The average person uses resources for comfort, convenience, fun and financial gains. Sustainable living is about finding ways to use resources more effectively and efficiently with the goals of reducing our carbon footprint, cutting back on natural resource consumption and preserving natural habitats for future generations.
Try saying the above to your kids and see how they react!
Of course, we cannot throw complicated stuff like this at them in the hopes that they will live more sustainably. Use the five tips given below to teach your child about sustainable living.
1. Start Them Off Easy
Don’t talk about climate change and doomsday stuff to create awareness. This can create fear and cause anxiety around sustainable practices.
Instead paint a positive picture like happy animals, freshwater, trees and a green home for your children, so that they develop a healthy respect for the environment.
Also, don’t throw big terms like sustainability at them. Just give them a few easy and practical tips on how they can impact the environment positively.
For example, you can save energy by unplugging your phone charger when not in use.
2. Get Them Books
There are books for kids of all ages on sustainability. Books can introduce kids to the idea in a fun, easy and positive way, especially when they are just toddlers.
You can read these to your kid before or after bedtime or take them to the library and read along together. Another option is to go for cartoons or shows or rhymes that talk about the environment and sustainability.
Recommended reading: Books for a Better Planet! 20 Earth-Friendly Reads for Kids
Recommended reading: Teaching Your Child About Sustainable Eating Practices
3. Use Examples From Their Everyday Life
Kids learn best when they relate to what is being taught, so use practical examples that they can easily relate to. The idea of “Reduce Reuse Recycle” can be explained by asking them how many pieces of fruit they would like to eat. After eating the pieces, ask them if they want to save some for later or share with their friends.
If you do not get a “yes” answer, try giving them the option of throwing the leftovers in compost instead of throwing it away! That way you teach your child about sustainable living.
4. Lead By Example
A parent’s behavior is always better than words. Children understand through action more than words! Parents who practice sustainable living unknowingly teach their kids a great deal about respecting the environment and using resources responsibly.
Families who walk the talk raise children who understand that we are all interconnected and interdependent. By doing things like using cloth bags at the grocery store, turning off lights when not in use, using a thermos for school lunch, etc., you direct them to a sustainable lifestyle without uttering a word.
Kids can be made aware of things that they use every day and encouraged to think about how it impacts the environment. They might just embrace this idea wholeheartedly!
Recommended reading: Take the Minimalism Challenge
Recommended reading: Is Sustainable Parenting Possible?
5. Volunteer Together
Kids are more likely to absorb information when it comes from the source. Volunteering together is a family activity that can create an interest in bettering the environment while nurturing responsibility and compassion for others.
It also teaches children about community-building, empathy, compassion, service, cooperation and collaboration.
So, are you ready to raise a kid who will lead a sustainable life?
