Teach the Children

I have spent many hours thinking of the topics that will be covered in my articles and which one's I will do next. Finally narrowing it, I have found a topic that deals with not only the environment but also the very essence of our future: the children. This does not mean just yours or mine. (Some of us have no children) All children need to respect the earth and be aware of what consequences their choices will have on the environment.

Our job as adults is to set examples and include the children in recycling, reusing, and reducing waste in their everyday lives. I have listed several aspects in the lives of children and the different ways in which you can become an example. Whether you are a parent, sibling, grandparent, or just the people living next door, these tools will give you ideas on how to involve the children in saving the earth.

Outside of home: Have the children take the knowledge you have taught them and put it to use outside of the home. Learning to look for ways of saving on waste will strengthen their abilitys to do this on their own. Wrap birthday gifts for friends and relatives in comics from your Sunday paper. Pack school lunches in plastic containers or reuse the bread and cereal bags. When going out for dinner only order what will be ate, or bring containers to keep leftovers. Better yet, have children pack themselves a small snack and avoid going out to eat all together.

Home: This is where it all begins; a child will take the things they have learned from home and incorporate them into his or her own home as an adult. Your home is the foundation for your child's lifestyle. Recycling: Children should be involved in washing, reusing, and recycling cans, jars, plastic bags, and anything else that they use. Having a book with different art projects that use household items is a plus. Going to the recycling center with your child or having them be in charge of what goes in the bins for curbside service is one way to involve the children. This also gives you a helping hand. Waste: Teach children to chose the items that have less packaging or no packaging. Put them in charge of remembering the cloth bags for the store.

School: Getting involved in school is the biggest difference you can make in a child's life. Spend some time in the school system and get to know a few of the people there, especially the principle. Do not be afraid to ask questions and find out why things are done the way they are. Many times, just a suggestion can change things for the better.

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