5 Easy Steps To Help Kids Live Greener

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5 Easy Steps to Help Kids Live Greener

One of the things I love about parenting in the 21st Century is how aware this generation of children is about matters of conservation and green living. Schools, civic organizations, children’s books, and even kid’s TV programming often reinforce these ideals, but at the end of the day, it’s how we, as parents, are living day to day that has the largest impact.

We’re all  busy trying to just survive daily life and the thought of one more thing on the “to do” list can be overwhelming.  But teaching your children to be more environmentally responsible can be easy and in some instances even money saving. Here are 5 Simple Steps your Family can take to live a greener lifestyle:

Recycling

Recycling has increased over 100% in the last decade and curbside pick up is available in many U.S. cities. This is a fantastic way to talk with your kids about why recycling is important. It is also a perfect simple chore for preschoolers and even toddlers, with sorting being a bonus learning experience! My kiddos also enjoy creating art projects with the challenge of using materials from the recycling bin – a great rainy day activity.

Water Usage

I grew up letting the water freely run from the faucet the entire time I brushed my teeth each morning and evening, never thinking twice about wasting water. Our family is now intentional about turning the water off while we’re all brushing our teeth. This one little easy habit can save approximately 8 gallons of water per person per day! Most kids are familiar with a gallon of milk, remind them that the equivalent of 8(!) of those is saved by their efforts each day!

 

Reusable Lunchbox Containers

Bringing a reusable water bottle rather than a juice pouch or bottled water to school is a great way to reduce waste and encourages healthier habits. Buying in bulk and then placing appropriate portion sizes into reusable containers lessens the packaging waste when buying things in single serving sizes and will help your budget as well!

Kids Electronics

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I am ALWAYS replacing batteries in my children’s electronic devices. Whether is is the educational technology we’ve bought for my youngest daughter or the controllers for the gaming devices we use as a family, we go through A LOT of batteries. We’ve worked to teach our children about disposing of batteries properly, but I was pleased to discover that now we can also show them another way to be eco-minded. I discovered these brand new Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries at my local Walmart recently, in both AA and AAA. I found them at the Battery Center kiosk located right in front of the check-out aisles.

This is actually the first battery on the market to use recycled batteries and other materials, which lessens the impact producing batteries has on the planet. Plus, they are also Energizer’s longest lasting alkaline battery ever, which means we will use fewer batteries and I won’t feel so guilty every time I am replacing them (as moms, we have enough guilt don’t we?!)

Turn “It” Off

How often do you walk through the house and discover that EVERY light in EVERY room has been left on? Or what about discovering the TV is still on, but your children have long since abandoned whatever they were watching to go play? It takes just an extra couple of seconds to flip a switch or to turn off the TV. Remind children about the importance of conserving energy and that it still costs money when things are left on even if we aren’t using them. To help motivate your kids to remember, perhaps you could offer to buy them a small treat with the electric bill savings after the first month.

Are there ways that you have found to help teach your kids to live greener?
We would love for you to share your ideas in the comments.

 

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