The impact of climate change on the environment is impossible to overlook. With frequent and intense droughts, storms, heat waves, and rising sea levels that wreak havoc on people’s livelihoods and communities, it is essential to teach your little ones about the significance of environmental consciousness.

 

As a parent, you play a pivotal role in helping your child develop a “green” mindset and eco-friendly skills. It is necessary to teach your child about the environment at an early age because the lessons instilled in them will become their lifelong habits.

 

Here are a few ways to help your child develop an environmentally conscious mindset.

 

Make Recycling Fun

 

Every time we recycle, we cut fewer trees and use less water and energy. You can teach your children the importance of recycling by making small indoor bins. Label the bins with different materials such as plastic, glass, and paper to allow your kids to easily sort through the garbage.

 

 

Teach Them Not to Litter

 

Litter adversely affects the environment. Be it littering along the road or the streets, teach your little ones not to litter and to use bins instead. Litter can be blown or washed into rivers, forest lands, and oceans, which eventually pollute the waterways, land, forest areas, soils, or aquatic environments. Educating your kids about this will encourage them not to pollute the environment.

 

Encourage Energy Saving

 

Excessive energy production and consumption are harmful to the environment. This is because most of the world’s electricity is produced through coal and other environmentally-harmful raw materials. Therefore, it is important to reduce our carbon footprint and save energy. You can teach your children to save energy by turning off lights that are not in use around the house.

 

 

Teach Your Kids to Turn Off the Water When Brushing Their Teeth

 

Wasting water may limit its availability for other communities, especially in areas where water shortage is common. An arid ecosystem may suffer when water is wasted. Therefore, it is important to teach your kids to save water. You can teach them to save water while doing mundane day-to-day activities such as brushing their teeth.

 

 

Using Reusable Bags for Shopping

 

Plastic bags are difficult and costly to recycle; this is why most end up on landfill sites where they take a long time to photodegrade. So, instead of purchasing plastic bags every time you go shopping, make use of reusable shopping bags. This will teach your children about the importance of sustainability achievable through reusing already-existent products.

 

Purchasing Recycled or Second-Hand Items

 

To raise them to become environmentally-conscious consumers, teach your children about the importance of thrifting and purchasing second-hand goods. Fast fashion and other modes of production play a critical role in environmental pollution. It is essential to encourage your kids to reduce their consumption of newly-produced goods and opt for recycled ones instead.

 

 

Encourage An Interest in the Outdoors

 

Developing an emotional connection to the environment is essential for your child’s future interest in environmental issues, so nurture their relationship with the environment. Outdoor activities such as walks, hikes, and visits to National Parks can go a long way in this endeavour. When in nature, allow your kids to climb trees, follow bugs, and admire wildlife.

 

Even a few sustainable lifestyle choices make a positive impact. The best place to start the journey of raising an eco-conscious child is leading by example. Children look up to their parents for guidance and imitate them. Walk the green talk by implementing environmentally-friendly habits. The eco-friendly skills and time they spend learning about nature will, in turn, shape the future of environmental sustainability.