- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Growing up Green
Teaching Babies and Toddlers Earth-friendly Habits Is Easier Than You Think
By Jacqueline Bodnar
While some people started living a "green lifestyle" long before it was popular, there are many others that are just now catching up with the trend. Living a green lifestyle simply means that one is conscious of the impact one makes on the planet. For most people, it means taking steps to try to minimize their carbon footprint, or the amount of environmental damage that they cause.
The good news is that, no matter what age someone is, it's never too early or too late to jump on the green bandwagon. Not only are babies and toddlers no exception, but toddlerhood is a perfect time to start teaching a greener way of life.
Some parents may think that toddlers aren't quite sophisticated enough to learn about the environment. After all, they're just learning to really grasp some of the most basic skills in life. But this belief couldn't be further from the truth. When kids start understanding about other things in the world the live in, they can start learning about protecting the environment, as well.
"It's just part of parenting, to teach our kids important lessons at every age," says Crissy Trask, author of It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living (Gibbs Smith, 2006). "We don't wait until our kids are 5 or 6 to start teaching them about good practices, like keeping their hands to themselves, sharing, brushing their teeth, eating their vegetables, etc. Toddlers are no less capable of learning behaviors that conserve resources than they are of learning any new behaviors that are simple to grasp."
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||