What’s an Eco-Parent? 5 Realistic Eco-Parenting Tips that Actually Help

Eco-parenting tips are essential to help raise eco-conscious children who are environmentally aware and have the desire to protect the Earth.

Climate change is an inevitable phenomenon that occurs on Earth. What makes climate change today different than historical climate change of the past, is the rate at which the climate is changing. Our Earth is warming much faster than in the previous history of the Earth. This warming is due to the greenhouse gas effect, caused by heat-trapping gases.

While the greenhouse effect, much like climate change is naturally occurring in the atmosphere. What is unnatural is the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

Human activity is the cause of the increase of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the majority of greenhouse gases in the US come from the burning of fossil fuels and agriculture (source). Our actions, whether they are good for the environment or bad for the environment, make a difference in the health of our planet.

So, how do you use this knowledge to raise eco-conscious children? I’m here to help!

This post is all about 5 realistic eco-parenting tips that actually help!

Tip 1: Get outside

As my children get older, I’m realizing how easy it is to get caught up in the routine of life, only spending time outside to get to and from the car. Our to-do lists are long and our patience is short. Sometimes, getting outside seems like another thing to do that we don’t have time for.

Being outside is not only physically and mentally beneficial for ourselves and our children, but it is also one of the best ways for kids to gain an appreciation for the environment. In a study found in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, nature connectedness was positively associated with pro-environmental behaviors (source). As a natural instinct, we protect what we love. If we want our children to continue to protect the environment, it is important that they develop a love for nature.

While physically going outside and being in nature will produce the most benefit, the study found that even natural documentaries were associated with pro-environmental behaviors!

Tip 2: Shop with a purpose

Brand awareness begins at a young age. When you shop, shop with a purpose. According to research, children recognize brands by 1½ -2 years of age and that brand allegiance follows soon after. This is even more evidence that the products that we choose matter! Children establish brand allegiance early in their lives based on brands they see frequently in their homes, communities, and in the media. By choosing products that have a more positive climate impact, children have a better chance of learning how to make better consumer choices.

Tip 3: Cloth Diaper

If you still have a child in diapers, consider cloth diapering! Cloth diapering is one of the first eco-parenting decisions I made. I was adamant about giving cloth diapers a try because I knew about the cost and waste associated with disposable diapers.

During the first year of cloth diapering my son, I worked 40+ hours a week, outside the home. My son’s childcare was provided by a family member who was incredibly skeptical about cloth diapering. By the end of that year, however, she was a cloth diaper advocate. Her mindset about cloth diapering shifted from sheets and safety pins to a modern money saver equipped with the cutest cloth butt and waddle.

Babies (and toddlers!) go through thousands of diapers. More specifically, by the age of two babies will go through over 6,000 diapers. Each of these diapers takes 500+ years to decompose in a landfill making them the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills (source).

I have about 30-35 cloth diapers which were mostly purchased second-hand. In addition, most of these diapers have been passed down from my first child to my second, further increasing the cost savings and waste reduction. If you’re looking to learn more about cloth diapering, check out this full guide here!

Tip 4: Understand waste

As a parent, you already know having kids can equal a lot of waste! Toys break too often, they grow out of their clothes too fast, individually packaged snacks are easier, and let’s not even talk about uneaten meals!

Instead of looking at reducing waste as a parent difficult, I like to think of it as intentional. If we think about our waste intentionally, we can not only reduce our waste but also teach our children how to reduce waste as well.

The best way to understand your waste is to see what you’re wasting! This can be done through a waste audit. Take a look inside your trash can and recycling bin. Ask yourself a few questions:

• What items are we throwing away the most?
• Are we throwing away items that can be recycled?
• Are we recycling items that should be thrown away?
• Could I have done anything else with these items besides throwing them away? Think donate, repurpose, or give to others, etc.
• Is there anything in the trash or recycling bin that I could have avoided buying in the first place? Think impulse purchases, excessive packaging, etc.
• What is the most common type of material we throw away/recycle? Think styrofoam, paper, plastic, aluminum, etc.

By answering these questions you can gain an understanding of how you can change your habits to reduce your waste. If possible, involve your kids! Even my one-year-old had fun with our waste audit. Of course, I only let her help with the recycling because it was clean and dry. After our audit, my three-year-old and I used some of the recycling materials for an art craft. It is a great opportunity to open the discussion about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Tip 5: Read

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

– Maya Angelou

For more inspirational quotes, you can read the post 100 sustainable quotes to inspire you.

Reading more about the environment is not only helpful for you as a parent, but also for your child. You have the opportunity to teach your child what you know and implement what you’ve learned in your lives. In addition, reading environmental books with your children helps communicate these difficult concepts on their level. They’re able to connect to the environmental problems we’re facing and help find solutions.

My favorite eco-parenting book for parents:

• The Sustainable(ish) Guide To Green Parenting: Guilt-free Eco-ideas For Raising Your Kids by Jen Gale

My favorite eco books for kids:

• Baby Loves Green Energy
• Michael Recycles, Ellie Bethel
• Compost Stew, Mary McKenna Siddals
• Fatimas Great Outdoors, Ambreen Tariq

Creating a connection to our environment is so important to raising eco-conscious children. I hope these eco-parenting tips help you and your children continue to make a positive impact on our environment!

If you’re interesting in learning more about sustainable living, I’ve written a post ultimate list of sustainable books, to inspire you and help you learn more about our environment.

Guest post by Lacie from Teach Go Green. Lacie wife, mom of two, and an eco-blogger. On my blog, I teach about how to live with the environment in mind! There you’ll find eco-friendly living tips, environmental education resources, eco-friendly products, and eco-parenting inspiration! Teach Go Green Instagram | Teach Go Green Blog