If you have kids, there are likely a million and a half things that you want to teach them before they leave home and become adults. And while all of these things are going to be important and have value for them, teaching your kids how to care for the world around them could not only have an impact on their life, but it could also impact the lives of those around them in the world.
To help you learn how you can instill these values in your children from a young age, here are three ways you can teach your kids to be more environmentally conscious.
Recycle And Upcycle
The environmentally friendly choices that you make at home can help set the stage for your children making these choices on their own when they grow up.
According to Conserve Energy Future, some of the best things you can start doing at home are to recycle and upcycle. Try making it a point to recycle anything that comes into your home before you simply throw it out. And if something is compostable, you may want to consider starting your own compost pile at home. As for more permanent items around your house, choosing to upcycle them rather than replace them can teach your kids to use something until it can’t be used anymore rather than just consuming everything new around them.
Help Them To Conserve
Another thing you can do at home to teach your kids how to be environmentally conscious is to help them learn how to conserve the resources you have and use at home.
For most kids, it’s easy and natural to forget to turn things off or use a minimal amount of something. Knowing this, you should try your best to fight against this nature in your kids. For example, KidsHealth.org suggests that you remind your kids to turn off lights when they leave a room, unplug electronics that they’re not using anymore, and use minimal water when showering or brushing their teeth.
Spend Time In Nature
To help your kids really have a personal connection to the work they’re doing to preserve the environment, you should try to get them in nature as much as possible to see just how their actions can have an impact on the world around them.
According to Care.com, things like gardening can teach your kids how to work with the earth and learn to respect it. Additionally, doing things like hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities can help your kids learn to love being outside and, therefore, strive to keep it safe for all to enjoy and appreciate.
If you want to raise environmentally responsible kids, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you instill these values.
