Green Children...They're not so bad.

Over on "The" network for bloggers, Cre8buzz, I learned about something I had to participate in from Cable Girl. It's called Blog Action Day.

It didn't even take a second thought to know what I wanted to write about: Kids.

The efforts we take today will mean very little if we don't teach our children why we do the things we do. It's easy to get caught up in just getting our tasks done and not stop to explain the "why's" and "how's" of daily life to our kids. But we have to remember that once these guys are on their own, they become the consumers of America. They become the people buying products and throwing them away. It's our job to teach our children how to take care of themselves - but it is also our job to teach them to take care of the place they live.

Getting them involved doesn't always seem easy. I try to get the kids involved with making our family sustainable without shoving it down their throats. I don't want them to resent recycling or composting, I want them to embrace it as the way they live and will continue to live their whole lives.

Mainly, I've done this by making them the honoree compost taker-outers. While I realize this is not a very cool job, I do what I can to make it cool, like needing it done when they are grounded or need to be getting ready for bed. I'm still working on a way to make taking the garbage and recycling out fun.


There are more subtle ways to pass a green attitude to your kids. (Seriously, peeps, it isn't that hard. You know me. Impossibly easy. Impossibly easy lifestyle changes, that is!)

Some ways I do it:

~I've stopped saying "Throw it away" as a blanket statement and replaced it with "Recycle it." I would say , "Go throw this away," assuming they would know that I meant for them to recycle it. Could I really blame them when their school papers ended up in the garbage? When I make a clear direction for it, they pick up on it. Now they ask me ifsomething is recyclable.

~I ask them for ideas. When we have a container that is going to be recycled or thrown away, I ask if they can think of something else to use it for first. They don't always think of a use for it, but at least I know I'm getting those wheels turning.

~I talk to them. I point out things that are eco-friendly and things that are not. I explain why for both reasons. I know that they know that trash doesn't disappear when the garbage man comes.

~I don't buy them everything they ask for. In fact, I hardly ever do. We too often (and I was so guilty of this until a couple years ago!) make purchases that we don't even need. A little toy here and there never hurt anyone...but that insanely plastic-filled package it came in will. I also let them know why we make these decisions - so they can take that knowledge and ask for something with less packaging remember it the next time they ask for a toy.

~I don't let trash rest outside. Whether it's in my yard or at the park I always make a point to pick up trash I see on the ground. Long-time readers may already know this, but my Sunshine has become quite the complainer when it comes to litterers. When she sees garbage, she immediately picks it up and disgustedly says, "Why couldn't they just THROW IT AWAY!? Sheesh! I'll do it!"

~We bring up the Energy Hog. This creepy character was introduced to our family over the summer. He serves as a reminder of what we don't want to be. "Lights on? Let's not be an energy hog!" "Shower's a little long! Let's not be an energy hog!" Because the character was already introduced to them in a much cooler environment than home, they caught on to this pretty quickly.

These are just a few simple ways to introduce a greener life to your kids. Find what works for your family.

Change what you can. Work on what you can't. Be proud of the changes you make and the ideal you set.


If you'd like some more ideas on teaching green, check out this link from iVillage.

Also check out some more of the Blog Action Day participants at BlogActionDay.org!

Green Challenge

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.

I really couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend Earth Day (Last Sunday…what…did I forget to mention that? Oops.) than teaching the kids about their responsibility to the planet. They got to go fishing with dad until we met for lunch at the campground of our local city park. Then we walked the mile trail back collecting garbage. Recyclables in one bag and the rest in another.

Starting out, Ninja Boy was irritated that my brother was telling him to go get things he spotted. But after a while, both the kids were on the lookout for litter and chasing into the woods to pick it up. They were saying “What rude people” “Why can’t they just take it to the garbage can!?” I was so proud. We ended up filling both bags. In fact, Sunshine didn’t want to stop! But…after I came to the condom (well, used, of course!), I decided to call it a day.

I still can’t get over how someone could go back into those beautiful nature trails and throw their garbage into the trees. Beautifying nature doesn’t always give me the great feeling that other charity work does. I end up bitter that there are so many selfish people in the world. So many people that think they are more important than the person who volunteers a year - or twenty - later to go through and pick up their garbage for them.

Even when I was picking up the property at work, I was resentful. It sucks that I need to be willing to go outside and pick up garbage off the ground because guy #1 wasn’t willing to hang on to it for a minute until he reached the garbage receptacle. But you know what? It sucks that other people blow up their food in the microwave and leave it for me to clean. No matter where you are in life, no matter what you’re doing, there is always going to be someone who takes advantage of something you are grateful for. I really wish I could change those people, but I can’t. All I can do is get out there and try to make a difference myself.

And that leads me to your challenge this week: Pick up a piece of trash. Really, just one. (Don’t you love how impossibly simple these are?) Make that one little difference in our world. Make up for someone else’s shortcoming so our world has a little more balance, a little more harmony.

And please, don’t litter.

More tips for the office next week!

For more on littering, check out the Ideal Bite.