How to Raise Your Kids to Be Tomorrow’s Eco Warriors

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There are untold benefits to having a deep connection with nature. Studies have shown it can have a tremendously positive impact on physical and mental well-being, lower stress levels, and is also simply, in many cases, all-out fun. The natural world really does have a lot to offer us.

Of course, the natural world doesn’t just impact us; we also impact the natural world, and it’s not too outlandish to say that humanity hasn’t been living up to its side of the bargain all that well recently. 

If the world is going to have a bright future, then it needs people to stand up for it. Could your children be tomorrow’s eco champions? There’s no better way to make tomorrow better than by raising a generation of people with the right values.

Easier said than done? Maybe. There are, however, plenty of little and large ways that you can gently guide your children in the right direction. We’ve put together some of the best strategies below — take them on board, and we’re confident that your children will develop a love of nature that lasts a lifetime and might just become the kind of adults that the world needs.

Spend Time Outside

There’s no better way to have your children fall in love with nature than by letting them spend time in it. There is, after all, no better playground on the planet than the great outdoors. 

If you live in Michigan, then you’ll have plenty of beautiful, outdoor places to visit. With summer coming up, now’s the perfect time to invest in some camping gear and spend a few days under the stars. Your children will love being able to have unrestricted play in such a stunning environment, and slowly but surely, they’ll come to appreciate the natural world — and be much more likely to live in a way that supports the planet.

Limit Technology

It’s not realistic to ban all technology from your child’s life. In fact, that wouldn’t be a good idea even if it were possible. However, it can be recommended to at least limit/reduce how much time your child spends staring at a screen. How addictive smartphones are is still a source of debate, but most research indicates that, once you pick one up, it can be hard to put down. Over time, your child might be happier lying on their bed, staring at their device than they are spending time among the trees. Plus, the sheer amount of energy required to power the internet is eye-watering. There are other benefits of limiting your child’s screen time beyond helping nature, but it’ll have an impact in this area, too. 

Start a Vegetable Patch

Looking for a fun, easy, and tasty way to showcase the value of nature to your children? Look at starting a vegetable patch in your backyard. This is so much fun and so educational that it’s a wonder that more parents don’t make the most of it. 

You don’t need much to get started. If you have a little patch of earth, then you can get planting. If you’re new to growing vegetables at home, then start with the easy ones, which include tomatoes, peppers, and carrots. Your children will have a fun time planting them, and will positively love eating them — make sure to use the ingredients to make a fun meal to really enjoy the fruits of their labor to the fullest. 

Use Earth-Friendly Products

Allowing for a little bit of dust, dirt, and dog hair in the home is OK — in fact, it might even be better if you’re trying to teach your kids the importance of looking after the planet. A desire to have everything spotlessly clean at all times is one of the reasons why the climate is suffering in the first place.

Still, even if you’re OK with a little bit of dust, by and large, you’ll want to have a clean house. You can ensure this is good for the planet by using earth-friendly cleaning products whenever possible. Even things like the label of eco-friendly cleaning products can subtly send the right message to your children.

Switch to Solar Energy

It’s possible to make small changes that benefit the planet, but if the underlying foundations are damaging, then the positive effects will be minimal. For most families, the biggest contributor to their carbon footprint is their home’s energy consumption. 

Of course, it’s not realistic to think that you’ll virtually eliminate your energy consumption. Even if you take steps to reduce it by a lot, your house will still consume a lot of energy. The solution? Change where your energy comes from. Solar, for instance, offers a sustainable, renewable energy source that can power your home, and getting them while your children are young will ensure that solar panels are simply the normal way to produce energy. Wherever you live, there will be plenty of local energy solar companies that can provide tailored solutions that meet your specific needs. Plus, installing solar panels — which signals a deep commitment to the environment — will be an exciting day for your children, one that they’re likely to remember forever. Throw in the fact that solar energy is much cheaper than other energy types, and it’s a no-brainer. 

Prioritize Recycling

As with your home’s energy, while you can take steps to minimize waste, it’s not realistic that you’ll get rid of it completely. If a recipe calls for a tin of sweetcorn, then you’ll be left with the tin once the meal has been prepared.

Prioritizing recycling is great for the environment and will also help normalize it in the eyes of your children. They’ll subtly get the message that it’s not OK to simply discard waste packaging when we’re done with it. Instead, we should look to extend its life as much as possible.

Recycling is the best way to extend the life of a material — if you do it, anyway. If you live in Michigan, check with your local community to see which materials can be recycled and how. A day trip to a recycling center can be a fun day out with your kids!

Shop Local 

The best way to reduce your carbon footprint would be to eliminate buying new products altogether, but that’s not realistic. Plus, it’s not really fair — children deserve to have toys and other nice things in their lives. While it is recommended to reduce consumerism, you’ll still have to buy things from time to time.

One good way to buy products for your children (and yourself/the house/etc) while still being planet-friendly is to shop local whenever possible. It’s much better for the environment if you buy products that have been manufactured nearby. Plus, you’ll be helping to support the local economy. 

Take a Bike Ride

People driving around in cars have a big impact on pollution. As with other things on this list, it’s not realistic to think that you’ll never get behind the wheel. You’ll use your car all the time! But does it have to be every time? 

If you and your kids have somewhere to be and it’s not too far away, then you could think about putting on your helmets and taking a bike ride. This is a fun way to travel anyway, one that we’re sure your kids will love, but it can also have a positive impact on their transportation habits. When they’re adults, they’ll likely look for opportunities to cycle, not drive, because of the fond memories they have of cycling when they were younger. 

Meat-Free Mondays

After home energy and transportation, it’s usually their diet where most people use the most amount of energy. Eating meat, especially supermarket meat, can have a massive impact on the environment. The water required to make one hamburger is the same as the water required for two months’ worth of showers.

It’s not realistic to think that every family will turn vegetarian (though good luck if you do it!). It is realistic to think that families could have meat-free Mondays (in which you make dinner using vegetarian ingredients), or perhaps even eat veggie dishes multiple times a week. In doing so, you’ll show your children that food can be delicious and healthy even if there are no animals involved. Just make sure to explain to them, as gently as possible, why you’re bringing more meat-free dishes into the schedule.

Ongoing Education 

Finally, let’s not forget the old tried and tested adage that knowledge is power. Your children will be much more likely to act in earth-friendly ways — both now and well into the future — if they understand why it’s important. While it should avoid sounding like a lecture, it’s good practice to periodically share with your children the importance of being good custodians of the planet. Humans have been around for some 100,000 years, and for the majority of that time, lived in accordance with nature. Reminding your children of that fact can lead to a better tomorrow. 

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.