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Smart Parenting (SmartParenting.com), Being a Green Parent:
Helping Your Child Grow Up to be Eco-Friendly
May 25, 2010
Kermit the Frog may not think it’s easy being green, but parents can do something to change that. Here are some ways parents can go green and help their child grow up to be eco-friendly.
1. Walk the walk—and talk the talk. Model and explain.
Children learn their earliest habits from what they see and what they hear. Parents should be their models for green behavior. Learn to be advocates of conservation by turning off the lights when you leave the room, throwing trash in its proper place and only using as much water as needed in a given situation.
Don’t forget to pair your actions with a little explanation. A 2007 paper from the Learning Research and Development Center at University of Pittsburgh shows that children who received explanation from their parents were able to grasp concepts instead of just procedures.
“Talk about issues the environment faces. Decide the changes you will make in your home and lives,” recommend teacher-mothers Jacquelyn Trumbull and Ty Bricker, founders of Growing Up Green (www.growingupgreen.org), a children’s eco-consciousness program.
2. Start a garden together.
kid gardening“Start a garden together whether it’s in your yard or on your kitchen window sill. This is a family activity that brings you together,” says Jacquelyn. “Let your children pick the veggies or herbs and everyone then shares responsibility in taking care of it and enjoying it.”
3. Add in the fun: Turn Recycling and Sorting into a Game
Amp your child with mental skills while helping Mother Earth. Turn recycling and sorting into a game. “Have challenges in the home; for example, see who can create something only using old materials,” says Jacquelyn.
Rita Stapleton of EcoHearth found out this technique works especially well when parents work with more than one child. Older children can mentor their younger siblings, empowering them to take personal responsibility. “It took only a few weeks for my children to get the hang of what items can be recycled versus what constitutes trash… Now they are pros.,” Rita writes. “The two youngest children are now taking pride in teaching our 18-month-old where to put the trash.”
Earn a little cash in the process as well by checking local malls for recyclables fairs. SM has a “Trash to Cash” program, while Ayala Malls have their Recyclables Fair.
4. Child Power: Give Your Child a Specific Responsibility
Assign one of your children to simple specific tasks they can do to help Mother Earth. For example, make it your child’s responsibility to remind you to bring reusable bags when you go to the grocery, suggests Jacquelyn. Accomplishing the task empowers them not just for one grocery trip, but also for a lifetime.
5. Pick a Cause and Involve the Kids
Pick a cause as a family and champion it. Try to design family activities around it. “A family giving back to the community is the strongest way for children to learn and see how a community works together,” says Jacquelyn. Not only will your family bond over a common cause, your children also get a chance to see how they are integral parts of the community.
Company brings environmental message into schools
View News, March 23, 2010
By LAURA EMERSON
VIEW STAFF WRITER
Through after-school programs, a local company is trying to make the world a greener place.
Since January, Growing Up Green has been offering after-school classes to local schools in the hopes of teaching students to live as environmentally responsible citizens. On March 9, founders Ty Bricker and Jacquelyn Trumbull led a group at Goolsby Elementary School, 11175 W. Desert Inn Road.
Inside an art classroom, Bricker stood in front of about 15 to 20 students and explained the day's activity, which was centered around glass. While holding up a clear glass jar, Bricker asked the children, "What could this have been used for before?" Multiple students answered with responses such as a container for pumpkin butter, jam, pencils or salsa. For their craft project, the kids created candle holders from the glass jars by sticking dried flowers on them with Mod Podge, an all-in-one glue product.
"There's a trick to laying the flowers on the glass," Trumbull said.
While they worked, Bricker asked the students if they did anything green during the past week.
First-graders Ally Felger and Elyse Schwartz said that since coming to Growing Up Green's program, they've learned about recycling and the merits of riding a bike to school versus riding in a car.
"I like to make projects with stuff that's in the world," Elyse said.
Fourth-grader Danny White said he also learned to place glass and paper in recycling bins.
"It's just so easy to help the Earth," Danny said.
Danny said his favorite part of the program was "having this much fun, but also helping."
In addition to working with Goolsby, Growing Up Green is offering its after-school program to Lummis Elementary School, 9000 Hillpointe Road; the Sandra & Stanley Mallin Early Childhood Center at Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane; and the Trails Community Center, 1910 Spring Gate Lane. The programs last seven weeks and cost $114 per child. Sibling discounts are available by calling the organization.
Each week for an hour, students explore one topic, including nature lovers, metal madness, water discovery, paper rain sticks, glass goodies, plastic planet and endangered species.Children learn facts of the day and then participate in activities that reinforce the weekly topic.
Growing Up Green also operates a community-based group that participates in monthly service outings. Membership to participate in the events costs $50 annually per family, which includes two T-shirts, a monthly newsletter and food and a beverage with the monthly outings.
Bricker said anyone interested in checking out the program can call and attend an outing for free to see if it's a good fit.
Previous events included the group making braided toys for golden retrievers from old T-shirts.
"It's a very big aspect of the green movement, to give back," Trumbull said.
The business owners hope the outings help strengthen families by getting them off the couch and out in their community taking responsibility. Bricker said she hopes people then tell their friends about the organizations they learn about, and community service spreads.
For more information, call 360-5810, visit www.growingupgreen.org or e-mail info@growingupgreen.org.
Contact View education reporter Laura Emerson at lemerson@viewnews.com or 380-4588.
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