As a parent I am constantly thinking about how I will teach my child certain values. Whether they be social, moral and ethical standards, the question of how best to impart our own knowledge without shoving it down their throat is a quandary many a parent deals with. One primary issue I am concerned with is how to impart the importance of going green. This is a big issue for me, and even more so because protecting the environment is something that will affect her generation and generations to come.
Recycle in Front of Them
Kids tend to mimic the habits of their parents. So we make it a point to recycle in front of our baby girl. Keep in mind she is only eight months old, but she is a sponge for information. When we recycle, we try to make it a point of communicating what we are doing. The idea is to set a standard early on that she will mimic as she gets older. As she gets older, she will grow more and more aware of not just how to recycle, but why we do it.
Buying Eco-Friendly Toys
Our daughter already loves toys, as I think any child does in the earliest stages of development. This trend continues as we grow up. Even in my adulthood, I love a new “grown-up” toy now and again. We focus on buying green friendly toys because not only are they better for the environment, but she also gets to watch us buy sustainable products. Again, since we are starting her so young with Eco-friendly values, this is something she will be more inclined to mimic as she grows up. As a side point, not only is buying green toys good for her mind, but it also better for her body. Conventional toys are often made using chemicals that can be harmful to children in the long term.
In short, if you want to teach your children ecologically responsible values, then start young, and show them by example. Simply telling our kids to be Eco-conscious is not good enough. They must see us doing it in addition to knowing why we do it. In this way, we as parents can raise a generation of people who understand not only the importance of going green at home, but how best to go about it.
