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Eco-friendly parenting is something that I adore. While I was on the road to “going green” well before my first baby, my first pregnancy thrust me full force into Natural Parenting and the importance of not “overdoing it”. Today I still strive to be an eco-conscious parent by the choices I make and in how I raise my children. Here are five simple tips to be a little more green minded while raising small children.
4 Ways to Raise Eco-Conscious Children
The best way to ensure your children are making green choices, is to set the example yourself. Children can be so passionate. In fact so passionate that Bill Nye once said “If you want grown ups to recycle, just tell their kids the importance of recycling and they’ll be all over it.” And it’s so true! So even though I know I am doing my best to be a natural parent, these values I am instilling in my kids can help spread awareness to other kids’ and their parents, care takers, and more. Kids really have a powerful influence that way!
Teach Your Kids About Recycling
Even toddlers can benefit from basic recycling education. For instance, set up a recycling station in your home and have your toddler match the number in the recycling symbol to the number on the container. This make recycling a fun earning game that you can do as a family every single day!
We even have everything posted about our recycling center at her level so she can see the images and numbers of what we can recycle and what we cannot put in the bin.
Choose Greener Energy Options
It’s hard to get away from battery usage as a parent, but it’s becoming easier to make greener choices in this realm! You can even stop by your local Wal-Mart to purchase the brand new EcoAdvanced batteries from the toy aisle. Not only are they the first on the market to contain recycled materials, they are even Energizer’s longest lasting alkaline and are available in AA and AAA. This makes powering baby toys and gear a little less burdensome on the environment and a sustainable option for parents! Check out more on Energizer’s Bringing Innovation campaign and how they are an awesome option for green families!
Know the Sustainability Practices of Companies You Support with your Dollars
Whether it’s a toy company or the battery company that fuels those toys, know how the companies you support the most value the environment and what choices they are making to make the world a better place.
Take your kids shopping with you and talk about what you’re buying and why. Have them help find and identify the things you are shopping for and why you support their company.
It takes more than one person to make a change and usually it’s dollars that speak volumes. So invest your time into knowing where you should invest your money. This creates awareness and signals to our favorite companies that they are doing good work!
Buy Secondhand When You Can
Learning to navigate secondhand and thrift stores can mean giving your kids the clothing and toys they want and need without adding extra stress the the environment. In fact, i recently read where many clothing and toys were brand new or the last season because so many families were cycling into new merchandise just 6-12 months later.
We even made the rule that we will not buy any plastic toys that are not from thrift stores. This makes it a more sustainable buying practice and since kids can go through so many toys, I usually can find them in great shape. It’s easy to assemble new games and toys out of partial thrift store finds too! In fact, puzzles that are missing pieces are some of my very favorite finds in order to provide educational games at low cost to myself and the environment.
In fact, teach your kids the value of not only recycling and upcycling but also the value of creativity by creating an exploration station out of a variety of inexpensive thrift store finds!
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Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
Lesley
Thanks for sharing this list! I’m new to your blog and have found a wealth of information with just a few clicks. Well done! Keep spreading the word and offering practical advice. It finds its mark.
Kara Carrero
I am so glad you enjoyed it! That made my day today to know that.
heather
great tips! We used to only buy toys from the thrift store as well…the kids didn’t care about them being “used” and we save so much money!
Kara Carrero
We adore the thrift store. Too many great things to just buy new.
Sarah B
Awesome tips!! We buy a lot of second hand items! Our area has a big consignment sale twice a year and it’s always a great way to get toys and clothes! #client
Kara Carrero
I adore big consignment sales. Everything is in one place and it makes it so much easier to shop!
Shannon @ GrowingSlower
Great tips! It’s always nice when my green living efforts compliment my frugal budget. I love to take the opportunities to buy great quality second hand stuff, save money, and help the environment.
fi
Thanks Kara. Practical tips without even going near the whole nappy subject! I also saved a fortune (and still do) using a toy library. We have had all sorts of short term plastic stuff for a couple of weeks then took it back and traded in for something else. We have an awesome toy library in Darwin which is also a fun activity to add into kid s shedules to visit and play while there. A wonderful and environmentally friendly resource for kids toys
Kara Carrero
I love toy libraries! I actually thought about creating one for my community at one point, but it became too daunting for me to take on myself.