Your kids are already learning everything important about the environment at school. So you might be wondering why you are reading this blog in the first place. There are two reasons: firstly, the valuable lessons you pass on to your child have a far deeper impact than anything that a curriculum based rote-learning model can provide. Secondly, it's 2022 and the next generation needs to be way more aware of the environment than we were at their age.
Your kid needs to more than just know about green living. They need to practice it, and they can’t really do that without your help. So here are a few ways that you can really pass on the importance of a sustainable lifestyle to your child.
- Bring home the green and blue. Don’t take it easy with just the simple segregation of your waste. You can take it a step further by marking your waste baskets green and blue. Teach them the difference. Go outdoors and compost your wet waste. You can even turn the whole experience into a fun little game.
- Go out. Play out. Live out. Don’t just play outdoors. Go on a hike, climb a hill, run on the beach, bathe in a river - and make sure you take your kid with you. When your kid learns to fall in love with nature, his concern for the environment will naturally grow. As ‘city-zens’ we often tend to forget the importance of nature and greenery. Don’t let that happen to your kid.
- Teach using pop culture. Remember that movie from a few years ago where an intergalactic tyrant wiped out half the universe’s population to ensure a sustainable future for everyone? Turns out Thanos was an environmentalist. Too bad he was painted a villain. With movies/series like Avatar, Ice Age series, The Land Before Time, Lord of the Rings, and Captain Planet, your kid can learn the necessity of a healthy environment.
- Pick up new skills. Teach your kid to plant a tree. Learn it together if you must. Learn the basics of gardening and nurturing the growth of greenery. It’s an easy enough thing to do - all you need is a pot or a small space to plant and an inherent love for things that grow.
- Focus on recycling. Reuse old items all around your household. For example, your use-and-throw plastic bottles can be used to plant seedlings. Your old newspapers can become a gift wrap. Your old T-shirt can become a cloth bag. You can also invest in sustainable products - for example shoes made with recycled materials. Flow against the tide of fast fashion and make a stand for sustainability.
