Starting Your Baby on Green Habits Early
 It is never too early or too late to teach respect for the Earth and sustainability. Start teaching your babies and toddlers how to engage in green habits from the beginning.Some parents may think that toddlers aren't quite intellectually developed enough to learn about the environment. Parents think that it is too much because toddlers are just learning to really grasp some of the most basic skills and concepts in life, but this belief couldn't be further from the truth. When kids start understanding about the world the live in, they can start learning about protecting the environment, as well.
Parents are usually amazed at what younger children are able to grasp when it comes to caring for the environment. Teaching them about the world around them can be as simple as engaging them in organic gardening. Try growing something your child would be interested in such as flowers and vegetables. Not only will they gain an understanding of how things grow, but they will also learn to respect land and to grow things that are pleasurable.
As toddlers, they are just beginning to develop hygiene habits and can also develop water conservation habits. Shutting off the water while brushing teeth saves a great deal of water over the course of a year.At this age, toddlers can also understand the concept of shutting off the water when they finish washing their hands, and not wasting water needlessly in other instances.
Most city recycling programs require some degree of item-sorting before curb pick-up. Toddlers are at the perfect age to learn how to sort the paper, plastic and other recyclables into bins. They will also begin learning what types of materials get recycled rather than thrown out.Children can even learn to recycle their toys and clothing when they are done with them by donating them. Starting them young will create permanent patterns.
There are several simple lessons that toddlers can learn when it comes to reusing materials.Some possible options include using cloth napkins instead of paper ones, learning to use a cloth dish towel or sponge to clean up messes instead of paper toweling, using reusable utensils and dishes instead of disposables and always using cloth grocery bags at stores instead of plastic or paper ones. Even before sorting things like paper into the recycle bin, toddlers can learn that unused sides can be used for art projects or grocery lists.
Families can help their toddlers with environmentally-friendly efforts by avoiding purchases of single-item products, such as juice boxes. It's much easier on the environment to purchase larger containers and pour drinks or snacks into reusable snack or drink cups. It also cuts costs because of the packaging associated with juice boxes and such.
EnviroCitizen.org encourages you to begin teaching your baby how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle from the beginning. It's easier to learn new habits than to unlearn old ones.
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