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Today more than ever, being green is extremely important. I laughed at school when they showed us videos of people in “baked potato costumes” walking around, unable to go outside without this suit. The thought of our world approaching the point where fresh air, clean water, and a safe environment were no longer available struck me as strange. Fortunately, our children today do not see this future as made up. Children around the world are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and are trying to find ways to protect Mother Earth.
As parents, we must encourage this through our example and opportunities. Here are ways you can help your toddler / kids become green! Recycle! Yes, recycling is one of the best ways to save the environment, and it’s free. It takes 100 years to decompose 1 plastic bag. Consider how many plastic bags end up in your home in a week. Recycle these bags by carrying them in your car, so you can take your own bags to the store while shopping. Have children collect bags from home for recycling; whoever scores the most will receive the award.
Teach your children about saving water. Instead of letting the water run all the time you brush your teeth, wet your toothbrush, turn off the water, turn it on to rinse, and then turn it off. Encourage them to take a shower or bath faster. Did you know that the amount of water adults would use in a three-minute shower is more water than most people in Africa need to use for all of their daily activities? If children are washing dishes, have them fill one sink with hot soapy water and the other with clean rinse water. You can dry them with a towel or let them dry. Avoid using paper towels, use dish towels.
Water bottles are another big problem. If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, invest in a filter to make the water taste better and ask the kids to fill the bottles you have rather than throw them away.
Their toys encourage them to share them with their friends instead of throwing them away. My daughter and her friends spend one day a week meeting and exchanging toys. We were nervous about it at first, but then we realized that each child gets a new toy for himself and doesn’t throw away the toys. If other parents of your children’s friends are not happy with the idea, ask your child to collect a batch of toys they no longer want and go to a local homeless shelter, or talk to their doctor’s office about donating them to the playroom.
Talk to your child about ways they can make their school go green and ask them to present it with you to help the school go green too. Go Green schools save an average of two million pounds of paper and 14,000 pounds of cardboard or 24,792 trees. Forty-eight thousand three hundred pounds of plastic beverage containers, 8,700 printer cartridges and 13,648 pounds of food waste. These are just a few things that green school can save.
No child is too young or too old to start being green. You can help them make a difference. It doesn’t even have to cost you a dime. Get involved; help your children protect our planet. Thank you.
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Source by Margueritte Ramos