The Importance of sustainable parenting
The need for green parenting is urgent, now more than ever. Climate models that predict weather conditions a few years from now do not show very promising results. At the end of the 21st century, they predict that the Earth’s temperatures will increase by 4 degrees Celsius if greenhouse gases continue to rise at the current level. This means we will soon have an inhospitable planet where we will have to constantly fight for our survival which begs the question, “How should our future generations be raised?”
What is eco-parenting or green parenting?
Eco-parenting refers to making organic, natural choices in the way that children are raised. Not only does it have an educational component, but it also enforces the importance of the health benefits of living green by living a life low in environmental toxins. School starts at home and the way that kids grow up will set the standard for eco-consciousness their entire lives.
How to be eco-conscious parents when your child is born?
Even before your children reach a certain age where you can start teaching them sustainable habits, you could inculcate eco-friendly practices in your parenting style. For instance, using eco-friendly reusable nappies. There are around three billion disposable nappies that are thrown away each year in the UK which can easily be avoided if reusable nappies are used. Another change you could make could be using homemade baby food instead of processed baby foods available in the supermarket. By choosing natural products for babies skins, you are avoiding their sensitive skin being exposed to the toxic chemicals that are in baby cosmetics. Growing houseplants also improves the indoor environment and freshens the air within your house so your children get to breathe clean, toxin-free air. You could also start using green cleaning products like a DIY bioenzyme for cleaning surfaces as you might well know that babies put everything in their mouths!
Practicing a green lifestyle with kids
Young children aspire to be like their parents and imitate many of the things they see their parents do. In this way, your young one would also inculcate green habits within themselves when they see you do something. For instance, if you practice cutting down meat or switching to a plant-based diet (at least on some days) and educate your child about the benefits of these sustainable diets, they would follow it with you too.
You could also make it a habit for your children to wake up in the morning to do some gardening with you. With this practice, you could also turn growing your own veggies into a fun-filled family activity!
Ensuring that your children sort their waste is another practice that would be embedded in them even as adults. By sorting trash and maybe composting the bio-waste, they would understand the importance of such practices in saving the environment.
Making kids feel a responsibility towards the environment
Creating a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment would make your kids grow up into eco-conscious citizens. You could do this by giving them tasks. It could be as simple as making it your kid's responsibility to water your indoor plants or sorting out the trash! Getting children’s books on sustainability and the importance of living a cleaner greener life could also be something that would educate them about these issues.
You could also introduce your children to the work done by young climate activists. Many children like Greta Thunberg are the ones taking the initiative to save the environment. They have put their foot down on the government policies and practices of the older generations which have and continue to destroy the planet and their future. You could also take your children to climate movements like “Fridays for future” which would make them inspired to be more responsible about the environment.
Undertaking sustainable travel with children
Although travel increases an individual’s carbon footprint exponentially, some travel is inevitable. You could also make your travel sustainable and undertake sustainable activities on your trip. Fun activities like counting the carbon footprint of every activity they do on the trip can be a way to enforce a feeling of eco-consciousness in children. To make your kids understand the importance of traveling sustainably, you can teach your kids to offset their own carbon footprint at the end of the trip!
Inculcating sustainability in their everyday life
Ensuring that the products that children use every day are sustainable and also letting them know the story behind every article would be a useful practice. These stories might not be as important to children when they are young, as opposed to when they grow up and become parents themselves.
Toys form a big part of children’s lives. They are a child’s companion from a young age and accompany them throughout childhood into adulthood. However, is it the plastic barbie dolls or wooden dolls that were handed down from our parents that we treasure even now? Do you want your kids to have toys made from plastics that are clogging the planet or ones that are made of sustainable materials? Imagine how pretty toy shelves would look without plastic and other synthetic materials. Choosing eco-friendly toys for your children not only improves the look and feel of the toys, but it is also a much better option for the planet. Brands such as PlanToys and Le Toy Van manufacture sustainable toys which protect the planet by using eco-friendly materials as well as have a story to tell.
Make sustainable activities fun for your kids
Plan sustainable activities which are fun for your children. Kids love to get some mud on themselves so why not let them help you plant some trees? You could also take them to the beach once in a while to indulge in beach clean-ups and maybe reward them later based on how many bags of trash they could collect. Another idea is to allow your kids to pick out their own clothes at thrift stores or second-hand stores. You could also take them to eco-friendly stores like zero-waste stores and let them help you restock your pantry.
With an increasing number of people migrating to the concrete jungle of the cities, many kids have never been outside of a city! Making kids feel like they are one with the planet is very important. With the help of the eco-parenting they received from you, they could also educate their peers and foster an entire generation of eco-conscious kids. With all the sustainable habits that you inculcate in them from a young age, your child might end up being an eco-warrior of the next generation!
