How to teach our kids live green

Making a real effort to live more conscientious of the environment and our impact on it cannot be an individual movement. So many of us make the effort on recycling day, but don't talk to our children about what we're doing or get them involved in any way.

I firmly believe that for a family to be successful in their green efforts, it has to be a family effort. So, where to start? This article at ivillage gives suggestions for how to get your children involved in the practice of living green. They break it down by age, giving a real idea of what each age can understand and how they can participate. Here are some examples of what each age can do.




Preschooler
Energy: Tell them to turn off the lights when leaving a room and to leave the lights off during the day. Natural sunlight is generally good enough.

Grade 1-3
Water: Besides teaching your child dental hygiene, remind them to turn off the water while brushing their teeth.

Grade 4-6
Transportation: Carpool to activities. Check with your child's daycare or school teacher to find out if other kids live nearby and plan carpools to school and other activities.

Grade 7-8
Waste: Fix something before buying a new one. If your child's backpack gets a rip or needs a new zipper, check to see if the manufacturer will fix it for free or take it to a local repair shop.

High school students
Food: Give your high-schooler shopping responsibilities: Take them with you to the local farmer's market and have them develop a shopping list that focuses on balanced, healthy meals using organic, local produce.

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