Your Children Are Listening: Nine Messages They Need to Hear from You

opportunity to have a spontaneous “adopt-a-trail” experience. While out on a hike, Tanya will see some trash, pick it up, and announce her catchphrase, “I love Earth!” Within a short time, without any explanation or discussion, her children have begun to follow her lead by picking up trash that they see and then declaring “I love Earth!”
    Even though her family lives in the suburbs, Nancy is committed to driving as little as possible. Fortunately, they live in a town where there are many stores not far from their home. She makes biking to the grocery store and on other errands a weekly ritual with her son, Andy. Andy loves the different ways he gets to go biking with his momma. At first, it was on one of those handlebar seats where he had a front-and-center view. He then progressed to a bike trailer where he was able to read and play with his stuffed animals. From there, he moved to a trailer bike that enabled him to pedal. Now Andy, at age six, rides his own bike when they go shopping. Nancy has found this ritual to be one of those special times when she can really connect and have fun with Andy. Plus, in addition to the environmental message, she’s able to send positive messages about physical health and enjoying the outdoors.
    Mark and Rachel decided to celebrate “Green Day” every week with their three children, the goal of which is to use as little energy as possible. On Saturdays, they walk or bike instead of driving their cars, use candles for light and the fireplace for heat, use only the smallest possible amount of water, and don’t use any large appliances, such as the washer/dryer, stove, and oven (they do keep theirfridge plugged in though). The family also chooses an activity that will make the Earth happy; for example, they pick up trash in the neighborhood or ride their bikes to town.
ACTIVITIES FOR EARTH
     
    As I mentioned in chapter 5, Sarah has a wonderfully productive vegetable garden that has been a great “classroom” for teaching Catie and Gracie about nature. They are Sarah’s little farmers who participate in all aspects of the growing process, from soil preparation to sowing to reaping. Of course, their favorite part is getting to eat the vegetables right off the plants.
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    ACTIVITIES FOR EARTH
     
Grow a garden.
Use environmentally safe products made from recycled materials.
Minimize use of energy and resources.
Educate your children about conservation.
Explore the outdoors (e.g., hike, fish, camp).
Pack your children a waste-free lunch.
Patronize local farms and farmers’ markets.
Eat organic food.
Reduce your clutter.
Have a garage sale.
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    Darlene and Peter believe that, in addition to developing a deep love for Mother Earth, their three children need to learn specifically what they can do to care for their planet. When they’re shopping, Darlene and Peter buy only products that are made from recycled materials and aren’t toxic to the environment. They also explain what recycled products are, how they are made, and how they benefit the environment. By the time their children entered kindergarten, they were green “pros” who could talk the talk and walk the walk in taking care of Mother Earth.
    Along with their catchphrase, “Save, not waste,” Marcy and Cameron make an effort to model saving energy and resources at homefor their children. They always turn off the lights when they leave the room and keep their water usage to a minimum when showering or brushing their teeth. They also only use the clothes washer or dishwasher for full loads. Marcy and Cameron have taught Sami and Jessie these Earth-friendly habits from an early age and now find that they rarely have to tell their children, ages five and eight, to turn off lights or the like.
    Karl grew up in a family of outdoorsy people; hiking, biking, camping, fishing, rock climbing—he did it all. He has a great love for nature, and he assumes it is because his parents showed him their love for the outdoors and then allowed him, through experience, to find his own. While growing up, Karl rarely spent time inside; he always preferred being outside over playing or watching TV indoors. When he became a father, he was determined to instill that same love in his three children. For example, before his kids were one year old, they were old hands at overnight camping (though, admittedly, there were many nights of little sleep). If he finds his children lying around the house, he kicks them outside (in a