Teaching Your Children About Environmental Consciousness

With the increasing urgency of environmental issues - from climate change and energy shortages to waste disposal and water conservation - the more you can educate today’s younger generations, the better. After all, as today’s youngsters mature into adulthood, they will continue to face many of the environmental problems being dealt with today. What’s more, the rate at which the world is developing means the young people of today might have to deal with such issues on a more serious level in future years. But raising consciousness about environmental issues isn’t just about a lesson plan or two. Instead, it’s about implementing a way of thinking in a youngster’s life. So how can you go about teaching your children to live each day of their lives with a consciousness about the environment? There are countless ways - and many resources to help you do it. To begin, there are a number of ways to implement environmental consciousness in the home - from energy and water conservation to recycling. Urge your child to turn off the television or the lights when they leave a room, and to be water-conscious during showers and while brushing their teeth. It’s also important to teach them how to separate recyclables - a lesson that can be particularly fun if you explain what happens to all those bottles and cans once they arrive at a recycling plant. Another great way to instill environmental consciousness in your kids is to start a compost pile in your backyard. Once again, you’ll have to teach them what they can and cannot place into a compost pile and why – which can be incredibly interesting and thought-provoking for children. However, environmental consciousness in the home is only part of it. After all, kids spend much of their time in school, where they’re exposed to many opportunities to practice eco-friendly habits. Aside from some of the same environmental practices in the home - such as recycling, energy conservation and a compost pile - an interesting lesson plan could be introduced by teachers in their classrooms. From computer programmes and websites dedicated to environmental consciousness to games and lessons held outdoors, the opportunities are endless when it comes to teaching kids about being environmentally responsible in school. Many schools also take the initiative to invite representatives from recycling plants to talk to school children; helping students further understand the recycling processes and their effects on other environmental issues - like climate change. So, if you’re teacher or a parent with a child in school, it may be an idea to start teaching them about the environmental issues faced with today, and about their role regarding the environment; now and in the future.