Toddlers and parents helping plant flowers in our children’s garden.
By no way of the imagination is there one perfect magical way to raise an environmentally friendly family. Some people have the inspiration to live off the grid and off the land, but for the majority of us, living environmentally friendly lives can be a challenge. Although making changes to our daily lives is often challenging, it does not have to be a chore. On the contrary, making environmentally friendly choices can be fun for the whole family!
Being an environmentally friendly family must never be guilt driven, but rather fueled by inspiration to better our earth and consequently our lives. In fact, Jesus frees us from guilt, as shown in the book of Romans: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Guilt that we are not doing enough can often lead us to throw in the towel before even starting to make changes. So, rule #1 in becoming a more environmentally friendly family: guilt-free is the way to be!
Kermit the Frog croons that it’s not easy being green, and while Kermit is an expert on a lot of things, I have to disagree with him on this point. The following is a series of ideas designed to ignite your inspiration for becoming a more environmentally friendly family. Remember that the goal in becoming more of an environmentally friendly family is to implement guiltless changes to our daily lives that over time will positively impact our natural world throughout time.
Ten Small Ways to Make a Big Impact
- Lead By Example – Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” If you as an adult use cloth shopping bags, turn the lights off as you leave the room, and turn off the water when not directly using it, then so will the children in your lives. Let’s listen to the wisdom from Proverbs and train up our children to be earth friendly individuals and often it will stick and they will train their future families in the same way!
- Eat Michigan – Eating food grown locally is one of the best ways to promote an environmentally friendly way of living. Not only does local food taste better and oftentimes is less expensive, the carbon footprint of local food is relatively low compared to products grown/produced elsewhere. Just think of how much gas we could save if our food didn’t have far to travel in order to get to our tables. Visit your local farm market as a family. Meeting the people who grow your food is an unforgettable experience. Knowing where your food comes from is an indispensable lesson for today’s environmentally friendly family.
- Eat Organic & Seasonal – FYI, at farm markets, organically grown products are often labeled “without spray” or “without pesticides”. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides leach into the ground water and disturb natural soil flora and fauna. Personally, based solely on environmental impacts from food production, I prioritize my food purchasing in the following ways: local organic, local conventional, domestic organic, domestic conventional, other (international). Sometimes it is unrealistic to pay double for organic, but oftentimes organic food is ‘on sale’ and less expensive than conventional!
- Make Recycling a Family Affair – Sorting items is an excellent task for child development. Show children of all ages where the recycling bins are located and create a game out of the sorting. Try playing basketball with plastics and cans, or makes paper airplanes out of old newspapers and see who can get the most planes into the paper recycling!
- Re-Use as Much as Possible – Drill holes in a clean plastic bottle for an instant bird feeder, convert large boxes into forts or pretend rocket ships, or even transform used egg cartons into an artists’ palette for paint! Before throwing away or recycling old items, use your imagination to transform old junk into amazing creations!
- Get Your Hands Dirty – Kids love to play in the dirt, so put their talents to good use! Plant flowers, fruits, and vegetables together. The whole process of planting, watering, watching growth, and even eating produce together is a great activity for the whole family.
- Frequent Parks, Nature Centers & Natural Areas – Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum said it best when he proclaimed, “In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Head outside and really get to know and appreciate your region. Speak with experts about environmental issues and familiarize yourself with local flora and fauna. “I spy” becomes much more fun when exploring the outdoors. If you are feeling really ambitious, sign the family up to remove invasive plant species or adopt a stretch of highway. The possibilities are endless!
- Use Earth Friendly Cleaning Products – Many cleaning products contain petroleum-based ingredients; however, many brands have plant-based options! Imagine how many barrels of oil could be spared each year by each family switching even one type of cleaner to a plant-based product. Also, everyday pantry items like vinegar and/or lemon juice are effective cleaning agents!
- What Would Grandma Do? – Chances are most of our grandparents or grandparent figures lived an environmentally friendly life without even thinking about. In our cerebral world, it is easy to over-think and analyze our choices about, well, EVERYTHING! This is where it comes in handy to stop and think about how things were done in a simpler time. My Grandma, for example, would always plant her scraps of food and produce refuse around her flowers. She composted her biodegradable items without even thinking about it! She also put eggshells in her watering can. Pure calcium! So the next time you are debating something environmental, think about Grandma or other sweet elderly person and see if the debate is cleared up for you.
- Find Other People Who Support Your Environmental Values – Facing the challenge of making lasting positive environmental changes is easier if you surround yourself with people who share similar values, or at least support your desire for change.