One of the most important issues of recent times; sustainability. In fact, being conscious of many issues that affect every moment of ou...
One of the most important issues of recent times; sustainability. In fact, being conscious of many issues that affect every moment of our lives and our future and shaping our lives with this awareness and being able to do this in a sustainable way, that is, "in continuity", is a part of being a parent. Taking responsibility for our planet, leaving a greener future to our children, and instilling nature-friendly habits in our children requires being an environmentally friendly, sustainable parent.
It is much easier for parents with high environmental consciousness and awareness to instill ecological literacy or nature awareness in their children. Teaching our children that they are a part of nature and ensuring that future generations act with this awareness is a very important step in protecting our planet. Each family can do this with different methods. Everyone's starting point may be different. While some parents can initially separate waste at home in line with zero waste and eliminate single-use plastics from their lives, others can improve themselves on correct portioning and shopping techniques to prevent waste and make a good start by consuming products purchased from local producers. While these and similar steps can be taken at home, the importance of nature and the need to respect it can be emphasized through activities and trips where children can be in touch with nature, and it can be explained that the biggest step to protect our planet is to protect nature.
Adopting eco-friendly parenting in a sustainable way is what we need most right now to raise caring children for the world. Considering the global climate crisis, every step to be taken, every individual who is raised correctly, is of great importance to take action and make it collective.
Making Sustainability a Part of Daily Life
Protecting nature is not just about waste management, separating waste at home or preventing food waste. For a sustainable future, we make a good investment in the future by making the right choices at every step, from the clothes we choose for our children to the toys, and by explaining the reasons for these choices to our children. Explaining the subtext of your choices will be a good basis for your children to become good parents.
Especially toys have a big place in children's lives. From a young age, every child has a toy friend that will accompany them for many years. Choosing environmentally friendly wooden dolls for children over plastic Barbie dolls and explaining the reasons to your child correctly would be a good way to start. The feeling created by environmentally friendly wooden and knitted toys and the story that emerges will be invaluable for children who grow up understanding the value of nature at every stage . Choosing toys produced using environmentally friendly materials and sustainable toys that give you the feeling of protecting the planet and have a story to tell for your children is a right step towards becoming a "nature-friendly parent".
Making People Feel Responsible for the Environment with Sustainable Activities
Creating a strong sense of responsibility towards nature in children will also enable them to grow up as individuals with high environmental awareness. You can instill this in your child through various responsibilities at home or sustainable fun activities. Giving them the task of watering the flowers at home or in the garden, having them separate the waste in your home, or teaching them habits that will prevent food waste are the right methods to raise the necessary awareness. Letting children watch movies or cartoons on the subject, buying books that are entertaining and supported by visuals, and doing reading activities with them can be both educational and entertaining.
In addition to the activities you do at home or your responsibilities, you can also do fun activities outside that can increase your awareness of the environment. During your summer holidays, you can collect the garbage thrown on the beach together, plant a sapling together, or encourage them to make environmentally friendly choices in choosing their clothes.
It is very important for our future to make children feel how precious the planet we live in is, to instill in them that every choice they make can affect nature, and to educate them in a way that they can create positive effects with the right choices. It is in our hands to ensure that the ecological literacy of the new generation is high. By taking the right steps from an early age, we can help them acquire sustainable habits and turn them into environmentally friendly warriors of the future. Some small steps that can be taken for this can help us become more sustainable and nature-friendly parents or individuals;
- Grow plants in your garden or at home if you don't have a garden.
- Choose nature-friendly wooden and organic knitted toys for your child instead of plastic toys .
- Choose second-hand or recycled, organic textiles.
- Use organic cotton wipes instead of the paper mouth wipes you use for newborns .
- Keep your waste under control, avoid food waste and start separating your waste at home.
- Avoid single-use plastics and plastic bags at the grocery store. Make it a habit to use flasks, glass bottles, thermos and cloth bags instead.
- Carry reusable straws, forks or spoons with you for your children. Do not choose disposable ones.
- Do not allow water to drain in your home and unplug the plugs.
- Be careful about paper usage and do not waste paper.
- Avoid products containing parabens and BPA plastic.
- Use a bicycle instead of a car, and teach your child to ride a bicycle.
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