FINDING THE LORAX WITHIN – MAKING ECO-FRIENDLY KIDS

As environmentally conscious parents, we believe it’s never too early to teach our kids to make the right choices. Although there’s a lot more we can do, just as a start here’s how we involve our son in appreciating and embracing sustainable practices.

About Wastage: ‘Let’s not waste’, is one of the most overused phrases in my family. To begin with, we encourage him to take only as much as he needs, be it food, drawing paper, tissue, toothpaste or water. Should he need more, he can certainly take more and either finish it or save for later. Same goes for us grown-ups. He also writes notes to remind all at home to turn the tap and lights off after use.

Reuse/ Recycle/ Donate: There’s no shame in that. He reuses paper bags for art projects, juice bottles for science projects or storage; toothbrushes, toilet roll, amazon boxes etc. for maker space inventions. After use, he is responsible for cleaning and placing in the recycle bin.

Sometimes, when he indulges in a big bath, instead of draining the water, we use it to wash the patio, the car, his bicycle or to flush the toilet.

We donate whatever is in good condition. As a rule, he donates an equal number of toys or clothes as and when he gets new ones. There are stores like ‘Once Upon a Child’ that even buy kids’ things. He gets a kick by selling his toys.

Buying choices: First, we tend to ask ourselves, ‘is this really required?’. Should we decide that it is, we make sure it’s eco-friendly or biodegradable. Again, I involve him by asking him to read the labels and look for those key words. Cleaning products, detergents are usually green if not home-made with baking soda, vinegar etc. which he gets to name and trademark. This proud brother also enjoyed selecting the right cloth diapers and biodegradable diapers for his baby sister.

Nature walks: The best way to instil environmental consciousness is to get him out in nature. We enjoy bird-watching, bug- hunting, exploring the habitat and imagining the wildlife on the trail. Nature walks can also be indoors; he’s been to almost every zoo, aquarium, museum, insectarium, farm in all the cities we’ve lived or visited. He clearly is curious and respects every creature from ants to scorpions to wild cats to the extinct dinosaurs.

Vegetarianism: That brings me vegetarianism. Although he doesn’t fully grasp the idea of greenhouse emissions or excessive use of water or land in meat production, he appreciates the idea of respecting all life and choosing a vegetarian diet.

‘World’s greatest scientist’ game: Every now and again, dad and he discuss global issues and play a game called, ‘if you were a scientist’ how would you solve the issue, simply to get him to think about it. Dad will sketch out say, 'The ozone layer depletion and its causes' and ask how he would deal with it. The rules of the game are: no question is off limits and he can read relevant books or watch documentaries to come up with answers. The results have been remarkable.