Children are naturally curious about the world around them, especially when they’re little, and it’s your job as a parent to nurture that curiosity so that it becomes kindness towards the environment. Doing so will help to conserve our planet for future generations, while also encouraging youngsters to take responsibility for their own actions. Here are some tips from a boys’ school in St Albans.
Explore Nature
Encouraging your child to love and respect nature is one important step to helping them become more environmentally conscious. So, be sure to explore nature where possible, and teach them all about it. Perhaps you could go hiking or camping, or even just take a walk through the woods. Build your own bird feeders or bug hotels to invite nature to your garden. People tend to protect the things they love, so if your child finds a love of nature from a young age, they will be more inclined to do what they can to care for it in the future.
Talk About Environmental Issues
Try and introduce the environment into your conversations with your child to help them with their learning and understanding. Talking about environmental issues will help your child understand how important it is, and they might be more inclined to take it seriously. There are also lots of documentaries and TV shows about the environment, so you could look into this next time you’re trying to find something to watch together.
Teach Your Child About Consequences
If you notice your child doing something that might be harmful to the planet, like dropping their litter outside or leaving the lights on in a room they’re not using, use it as an opportunity to talk to them about the consequences of their actions. Likewise, teach them what happens when they make positive choices like recycling their rubbish.
Grow Your Own
Food waste is becoming increasingly more problematic all around the world, so why not try and do your bit to tackle this by growing your own vegetables. Your child will learn all about what’s involved in keeping plants alive and will feel a sense of pride when the time comes to actually eat your home-grown food. Helping them understand where food actually comes from and what’s involved in producing it will likely make them more mindful about wasting it.
Look for Ways to Save Energy & Water
Try and teach your child about wasting energy and water, and how it impacts the environment, as well as your wallet. Turn it into a game so that your child can have fun with their learning, by asking them to scour the house for ways you could reduce your energy usage. Ask them to cut their showers short and let you know if they spot a leaky faucet.
