Sustainability education can be fun, engaging and empowering if we teach our kids to make eco-friendly choices in their daily lives. The irony is that it's more important than ever before because the damage "humans" has done to the environment, has to end. It's cliché but true, our kids are always watching; hence we should be mindful global citizens.
With the increasing population and limited availability of resources, I am worried about the end of the planet. It is scary to know that we are going towards extreme weather events. Our children are the future adults, so it is more important to inspire them to go green than to inspire fear or inaction.
Learn about 10 ways that will help not only to our kids but us to be more mindful about our planet and show some extra love.
Reduce Waste: Now, as a parent, I am more involved with this issue and make my 7-year-old understand "WHY" less is important. I keep it fun like sustainability a game. Everyone loves a game and especially kids. How are we supposed to stop that much plastic, by using a reusable water bottle instead of disposable plastic bottles? It is one of the many things which can reduce plastic pollution. She is good at carrying her water bottle to the park or wherever she goes.
Conserve Water: To make her understand why some of the choices we make are harmful. The average family of 4 uses 400 gallons of water per day. To help her understand this, I mark with the washable crayons and draw on the side of the tub to visualize how much water was used and then try and beat that amount in the next batch. Giving her a cup of water to brush her teeth instead of leaving the faucet on.
Grow Your Food: When children understand food origins, they are less likely to waste it and planting a garden is something worth celebrating. Gardening is a process, and I help her from planning to planting seeds to harvesting. My daughter finds it enjoyable because we plant food which excites her, not only about eating them but also growing them. So I have to pay for her whenever I take any food from her home garden. Now she takes the lead on the tasks, and I find it encouraging.
Spend Time In Nature: Making weekly picnics in nature helps her understand what’s at stake. Otherwise, it’s hard to teach her about sustainability. She loves nature and more likely to fight for it. Living in an urban environment, it is more important to encourage kids to get outside and play in parks or playgrounds, perfect classroom to conduct independence.
Making Trips To Trash: Where your trash goes, kids don’t know about these things. Talk to them about landfills and why we need to create less trash. The story ends on we throw the garbage in the garbage can, and the collector collects. One day my daughter was watching something on marine life, and she told me that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the ocean would be greater than the weight of fish. We have to be aware as parents to create a healthy environment for the next generation.
Bigger+Better To Small+Simple: Merchandising is killing our planet. It has to stop somewhere. As parents, it is my job to educate my daughter on consumerism. Kids don’t have the wisdom or maturity to understand reality. I prioritize experience over stuff. When I go shopping with my daughter, I make sure she picks the item with the least packaging. I emphasize on what I have to gift and when I have to gift. I am happy with sustainable minimalist.
Take Public Transport: Kids from an early age should choose public transportation whenever possible. They need to know that this will make the least amount of damage to the environment. We as a family, take public transport, or walk instead of driving and if either of this is not possible then last but not the least carpool.
Donate The Items: She is more likely to throw items if she is not using, such as clothes, toys, etc. So with my daughter, I organize her used items and take them to the donation centre. Instead of buying her clothes new off the rack, I try many DIY. She has given me thumbs up but not always.
Say NO To Lecture: I let my kid lead on sustainability by setting up situations that enable smaller goals. She started her own home composting system for the entire family. We put the waste product from food items or fruits in the composite pot. Straws banned in our home and if you cannot survive with a straw, then it has to be of paper. Her efforts are important to us, and she can solve any problem.
NO To Electricity Wastage: The most important common problem amongst adults, teenagers and kids. If everyone else is not bothered, it won’t make a difference, if I am also not. She is always watching, mind before doing. I brainstorm with my kid and ask her how we can lower next month electricity bill. She comes up with her solutions such as not using cooler during the daytime, switch off the light or fan when nobody is in the room or unplugs the electronics when not in use to reduce energy. Saving money contribute to a greener environment.
Daily conscious actions count. We have to teach our children to be mindful in their daily lives, if they don’t take responsibility for their actions what will happen, such as if they don’t handle the plant with care, don’t water the tree, take long showers, buy new games every weekend. They come to understand their role in a sustainable environment. To create change, it is a lot easier to establish good habits in children than to teach them when they are older. It is scary out there, but without measures, nature and posterity will suffer. If you do not have kids of your own and you want to make small sustainable change, you may consider donating your time in The Akshar Foundation based in Assam, Sustainability initiatives by Wipro, or Mobius Foundation. By educating my kid about sustainability development, not only I am offering hope for a brighter future, but I am creating a healthy competition. I would like to say that in 1987, the word sustainability arrived on the radar screen, and since then all we are tracking is the word un-sustainability all our life. So kick the habit and learn about this word which has so many syllables.
In my final words, I would like to share the letter written by my daughter.
“Dear Mom, I am writing to you about something I am learning these days. It’s called sustainability, and it means when people get what they want without harming the world so that all the animals also get what they want and need”.
What does it mean to be green? Does it mean to be good with plants or feeling sick in the car? No! It means turning the lights on in your home only when you need them, giving the clothes you have outgrown to someone smaller than you, thinking of new ways to conserve and reminding grownups to be green too.
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