Great Green Idea: Green Parenting: Teaching Your Kids How to Live Green

Teaching Your Kids How to Live Green

Have you ever heard the old saw, "monkey see, monkey do"? When it comes to teaching your kids how to lessen their carbon footprints, it is one bit of advice to remember. Your kids will be much more likely to do what you say, if you are willing to take your own medicine. You can get kids into good earth-friendly habits while they're young, especially if you model the behavior you want them to adopt. Here are some ideas.

1. Your daughter wants to visit her friend. She is too young to walk there by herself. It may be tempting to drive her, but walking with her at least one way will send the message that the car should be reserved for longer distances. Take the family dog with you. He'll appreciate the exercise, and you can kill two birds with one stone. In addition, you'll enjoy the fresh air, and the feeling that you are doing something good for yourself.

2. Trade kids clothes with your friends and neighbors. Kids outgrow things so fast that they don't exhaust their useful life. If you and your neighbors, friends or church members get together, chances are that your child's old clothes can be traded for newer things in your child's current size. Going to thrift shops, rummage sales and yard or garage sales can also yield clothes that will serve your child well without breaking the bank. Your child will learn that things don't have to be new to be useful. This thinking will help him make good economic choices in the future, and to save his money for things he really needs.

3. Teach them to recognize when they are wasting utilities. Don't let him run the faucet while he is brushing his teeth. All that good water is going down the drain, and no one is getting use out of it. Your child should learn that it is easy to turn off the tap while she is occupied with other things.

The same lesson applies to using electricity. Make sure you get in the habit of turning lights off when you leave the room. Don't let your TV and other electronic devices suck down electricity wen no one is there to enjoy them. What a waste of resources!

Your kids will do not only what you tell them, but what they see you do as well. This is good, because if you have good habits, they'll be easier to pass down to your kids. You won't only be giving them valuable lessons on conducting their own lives, but will be helping them preserve the earth's resources for themselves and future generations.