As parents, we want to teach our kids all the things that are going to make their lives the best lives possible. In turn, their children’s children the best, and so on and so forth.
We want to teach them all the things they need to survive, thrive and find lasting happiness. When we teach these things, it’s a little bit at a time and something new each year as they get older.
Especially now, one very important lesson we should be teaching our children is the idea of sustainable living. Since our children will be the ones taking care of the earth once we are gone, they should be the ones to learn how to do it properly, and it’s even better if they improve on what past generations have done.
Teaching about sustainability doesn’t have to be anything too crazy or complicated. and it can be taught in a way that even your little ones can begin to understand.
Here are five ways to teach your kids about sustainability and treating the world they live in with care and respect.
1. Tell Them Why
One of kid’s favorite questions when it comes to anything is “Why?” It makes sense when you think about how they are just beginning to learn about everything and understand the reason why anybody does anything the way they do.
When it comes to sustainability and living a more sustainable life, it’s important to explain to why it’s important to do so.
Tell them the world doesn’t contain unlimited amounts of resources. Also, that we must do our part not to be wasteful and conserve and respect the things we do have.
Teach them we can’t just leave trash everywhere. Let them know when we see trash — even if it’s not ours — we can pick it up and throw it away.
2. Do it Together
One of the best ways you can do this and make it stick in the long run is by doing it together.
Teach your kids about saving gas by walking or riding bikes to school and do it with them.
Teach them about how you can lower your electric and water bill by using less water, turning off all the lights, and unplugging everything from the wall after you use it.
By doing it together, it becomes a habit they’ll continue to do even when you aren’t around.
3. Make it Fun
When it comes to kids, in order to make them pay attention and actually do something, sometimes you have to make it entertaining and fun.
This can definitely be applied to teaching about sustainable living. Try to make something like sorting the recycling or creating compost for the garden into a game.
Even something as simple as planting a garden with the kids and showing them how to plant the seeds and take care of them can be fun.
4. Don’t be too Serious
Although living sustainably is pretty serious business. It doesn’t need to be a serious subject with your kids.
If you make it too serious it can be too overwhelming for your kids to understand or they’ll get bored. By losing interest they may not remember or pay attention when you try to talk about it with them.
Teach at their level of understanding. Make sure you’re not scaring them into thinking they have to live sustainably or something really bad will happen.
Teach them it’s important in a fun and lighthearted way. Over time, you’ll find the idea will actually stick.
5. Be an Example
In the long run, the way that the idea of sustainability will really stick with your children is if you make sure to live sustainably yourself.
If you teach them about the importance of recycling and don’t recycle, your kids probably won’t either. Or if you teach them about conserving water and take long showers and baths, they probably will, too.
Your example is powerful, so when you do your best to live sustainably, your kids will probably do the same.
Making children aware of the importance of eco-friendly behavior, thriftiness and general concern for the environment doesn’t have to be a difficult parental task. If you already have the same values this would come naturally to you and your parental guidance.
Get tips for teaching children to go green making children aware of the importance of eco-friendly behavior, thriftiness and general concern for the environment.
