Raising a child is a herculean task and requires a lot of patience from a parent’s behalf. Every parent is doing their best in raising their child in the best possible way. Making your child eco-conscious while he or she is growing up is a great way to inculcate good habits. With climate change happening around the world, every child must be taught environmental consciousness. These skills are important to teach so that the kids have a safe planet to live in the future. Teaching children the skill of being an environment-conscious person sounds to be a tough task, but it isn’t.
To get the learning process started, you can teach them simple things until these become part of their lifestyle. Also, start teaching them at a tender age so that they can learn faster and engrave this skill in their actions. Adopting a greener philosophy in their lifestyle will benefit them in the long run. In this article, we have tried to collect certain ways in which you can teach your kids the art of eco-friendly living. You can follow the below tips to groom your children so that they grow up as responsible citizens.
Spending time with nature
The easiest way to make your child aware of the environment is by spending time outdoors. Use some of the time that you spend with your kids to take them to places like parks, gardens, farms, etc. Allow them to play, take bicycle rides, go camping, etc. so that your kids can appreciate nature and its beauty. Activities like planting a tree, building a birdhouse, etc. are engaging activities that kids enjoy a lot. You can also take educational trips to nearby national parks, where they can learn more about wildlife and its habitat. Spending fun times outdoors will make them understand the importance of nature. They will develop a respect for the environment and themselves start adopting eco-friendly habits.
Recycling
Recycling reduces the amount of waste that we generate at home or offices. You should make recycling a part of your lifestyle. Teaching kids waste segregation is a good way to make them aware of their duties as responsible humans. If you have a background garden, then you can teach them the use of biodegradable waste as compost for various plants. You can also give them tasks to create something useful from waste materials. It will be a great exercise for their brains and will help them think creatively. All these activities will teach them that a major part of the waste generated at home is reusable.
Eco-friendly eating habits
Food and climate are interlinked. To meet the enormous food demands of society, the food industry spends a lot of energy to cultivate, process, transport, and store food items. Eco-friendly food options do not have a high impact on the environment as some other food items do. Food products like lentils, beans, mussels, figs, seasonal food items, local organic produce, etc. are good eco-friendly food choices. These food items are healthy options. Including them in your kid’s diet will be good for their growth and teach them the thought of going light on the environment. If you are a coffee lover, you can use biodegradable Nespresso pods for making coffee. Kids will learn after seeing you, hence you must change your eating habits.
Conserve water and electricity
Preserving water and electricity are major ways by which you can reduce the carbon footprint of your household. Teach your kids to turn off the tap when they have completed one task. Switching off the tap water in between brushing teeth or washing hands is another good way to teach them responsibility. You can also teach them the importance of installing low flow faucets for conserving water. For saving electricity, you can teach them to unplug appliances and switch off room lights while leaving the room. Involve them in activities like installation of motion detector lights, training on optimum usage of thermostats, etc. so that they understand the importance of saving electricity.
Using eco-friendly means of transportation
Taking the car all the time isn’t a good option as its usage causes pollution and increases the carbon footprint. Teach your kids about the harmful effects of air pollution. Encourage them to walk, ride a bicycle, or use public transport for their commute. This will save you fuel cost, reduce air pollution, and is a healthy option for your kids as well.
Such activities and lessons will help your children in making environmentally responsible choices for themselves. Moreover, these are great ways to nurture your child into an informed and responsible adult. There are other ways as well that you can use to teach your kids to take care of the environment. Once the greener philosophy is engraved in their hearts, they will turn out to be good human beings.
