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Green ideas for eco-friendly parents

Becoming eco-friendly parents is a step towards supporting the future of our planet. There are many small daily tricks that we can adapt to more green life. Being eco-friendly parents means helping the environment and transmitting sensitivity to nature to their children. We have decided to share with you some green ideas that will be useful for organizing your family life. The fundamental principle to which we are inspired is that of the 3 R: reduce, reuse, recycle.

GREEN HOME

There are several ecological ideas to help protect the planet and allow to reduce consumption without sacrificing comfort.

  • Choose natural materials for the construction of your home. For floors, choose cork or bamboo, renewable plant materials that have the advantage of being resistant to water, insects and protect from heat, cold, and noise. Even doors and windows can be eco-friendly, like the LEED-certified ones, made of recycled materials such as wood, cardboard, metal, plastic, and aluminum: they guarantee poor air infiltration and the acquisition of solar heat to warm the house more. To whiten the house, choose biological varnishes with a low VOC content;
  • For energy saving, install solar panels, choose energy-efficient appliances, and do not forget to turn off the light when you leave a room;
  • Remove your shoes at home. They should be removed right at the door, organizing with slippers at the entrance. Consider that through our shoes, we can bring home hundreds of bacteria collected “in the street,” pesticide residues, and general dirt. In short, removing them does not cost us anything regarding time and saves a significant amount of dust on our floors. Also, shoes wear out rugs and carpets much more than socks or soft slippers.
  • Do not wastewater. You can install recycling units for used water at home to use it again in a non-potable version, such as car washing or gardening. Recycling saves water as a valuable element for the ecosystem. Do not forget to close the tap while brushing your teeth and take a shower than a bath.
  • Organize a corner on your balcony with a small vegetable garden. Growing some small vegetables will be a pleasure and allow us to eat healthy, organic, sustainable, and 0 km food. Put trees in the house. If you do not have a garden in your home, you can opt for bonsais: they will let the fresh air flow into the house and ensure a calm environment.
  • For cleaning, use eco-friendly products or use grandmother’s remedies with natural products such as lemon, vinegar, and bicarbonate.

 


READ ALSO: HOW TO TEACH KIDS ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS


 GREEN FOOD 

a painting with organic foodWe can make conscious choices to live healthily and have an eco-friendly lifestyle.

  • Choose organic products, without preservatives, pesticides, and 0 km food;
  • Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables;
  • Learn the art of homemade: jam, preserves, sauces, home-made pasta, desserts, syrups, liqueurs;
  • Use low-energy cooking techniques such as bunk steam cooking that allows you to cook several foods simultaneously.
  • Did you know that you don’t have to wait for the water to start boiling to cook pasta? It is possible to put the pasta just before the water has started to boil. Also, using the lid while cooking is a good habit: it allows you to cook quickly and thus save on gas and electricity;
  • Consume less meat: to produce 1 kg of flesh takes about 100 cubic meters of water. The water is continuously decreasing, and not wasting it is a responsible choice for protecting our planet.

GREEN GAMES OR TOYS

a kid's hand with a green lego-like blocksCreate your games together with your children. There are lots of creative recycling ideas online. In this way, your children will have fun twice: while they build their games and while they play. In this way, you will teach your children respect for things and the environment, avoid unnecessary waste, and save money.

GREEN HOLIDAYS

Choosing holidays allows the whole family to have fun, relax and regenerate body and spirit. So why not choose green holidays by immersing yourself in nature? Especially for children, outdoor experiences are often the most exciting and beneficial. That’s why a summer camp or a green holiday by the sea or in the mountains for the whole family can be educational and fun.

To encourage immersion in nature, avoid carrying a thousand toys; bring those that can be used together in the open air like balloons, rope, kite, handkerchief, etc.
Nature walks are a great way to spend quality time together, having fun, relaxing, and observing the wonders of the environment.


READ ALSO: OUTDOOR TO DISCOVER THE WORLD


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Letizia Grasso, Educationalist
“All grown-ups were children, but few of them remember it” This phrase is engraved on my heart. The child who marvels at small things is always with me. I firmly believe that the school should focus on the self-construction of knowledge through direct contact with the outside world and, therefore, through life experiences. A school open to life and from life itself learns. A school that teaches to observe every little thing, to wonder, and to ask questions. A school that forms adults who know how to reflect and put into a relationship the mind and heart.”