How to Teach Your Kids to be Green

Whether it’s learning to read, ride a bike or be green, parents have an important role to play in helping their child learn.  Understanding how children learn is key to teaching them. Children learn through play and your child has their own learning style. All children, though, are anxious to learn. When we are good role models and provide them with a fun, nurturing learning environment, our children will be well on their way to learning the things we want them to, like being good caretakers of our land, water and air.
 
D.I.Y. (Do-it-Yourself)
Children are influenced by the adults in their lives, especially those closest to them. As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Every day, they watch and learn from what you do—good or bad. If you want them to treat the planet with kid gloves, remember, your actions speak volumes. Make going green the ultimate do-it-yourself home improvement project. When you do it, they will follow. Begin today to take your reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. Shop at the bulk store. You’ll buy more and get less packaging. Donate unwanted household items and clothing to a nonprofit agency. Your child will learn the value of reusing and also the importance of helping others. Protect the air quality and bike or walk when you can.  Reduce the demand on our landfills, and pack "litter-less" lunches for work and school by using reusable containers and lunch bags.

Reuse for Re-creation
Before you toss it in the recycling bin or just toss it because it can’t be recycled, consider breathing new life into an old item for craft projects you and your child can enjoy together.  Empty chip or tea canisters can be decorated and reused to store crayons, googly eyes or other craft supplies. Cut old t-shirts down to size and create tie-dyed cloth napkins. Last season’s trends no longer trendy? What about the overpriced, under-used dance costumes? Send them all packing to your child’s dress-up box. If old clothes just can’t be salvaged, pop the buttons off and into the craft box. Decorate old shoe boxes with a collage of images from old calendars or magazines and use them as gift boxes. Turn old drink bottles and margarine tubs into bug catchers. As for all the craft projects and artwork brought home from school and daycare, line them up and preserve these memories with your digital camera. Now you and your child can dismantle them guilt-free and reuse the materials for your next project. 

Use Your Words
We tell children this all the time. When we put into words what we’re thinking or feeling, others learn from us and about us. So why not take that advice and talk to your child about all the environmentally-friendly choices you make every day? Explain that you’ve opted for a reusable water bottle versus buying case after case of bottled water to help contain the environmental costs of making and disposing of water bottles. Tell your child that water is a precious resource and that turning off the water while they brush their teeth helps conserve it for all living things. This may get you further than the cryptic command, “Don’t waste water!” When you’re out shopping together, read the labels aloud and talk to your child about looking for products that have been manufactured with a high content of recycled materials or that are non-hazardous or less hazardous. When your child changes their actions because of your words, make sure you comment on it. Children learn by example and thrive on praise! With some encouragement, the little changes your child makes today, will lead to a lifetime of new habits.