Parenting is exhausting. Due to the immense amount of work you need to do to keep a child alive and well, some passions and pastimes get placed on the back burner. If you used to be engaged in the environmentalist community, but parenting has taken up a lot of your time, you might find yourself disengaged and apathetic towards it all.
That said, your children will inherit the earth from you, and it is your job to educate them about making environmentally conscious decisions. Integrating your passion for the environment with your parenting can make it much easier. If you’re looking for small ways to go green that take no time at all, this list is for you.
- Reusable Shopping Bags
Plastic shopping bags at the checkout counter are convenient, sure, but when they go to landfills many get washed away in groundwater and end up in rivers, oceans, and lakes. According to the Telegraph, the government cited a study saying “when seabirds, sea mammals or fish ingest plastic particles, blocking of the gut is likely to harm or even kill the organism”. If you’re skeptical of the impact a single family can have on plastic bag pollution, know that each person will use roughly 22,000 plastic bags in their lifetime. If you have a family of five and switched to only using reusable bags, you would save 110,000 plastic bags from ever entering the environment, saving countless animals. - Play Outside
There are countless emotional, developmental, and physical advantages to being outside. One of which could be the development of a deeper appreciation for nature. Showing your kids what you love about the natural world can be both a bonding exercise and a lesson in conservation. Plus, fresh air never hurt anyone, right? - Thrifting
Textile waste is an often unmentioned environmental issue. The average American discards 82 pounds of textile waste each year. While your kids are growing up, they are also growing out of their clothes. Bring your children with you and donate these to a thrift shop (and receive a tax write off). While you’re there, let your kids pick out back to school clothes. - Recharge
Buying rechargeable batteries is a huge step in the right direction. Even though nickel, the metal used in batteries, is recyclable, most people don’t know the right place to do it. Since nickel use is growing 4% yearly, and there isn’t much of a consumer-ready battery recycling center, it makes sense to buy rechargeable ones. Besides, no more buying batteries, right? - Unplug
Perhaps the best way to inspire green behavior in your children is through encouraging time away from the screen. Play a board game together, go to the playground, or read a book in the backyard. If your kids are as modern as most, they will simply refuse. That’s okay, but to reduce your energy usage, unplug unused electronics at night. Computers, monitors, TVs, lights, and anything else you can think of that isn’t necessary to keep on through the night, simply unplug it. The planet will thank you later.
As a parent, you’re responsible for teaching your children the ways of the world. If environmentalism is important to you, pass that passion on to your children so they can continue to fight the good fight for the sanctity of the natural world. All of the solutions above are simple, quick, and can even help bring you closer to your children while exercising your passions. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
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