| Many children today don't learn to think at all | | | | depend on the interests of your children. Some |
| about the environment. Others do, of course, but | | | | will love animals intensely at a very early age and |
| if there's no example set, what else can be | | | | may want to learn about endangered species |
| expected? | | | | early. Others will not. |
| This is something important for all parents to | | | | Perhaps the most important thing you can teach |
| consider, although it can be easier for stay at | | | | your children is what they, as individuals can do. It |
| home parents such as myself to set the example. | | | | can be hard to realize how much just one person |
| I consider keeping to the facts to be one of the | | | | can do. Discuss the big choices as well as the little |
| most important things you can do. You want your | | | | ones that can mean so much. |
| children to trust you, and if they find out you | | | | Little choices can include such things as merely |
| exaggerated, there goes some of that trust | | | | deciding to recycle, picking which items to buy and |
| This can be challenging. Trying to explain the | | | | so forth. Bigger choices can include the car you |
| issues at age appropriate levels is not easy. You | | | | drive and how you power your home. |
| can start off at a fairly young age, however. | | | | Especially as they approach high school age, it can |
| Preschoolers can be great about turning off lights | | | | be good to encourage your children to become |
| and asking before throwing items in the trash or | | | | more actively involved in the issues that |
| recycling bins. They love helping in the garden. All | | | | particularly interest them. I do strongly encourage |
| very simple, very preschooler friendly. | | | | you to allow them to pick their own causes, |
| As they get older you can discuss some of the | | | | rather than your own pet cause. The main thing is |
| more serious issues. Why we don't want to | | | | that they participate, not that they do only what |
| produce more garbage than we have to, for | | | | you think is most important. |
| example. You can also get into why you have to | | | | Getting involved can start at a very early age. If |
| be more careful about disposing of things such as | | | | you make it just a fact of life, children can learn |
| electronics and batteries. | | | | to think about the environment as they grow. |
| Then there are endangered species, rain forests, | | | | The younger green habits start, the easier they |
| air quality and water quality issues you can teach | | | | should be to live with. |
| about. Exactly when each is appropriate can | | | | |