From a young age, children learn to be clean and tidy. Waste management at home also teaches children some essential things.
Kathy Brellan
Parents always try to teach their children to be neat and tidy from a very young age. Cleanliness has been inextricably linked to good health since olden days; thus, we want our kids to look clean and healthy. Although the neat and polished look of our children doesn’t always mean that they leave other places clear wherever they go.
As our planet is experiencing tough times with global warming and plastic pollution, all people need to take action to stop the irreversible changes. Even small humans’ contribution is valuable.
As everything starts at our homes, waste management at home can be your first step towards making our planet a cleaner and safer place. And your kids can help as well as benefit from it. By managing waste at home with your children, you can foster many essential things in their minds.
#1: Respect for Nature
Learning that plastic bottle shouldn’t be thrown into the middle of a lake, but put in the recycling bin instead, your child will begin noticing other garbage on the streets and in the parks. They will know that trees, bushes, and flowers are hurt when people leave the waste near them. By showing how clean and pure ponds and green lawns look without litter, you will raise a respectful and responsible kid.
#2: Conscious Consumerism
If you reuse glass jars, containers, clothes, plastic bags, and other items, your child will see that buying new things is not always necessary. Not only it can save you some money, but also contribute to overcoming consumerism. But, make sure your child doesn’t give in to consumerism online. If your little one loves buying things on the Internet, better control this habit with mobile phone tracker app. Learning how and why things are reused the child will even know the meaning and purpose of every single purchase and may take up minimal lifestyle in the future.
#3: Healthy Eating
Recycling waste from foods, you can teach your child to prefer food without packaging. They will understand that the food that is packed in a vast amount of plastic is not always a great option. On the contrary, they will start to choose products that are sold loose, which are often fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other useful options.
#4: Innovative Thinking
By explaining to your child how to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, you will nurture creative thinking. The children are always ready to explore; so, your little one may start thinking about other ways to minimize the amount of waste.
#5: Skill of Sharing
If you decide to make your home more organized and cleaner, you will probably want to get rid of some clothes you don’t wear anymore. And if your child has way too many toys, it’s time to share them with their friends. By giving away the things you don’t need/use anymore, your child will learn to be more generous and charitable.
#6: Staying Organized
Clean space helps to stay organized. When your home is tidy, and all the garbage is sorted and recycled, both you and your kids can breathe fresh air and new opportunities. So, if your child has cleared their space from candy wrappers, toys and clothes, they will probably want to continue keeping it organized. Waste management will teach them to put things where they belong and avoid hoarding.
Waste management is beneficial for both kids and adults. Being raised in an environment where people know how to reduce garbage and recycle it properly, your child will become a responsible and thoughtful member of the community.
Kathy Brellan is an Ecologist and Geologist. She has been a professor at the University of California for 32 years. She is a mother and has two wonderful children.