Now more than ever, we know how important it is to live a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. This is something that has to involve the whole family, especially our children, as they are the ones who need to live on a healthier planet.
If we can teach our children eco-friendly habits today, it will affect their future life choices. There are a few easy-to-apply ideas we put into practice at home that changed our lifestyle and got the kids involved in the process.
At first, we began watching documentaries together on sustainability and afterward we had a family discussion about how we could be more sustainable at home. Here are a few ideas. We listened to the children’s ideas and discussed together the new ways we could live an eco-friendly lifestyle, and we wrote all our resolutions in a notebook. It was good to show them that we were taking this matter seriously and they were a part of it.
1. Reduce waste and grow herbs
Our first point of action was to reduce the waste in our homes, by recycling rubbish and composting food scraps. The kids were happy to help us make a compost bin that we placed in our garden.
We also started a small herb garden together. Here is a handy guide for starting your own edible garden, also for the not so green thumbed ones!
2. Give away unwanted clothes
The next step was to sort through their unused clothes and toys. We then went together to a charity to donate what they gathered. It made them happy to see how their old toys and clothes would be reused by someone else in need, instead of ending up in landfills.
3. Collect plastic wherever you go
Another way to raise the kids’ eco-awareness was by bringing plastic bags (one for each of us) every time we went to the beach or a nature park. We collected the rubbish we’d find along the way to help keep the environment clean. We also take those opportunities to discuss sustainability and the environment around us with them.
These were a few actions we put into practice that led us to a healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle and helped our kids to become more eco-conscious. As they continue to grow up, we notice that they keep practicing sustainable choices and are becoming more aware of their role in designing the future of the planet.
