As my toddler gets older, I have to watch what I’m saying but more importantly, what I’m doing. She is at that age where she wants to imitate me – talking on the phone, folding the laundry, and sorting the recycling bins.Modelling good environmental behaviour to your kids should start early. We, as parents, are their primary role models and they look to us to discern between acceptable and unacceptable social behaviours – which is why I’m baffled when I see parents throwing garbage out of their cars when their kids are in the backseat, watching and thinking that such behaviour is acceptable.
In fact, many of our everyday decisions that can affect the environment are observed by our kids. For example, the other day I was sorting out the recycling and my kid asked why I was playing with the “garbage.” I took this question as a perfect opportunity to explain to her that mommy wasn’t playing with the garbage but was sorting it so it could be recycled and made into new things.
Children see and absorb more than we think. In addition to learning words that we don’t want them to learn, they notice how much driving we do (vs. walking or taking public transportation), whether we litter or not, what we eat (e.g. locally grown produce vs. processed fast foods), among others.
With the appropriate role models, children can learn that their lifestyle has an impact on the environment – one that should be as light as possible.
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