Teach Your Kids about Climate Change and Sustainability

Children learn by example, and as parents you are their example. Todays’ children will be tomorrows’ leaders in the battle against climate change. It’s so important that our youth understand the concept of sustainable living from a young age. We have the power to teach them right. We can be their role models on how to make a difference when it comes to sustainability and climate change.

Research shows that modeling or teaching by example has a greater effect on children's behavior than just telling them what to do. With that said, the first step you need to take is to take an honest look at your own habits. We all have areas we can improve upon. For example, ask yourself, “how many times do I buy water in a plastic bottle”, “how much food do I throw away”? Did you know you can replace buying water in plastic bottles by simply putting a filter on your water faucet and buying a reusable jug to drink from? Water is also sold in recyclable containers, you just need to read the label. With food, you can save your leftover vegetables and make a vegetable soup. You can also call your local trash company and ask about having a compost bin. If the company doesn’t offer a compost bin, you can order one on the internet or buy one at a store. When our children see us making changes, inevitably they learn how to live the same way. If they see us composting and recycling and we teach them how to do it too, they then learn positive habits.

Some of the things you can do to actively teach your children about living a sustainable lifestyle are:

1 – Grow a garden together. If you have space, start a little vegetable garden with your kids. There are all kinds of lessons in this. You teach them to plant, care, nurture and the value of growing your own vegetables. Teach them about saving money since you aren’t buying the vegetables at the store. You can also grow an herb garden. Talk to your child about which vegetables grow during which seasons. So many lessons in growing a garden together. You can also visit some of your local sustainable farms, giving your child a chance to see where some of their food comes from.

2 – If your family eats meat, designate a few days where you don’t eat meat at all. Discuss why eating less meat can be good for your health and the environment. Research it together. Come up with some recipes together for a vegetarian or vegan meal.

3 – Talk about conserving water and energy. Instead of just telling your children, “Turn off the lights”, “Don’t leave the water running” and other various parent phrases, find educational videos that explain why turning off the lights and not leaving the water running is important. Discuss the videos after you watch them. Let your child ask questions. If you don’t have the answer, look it up together. The internet is filled with information, so is a trip to the library together.

4 – Start recycling at home. It’s never too early to teach your children about waste and recycling. You can talk about topics like how paper is made and why recycling is important to help our forests. Talk about why recycling plastic is so important to our environment. It takes years for plastic to break down and it’s harmful to our environment. Again, find videos and look up answers together.

5- Read, read and do more reading. Find books about climate change and read with your child. Find books that address the importance of living sustainably. Be mindful though not to make it a scary topic. Before you read the books to them, make sure they are child friendly. One book I like is, “The Tomorrow Book” by Jackie French. It’s a book about a young prince who is determined to rule a country where the future is filled with environmental hope. Do your research and find books you think will be easy and friendly to read with your child. Make a list of books your child might enjoy and let them pick which one they want to read together. Books with built in activities are super fun and helpful in trying to teach a new concept.

Remember, children are our future. Climate change is real. There are so many important lessons we need to teach our children so they have a safe future. Start with these five simple steps. Not only will you be teaching your child excellent lessons, it’s great bonding time with them. Make this sustainable teaching time something fun for the whole family. The sooner you get started, the sooner you and your children will begin a positive change towards saving our environment. You may wonder how one family can make a big difference, right? Well think of this, if you share what you are doing with your children with your friends and family, maybe they will try doing it too. How wonderful it is when a chain reaction of positivity happens. Remember, kids learn by modeling, teaching, consistency and positive reinforcement. Make sure you tell them how proud of them you are. Words of praise for doing good things makes a powerful impact. Now go have fun with your family and know that you are making a positive difference in the world.

Written by:

Sue McGaughey