.
You see, if your children pick up good habits now, then hopefully, the world will be in less of a precarious position in years to come.
In this article, we are going to look at some of the ways in which you can raise earth-friendly children. Start focusing on these aspects now, and the future will be bright, not only for this generation but for many generations to come.
7 Ways to Raise Earth-Friendly Children
#1: Be a good role-model
This is the best place to start, because as we discussed in this article on going green, if you can set an example, then your children will hopefully follow suit. So, make every effort in your life to recycle. Walk the kids to school instead of taking the car. And follow the suggestions we discuss in the rest of this article to showcase your earth-friendly credentials to the children in your home.
#2: Encourage your children to tidy up
You should do this for two reasons. Firstly, it will save you an awful amount of time on household chores if you can encourage your children to tidy up after themselves. But secondly, it will also instill good habits into your children, so when they are out and about, they are more likely to throw their litter in the trash instead of on the roads if they have that tidy-up mentality.
Of course, encouraging your children to tidy up is never an easy job, but if you can find ways to make it less of a chore for them, then they might not kick up a fuss. Here are some ways to make tidying-up fun. Good luck!
#3: Encourage your children to recycle
To avoid filling your local landfills with waste, this should be something you do in your home anyway. Get your children involved by clearly labeling your recycling bins, so they know where to put the relevant items, perhaps by using pictures on your bins if your children don’t know how to read.
To make recycling fun, you might also make a game out of it. So, you might set a challenge in your family, and the person who recycles the most in the week might get a special prize. And when you’re in the park together, you might set your children a scavenger hunt where they have to pick up as many recyclable items as possible from the litter that others have discarded.
Of course, you will need to give them gloves for protection if you follow this idea, and give reminders to your children not to pick up anything that is dangerous.
#4: Find ways to reuse recyclable items
Not every empty drinks can, plastic bottle, cardboard roll, or glass jar needs to be thrown away. If your children get into the habit of reusing certain items, they will become more adept at finding ways to reuse such items in the future.
So, think about how certain items can be reused. When it comes to plastic bottles and cardboard rolls, these could be used as materials for your craft activities at home. You might play games with your recyclable objects too, such as tin can alley with your aluminum cans, or bowling, using plastic bottles as skittles.
And when it comes to glass jars, these can be used to store your children’s smaller items, such as marbles or game pieces, and they can also be used to store your children’s pocket money savings.
Check out these recycled craft ideas and explore other ideas online for both craft and play activities.
#5: Teach your children to respect the outdoors
Encouraging your children to throw their litter in trash bins is one idea we have already suggested, but there are other things you can do to teach respect.
Thinking about your garden, you might want to investigate the types of wildlife that enter your outdoor space. From birds to insects, talk to your children about what they see, and remind your children that even the smallest of lives are precious. Then encourage your children to care for the natural world on their doorstep, perhaps by making a bird feeder with your kids as a means to care for our winged friends.
Point out the dangers to wildlife too such as explaining how litter can harm animals. And talk to them about car pollution, as this might encourage them to use their legs more when going to and from school, be that through walking or using their bikes.
#6: Bring out your children’s charitable side
When it comes to your children’s toys, games, and books, encourage your children to give them away when they have grown tired of them. Let them know that this is better than throwing them into the trash, where they might only contribute to the toxic emissions that are produced at our local landfills.
So, encourage your children to declutter their possessions, and discuss with them places where their unwanted items can be given. As examples, they might give some items to their friends at school, or they might donate them to local hospitals, thrift stores, or box them up for children’s charities overseas.
When your children start to show their charitable side, not only will this encourage them to be less selfish with the possessions that they own, but it will also teach them that giving can be rewarding.
#7: Provide your children with learning resources
Finally, take steps to educate your children about the importance of going green. So, you might look for appropriate YouTube videos online, for example, and you might purchase environmental books that are relevant to your children’s age levels. You might also want to speak to their school teachers, as they might have resources that can be loaned out to parents for home use. And do a Google search, as there are bound to be toys, games, and other items that can be purchased online to teach children lessons in green living.
Finally
By teaching your children responsibility for the world around them, you are doing your bit to care for their future and the future of other generations. Do what you can today then by following our suggestions, and if you have any other tips for our readers, be sure to share them with us.
Kori
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