I recently wrote about Going Green in 2010 – Step by Step, but I just realized something: I can do my part and make a small difference every day, but I also need to get my kids on board!
It was much simpler when they were little to get them to comply because they followed my example easily. I would put the toys in a box and they would follow suit. I would put the dirty dishes in the sink and they would do the same. They liked to do those things because they were always seeking to please me.
However, now that they are on the verge of turning 11, 13 and 16, respectively, they seem less interested in pleasing me and more interested in doing whatever makes them happy. Consequently, I have to come up with creative ways to get them on board.
If you have younger children, trust me, it is much easier to get them on board. The key is to make going green a fun experience, such as decorating a recycling box. You can even come up with a fun song for doing something like turning off the lights when they are not in use, and your children will usually join in.
Since my children are older I need to put more effort into getting them to hop on the “green” bandwagon. It is not unusual for me to come home to find every light in the house on, even in rooms that no one is in. I also regularly find clothes in the wash that have been worn for a single hour. Some of this is carelessness. However, much of it has to do with the fact that my kids have other things on their minds, and going green isn’t one of them.
As a result, I have decided to focus on teaching them how to preserve the environment without them even knowing they are going green. For instance, I am going to work on reminding them about the need to turn off lights, computers, video game systems, when they are not in use. In addition, I am considering having a meatless dinner night, where we make a salad and have a variety of fixings available for my children to choose from. Each week we could have a “litter alert” where we walk up and down the block, picking up any litter. My kids would also probably appreciate having some green life in their bedrooms to take care of that will also double as toxin fighters.
I don’t expect miracles, but with some planning and creativity, I’m hopeful that I will be able to inpsire my kids to go green.