10 Tips for Being a Green Parent
Preparing your children to be conscious about the environment is one of the best things that you can do for them. It will not only teach them to care about the planet, but it will also teach them healthy life skills that can have a positive impact on those around them. Green parenting involves being a good role model for your children and helping them to live an eco-lifestyle.
Although it seems like a big task, green parenting can be fun and easy if you take the proper steps. If you start with a few minor changes then you will eventually get the green results that you need.
So, what are some ways that you and your spouse can be green parents? Here are a few:
Reusable Diapers
One of the best ways to start being a green parent is to begin when your child is still in diapers. Instead of purchasing diapers that will end up in a landfill, try reusable diapers that you can wash and reuse again. Or you can check out our blog post on Diaper Changing Tips for 100% Biodegradable gDiapers.
Organic Baby Food
You can either purchase organic baby food products or make your own! Check out Grist’s page on putting organic baby food to the test for some of the best organic baby food companies, or read WholesomeBabyFood.com’s Make Homemade Baby Food Recipes page for tasty and healthy organic baby food recipes.
Recycle Clothes
Recycling old clothes is a great way to keep them out of the trash. When your children grow too big for their old clothes you should save the clothes and either trade them for clothes from other parents, donate them to Goodwill or The Salvation Army, or sell them at a yard sale. You can also use websites like eBay, Craigslist and FreeCycle to sell or give away these clothes.
Explore Nature Together
One of the best ways to get your kids to appreciate the environment is to explore it together. There are tons of green activities that you can do together, including hiking, planting a garden, discovering new plants, feeding birds, walking around the park, biking around the neighborhood or watching the stars at night.
Recycle
You can teach your kids good recycling habits by showing them firsthand what types of plastic, aluminum, paper and glass is recyclable. Show them the number symbols on the bottom of plastic products and let them stomp soda cans with you. They’ll have fun picking and choosing what to throw away and what to keep, and they’ll end up teaching these green habits to their friends!
Conserve Energy
Your children like to learn by example, so by shutting off the lights when you leave the room, or unplugging your computer when it’s not in use, or by turning off the water faucet when you’re brushing your teach, you will be teaching your kids how to conserve energy and water.
Reusable Shopping Bags
Instead of using plastic or paper bags from the grocery store, use a reusable shopping bag. This will teach your children the importance of reducing paper and plastic waste. You can also get creative with your kids and decorate the canvas and recycled cotton bags with paint.
Read Food Labels
You can’t teach your family to eat healthy if you don’t know what you’re eating, so show your children how to read their food labels. They will learn the importance of essential vitamins and nutrients, and will know what kind of unhealthy ingredients to avoid. Check out our post on Wal-Mart to Get Green Labelsf.
Compost
Start a compost pile with your children to teach them the importance of not wasting food. Keep a small container in your kitchen for leftover food scraps, and once it’s full you can take it out to your garden. Your kids will learn the importance of compost nutrients and will have fun gardening with you!
Walk or Bike as Much as Possible
If you can walk or bike to a grocery store or to another venue, then you should do it. Take your kids along with you and teach them how they can reduce their carbon footprint and the carbon emissions from vehicles. They’ll not only save the environment, but they’ll learn to save money on their future gas bill.
These are just a few ways that you can be a green parent, so remember to incorporate these habits slowly into your daily rituals. Both you and your children will realize that being green is not just for Kermit the Frog!
