Today more than ever, going green is incredibly important. I used to laugh at school, when they would show us the movies with the people in “baked potato suits” walking around, not being able to be outside without that suit. The idea that our world would reach a point where fresh air, clean water, and a safe environment were no longer available seemed far-fetched to me. Fortunately, our children today do not see that future as something made up. Children everywhere are becoming more environmentally conscious and trying to find ways to protect mother Earth.
As parents, we must encourage this by example and opportunity. Here are ways you can help your child/children go green! Recycling! Yes, recycling is one of the best ways to help save the environment and it’s free. A plastic bag takes 100 years to decompose. Think about how many plastic bags come into your house in a week. Recycle these bags by keeping a stash in your car, so you can bring your own bags to the store while you shop. Have your children collect bags from home to recycle them; The one who gets the most wins a prize.
Teach your children to conserve water. Instead of letting the water run the entire time you brush your teeth, wet your toothbrush, turn off the water, turn on to rinse, and then turn off. Encourage them to take quicker showers or baths. Did you know that the amount of water an adult would use in a three-minute shower is more water than most people in Africa have to use for all of their daily activities? If your children do the dishes, ask them to fill one sink with hot soapy water and the other with clean water for rinsing. They can be towel dried or left to drip dry. Avoid the use of paper towels, use kitchen towels.
Water bottles are another big concern. If you don’t like the taste of tap water, invest in a filter to make the water taste better and have your kids refill the bottles you have instead of throwing them away.
Their toys encourage them to share them with friends instead of throwing them away. My daughter and her friends take one day a week to get together and swap toys. At first we were upset about this, but then we realized that each child was being given a new toy and not being thrown away. If other parents of your children’s friends aren’t interested in this idea, have your child round up the batch of toys they no longer want and go to your local homeless shelter, or talk to your doctor’s office about it. to donate them to the game room.
Talk to your child about ways they can go green at their school, and ask them to pitch along with you to help make their school green, too. Go Green schools save an average of two million pounds of paper and 14,000 pounds of cardboard or 24,792 trees. Forty-eight thousand three hundred pounds of plastic beverage containers, 8,700 printer cartridges, and 13,648 pounds of food waste. This is just to name a few things that a green school can save.
No child is too young or too old to start going green. You can help them make a difference. It doesn’t even have to cost you a dime. Involve; Help your children protect our planet. Thanks.