I have written about raising green kids quite often here with tips and ideas for how to create in them a sense of eco consciousness. I think it is a wonderful goal to have…to teach our children to love and respect our planet, but I think it is also important to discuss the “other” side of that. Within the green movement we often hear about how we shouldn’t be too gung ho and extreme and scare off other people who are perhaps a bit slower to make changes than we are. This is all very true and green folks need to find a balance so that they don’t come off as militant.
That same balance needs to occur when we are teachings our kids about being green too. Quite frankly if we suck the joy out of being a kid in the name of the planet then we may end up with kids who resent and rebel against the green values we want for them. Letting kids run through the sprinklers, eat a cupcake with food dyes, or take a Limo to that Hannah Montana sleepover party might be concessions we have to make. Every green parent decides where they need to bend and where they need to stick to their guns but some bending usually will need to occur.
My kids love water play in the summer. What kids don’t? I do feel guilty about letting them use the water but then I just remember that this is something young kids love to do. They see all the neighbor kids doing it and of course they will be resentful if I declare the sprinkler or their water slide off limits because we have to conserve water. Instead I just get better at planning…having some fun activity planned so that they won’t mind leaving the water after a short time or taking them to a water park where the water is recycled and reused. Next year we “hope” to relocate closer to that water park so we can get season passes and be able to go there several times a week for a few hours. The zoo is right next door so it would be a two for one deal.
I always try to be a YES parent and if saying yes makes my inner eco consciousness cringe I just get creative with solutions and ideas and every week it seems some new green innovation makes it even easier to be a green family. If walking to school makes them appear “un-cool”, maybe we can bike instead or walk 3 out of 5 days only. Maybe walking won’t be so bad if I give them a cool solar backpack to charge their iPods with on the walk (hypothetically – my kids don’t have iPods – yet). ;)
And of course we are all about making green FUN. Playing eco board games, reading books, making green foods exciting, visiting local parks, and recreating in ways that are fun and eco conscious. It is all about planning and finding that balance because the last thing I want is for my kids to grow up resenting my choices. Part of raising green kids, for me at least, is knowing when to relax and let go.
What about you? Do you run into these challenges with kids? How do you resolve them?
