How to Teach Your Children to be Eco-friendly and Sustainable

Parents and schools have the most precious power of revolutionizing the world! That is educating the young to be an independent decision-maker and to be kind to the environment and fellow beings. With the pandemic, so many things have come to the limelight, including how the planet’s health is deteriorating. It made us realize how the planet is in dire need, no, wait, how we are in dire need of saving Earth! Thus, it is necessary to teach your children to be eco-friendly and sustainable. 

Now, we have less time, and it is of absolute importance we take steps to impart knowledge to the younger generations who will lead in the future. The best way to get started with being eco-friendly is by ‘taking action’ along with your kids.

Practice reduce, reuse, and recycle, and involve your child in it. From placing waste in the correct bin to composting to DIYs, if you involve your children, you are making them acquire a habit that they will follow everywhere. When you practice something, it gets assimilated faster, and it works the same for children too. It teaches them the value of nature and the ways to protect it.

So below are some pointers that will help you teach your children to be eco-friendly and sustainable. 

Spend Time with Nature

Don’t make the mistake of teaching kids about nature through mobile phones and laptops. I remember playing in a park adjacent to my house when I was a kid with my friends. Recently, when the park had no one to look after and had become dry, my friends and I took the responsibility of reviving it. It was not much work as we started it early and did it in groups. We all then sat in the park and cherished our childhood memories. I made it a point to tell my friends that because we spent a lot of time in the park, it affected us, and we did something about it. We all should ensure our children play outdoors and learn the importance of nature so that they take action when needed.

Spending time with nature and playing with their buddies helps children in making friends. They also understand nature and its resources. It is easy to get young children to play outside but as they grow, it gradually reduces. As parents or teachers, you can ensure that they stay involved in outdoor sports and activities.

Volunteer

There are numerous volunteering activities around you. You can participate in one of your or your kid’s choice. If none is happening, maybe you should consider starting one. Let your kid ideate and bring in his buddies. Doing something without expecting anything in return is the basic quality one should possess while working towards the betterment of the environment. Volunteering will help in developing that quality. And it will also be a great way to teach your children to be eco-friendly and sustainable. 

Litterless Lunches

It might be hard to do it every day as a parent and it is understandable. Try as much as possible to pack food in an eco-friendly style. Your child will own it proudly. Make sure to tell him why you are doing it as well as its benefits. If he gets questioned by his mates out of curiosity, he should be able to explain it. This way, he sets the stage for other people to do the same. You can also talk to the class teachers about it so that they can make this activity bigger.

Organic Clothing

Organic clothing is not just sustainable but is also healthy for children. Conventional clothing is manufactured with tons of chemicals and these chemicals are harmful to the environment and also to the ones wearing it. The chemicals can easily seep into the delicate skin of children. You can choose brands that are GOTS certified like Tiny Twig, H&M kids. etc.

Books Books and More Books

Reading is impactful, and there’s no debate on that. The books your child reads shape his thoughts and knowledge. Today, all parents are particular about inculcating the habit of reading books from a young age. Even if parents do not have the time, they opt for activity centers where children can listen to stories and read a few books. Parents sometimes find it tough to make their kids understand the complex subject of being sustainable. Kids understand it better when told using simpler and straightforward terms. The best to make the concept or information stick with them is by telling them stories or making them read a book about sustainability. 

Now, don’t open another tab to search for books for kids about being eco-friendly or sustainable. We have got you covered! We have curated a list of books regarding sustainability for kids.

1. “The Pout-Pout Fish Cleans Up the Ocean” by Deborah Diesen

2. “One Plastic Bag” by Miranda Paul

3. “10 Things I Can Do to Help My World” by Melanie Walsh

4. “Just a Dream” by Chris Van Allsburg

5. “The EARTH Book” by Todd Parr

These books are the most preferred as they are inspiring, real, and easily understandable. They also enable children to understand and feel motivated to think similarly. After your child reads the book or after you read him one, ensure to ask them what they have grasped and taken in from the story. You need to keep their thoughts aligned with the goal.

The world needs a new generation that is thoughtful and knowledgeable about the environment around. And as parents, you can play an intrinsic role by teaching them about the importance of being conscious about the environment.

 

Do let us know in the comments what you do with your kids to make them understand and teach them to be eco-friendly and sustainable.