Green Your Toddlers: Easy ways to teach your child be green
April 21, 2010 by Tania
Filed under Family & Parenting
The toddler years seem to be filled with waste.
I’m saddened by the food that we waste in our home daily. Did you know we throw out enough food to feed 49 million people every year? Not to mention water, supplies, diapers, birthdays and so on…
My children are toddlers, but we have started to teach them, begun to plant seeds of awareness.
Awareness that they shouldn’t be wasteful, awareness that what they do in their home impacts beyond them.
Opportunities for teaching children to conserve are endless and can be implemented throughout our daily lives as they arise and as is appropriate for the age of your child.
As I’ve searched for ideas to “green our toddlers” I’ve found many ideas and lots of cool lists. What I haven’t found as readily is what people are doing in their homes – real life experiences.
Take what works for you and build from there!
Other places to look for ideas:
BYOB- Bring your own Bag. Refuse bags at stores when not needed. Buy your child a fun reusable bag.
BYOEU-Bring your own eating utensils. My friend Stephanie hit the mark when she created To-go Ware. A set of bamboo cutlery in a cute little wrap that you can take anywhere. Much to the curiosity of the person sitting next to you on the airplane. She also offers fun stainless steel lunch containers!! (http://www.to-goware.com/)
Buy LOCAL. Bring your child to local farms and farmers markets to meet the people who grow their food. Bring them to a dairy to show them the animals making their milk. Rid your children of the “milk comes from the store” syndrome and allow healthy relationships with food.
Go to craft fairs, local bakeries, fish markets etc…
Potty train your child early-especially if you use disposable. All that waste in our landfills really adds up.
My son always notices litter now that we’ve collected trash in our neighborhood a few years in a row for Earth Day (he was 2, 3 and 4 when we did the deed). You’re right, it’s never too early to start teaching!
Very informative info! Thanks for posting
My son always notices litter now that we’ve collected trash in our neighborhood a few years in a row for Earth Day (he was 2, 3 and 4 when we did the deed). You’re right, it’s never too early to start teaching!
Lately it’s been bothering me a lot at the park. I workout Monday AM’s and when we show up the park is a sea of litter.
It’s really shameful that people do not take care or teach their children to take care.
I wish I knew the answer.
BYOB- Bring your own Bag. Refuse bags at stores when not needed. Buy your child a fun reusable bag.
BYOEU-Bring your own eating utensils. My friend Stephanie hit the mark when she created To-go Ware. A set of bamboo cutlery in a cute little wrap that you can take anywhere. Much to the curiosity of the person sitting next to you on the airplane. She also offers fun stainless steel lunch containers!! (http://www.to-goware.com/)
Buy LOCAL. Bring your child to local farms and farmers markets to meet the people who grow their food. Bring them to a dairy to show them the animals making their milk. Rid your children of the “milk comes from the store” syndrome and allow healthy relationships with food.
Go to craft fairs, local bakeries, fish markets etc…
Potty train your child early-especially if you use disposable. All that waste in our landfills really adds up.