Reading about the future of the environment is pretty bleak. When you have children, worries about the future are almost inevitable anyway, and it’s natural for parents to wonder what kind of world we’re leaving for our children and generations beyond them. While it’s great to think about what kinds of things we can do to change the world for them, sometimes it’s even more important to teach them how to change the world themselves.

Children adopt the role of environmentalist quite readily. I know that my own children have understood the concept even as young as age three or four, because children are less jaded and at a stage of psychological development in which they are closer to nature. Children have natural curiosity about and empathy with animals. Many children are fascinated with creatures that we adults are more likely to overlook or even dislike, such as insects and amphibians. However, children may not be as used to looking at the big picture of their actions, and may need more reminders.

Make sure they get plenty of time to play in nature.

Quite simply, kids who spend all their time indoors don’t have much of a connection with the natural world, so the awareness that nature needs to be protected won’t come as easily. But this is possibly the most difficult opportunity for many parents to give their children. In this day and age, most parents believe that allowing children to explore nature unsupervised presents an inherent danger. Statistically, though, parents’ worst nightmares for their children are very unlikely to come true.

Holly Case is a Michigan-based writer, full-time student, and a teacher of creative writing to adults. She is also the mother of three little boys who simultaneously inspire and prevent her writing. She writes frequently about environmentalism, social justice and parenting, particularly the intersection of all three issues. She is also the online/newsletter editor for Natural Food Network, where she writes about natural health.
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Remember when we were kids, and we spent countless hours outside building tree forts and riding our bikes around the neighborhood? Our kids may be shocked to learn that there was no such thing back then as Nickelodeon or GameBoy. Still, not only did we survive without those things, we may have been better off for it. Child obesity and attention-deficit disorder were much less common.

Even beyond that, I remember viewing nature as a special haven where time slowed down. It was the place where I could go and be alone with my thoughts, free to explore the world. Extended access to nature is the antidote to the over-scheduled life of soccer practice, karate, piano lessons and homework. And of course, it stands to reason that when children come to view nature as a special place, they won’t want to see it paved over to make room for another strip mall or parking lot.

Make environmental action a normal fact of family life.

It’s an old adage that children learn what they live. Much like you can’t expect children to understand the importance of healthy eating if you eat Doritos and candy all the time, kids need to see their parents respecting the Earth in order to develop that same respect themselves. For example, making recycling a family affair is easy. Even children as young as two can sort items and put them in recycling bins. But recycling doesn’t always have to just mean putting items in a bin as an alternative form of trash collection.

Involve your kids in thinking of ways to reuse items. Children’s craft books or the Tightwad Gazette books are great places to look for creative ways to reuse and recycle everyday items. Don’t forget about the other R in the “reduce, reuse and recycle” maxim: reducing consumption. Instead of sending your children to school with lunches packed in disposable plastic containers, have them take their lunch in durable containers meant for reuse, and let them know why you’re making that choice.

One of the most often overlooked factors in environmental awareness is how we choose to spend our time. Children whose families spend their leisure playing games at home or going camping together instead of recreationally shopping will find it easier to be conscious about their consumption. Reducing consumption is probably best taught by example, so this is where Mom and Dad really have to make it count. I’ve known people who had to move into bigger houses because everyone in the family, including even the youngest children, had so much stuff that there wasn’t any more room for it all. The advertisers may shudder at the thought, but there’s nothing wrong with deciding not to buy stuff you don’t need. Endless growth is unsustainable, and it’s never too early to teach your children about the importance of sustainability.

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