How To Raise Eco-friendly Kids

There is a quote I love. I am not sure who said it, but it says, “Children are the message we send into the future, and the contribution we leave the world.” What a beautiful and terrifying thought. Being a parent is a huge responsibility. It is our duty to give the world kids who are kind, who are critical thinkers, and who will make this world a better place. I think raising eco-friendly kids is one of many ways that we can teach our children to be selfless. It can teach them to put others before themselves, teach them to look out for those around them, and help them be better people. Raising kids who are eco-friendly sounds daunting, but there are some easy ways to get the ball rolling.

I received compensation and samples for this post. All ideas and opinions are my own. 

Learn About The World Around Them

People are hard on the world. We are taking and using resources that we need to conserve. The only way to help our children understand how important those resources are is to teach them about the earth. I want my kids to see and experience the world around them and all the beauty it has to offer. I want them to want to take care of our earth because they know how valuable and precious it is.

Instill A Love Of Wildlife

The other day we were reading about the white rhinoceros. Did you know that they are critically endangered and will most likely become extinct during our lifetime? It hurts my heart to know that my sons favorite animal will most likely not be around for his children to enjoy. Instilling a love of plants and animals in our children will encourage them to think outside themselves and really contemplate how their choices and decisions affect our earth.

Plant a Garden

One of the best ways to take care of our earth is to physically take care of our earth! Teach your kids how plants grow and how to take care of them. Teach them where their food comes from! This one is so hard for me, I was not given a green thumb, but we are trying! My kids have so much fun planting and watching their seeds grow. I love that they know more about the world, both its successes and failures, because of it!

Outdoor Play

This one is the easiest. Get outside with your kids. Explore the outdoors. Whether it is something as crazy as hitting the road to visit somewhere new like the beach, or as simple taking their baby doll and blocks to the back porch, let your kids fall in love with mother earth by experiencing her in the simplest of ways.

Conservation

With awareness comes action. Kids love to solve problems and do things independently. Give them the knowledge they need to make better choices when it comes to our earth. Teach them the “Three Rs” recycle, reduce, reuse. Remind them why we turn off the water while brushing our teeth. Knowing that they can make a difference makes a huge difference in a child’s attitude and motivation.

Be an Example

Just like all traits we would like to encourage in our children, leading by example is the best way to teach them. I try to find ways to show my kids that I care about our earth. We recycle, we reuse things and we conserve water. My husband was a wildlife biology major so we talk A LOT about plants and animals. Lately I have been trying to find ways to be more eco-friendly when it comes to household items. When my children see me making an effort to find and use products better for the environment, I hope they will do the same. I was so excited, although I admit a little skeptical, when I had the chance to try Tide purclean™. I love to make better choices when I look for cleaning products, but I do want them to do a good job at cleaning.

Guys. I have been totally blown away with this detergent. Tide purclean™ is the first bio-based detergent that has all the awesome cleaning power of Tide.  With 65% bio-based ingredients, as certified by the USDA BioPreferred program, Tide purclean™ aims to set the performance standard for natural detergents. I am impressed by its cleaning power. In fact, I am positive it cleans as well as Tide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent.

After visiting P&G headquarters this year, I can say their company has our homes and our futures in mind when they create new products. They truly believe that the best way to help create a more sustainable future is to make the products that people use and love every day more environmentally friendly.

One commonly asked question I have found as I talk to others about Tide purclean™, is whether or not it cleans in cold water. Using cold water to do your laundry conserves energy, so having a bio-based liquid detergent would be less effective if it only worked in warm water. The answer is yes. Tide formulators have designed Tide purclean™ to clean even in cold water, helping you do your part in energy conservation via cold-water washing. It works in all types of machines and to make a good thing even better, it smells divine! If you are looking for one way to start being more eco-friendly in your home, Tide Purclean™ is a great place to start!

How do you try to raise your kids to be more eco-friendly?