Children between the ages of two and seven may be the best learners on the planet. At age two, they have twice as many synapses connecting their brain cells as do the adults who take care of them. They are primed to learn. A young child absorbs knowledge of everything he experiences, modeling his behavior on what he sees, even when parents might prefer him to "do as I say and not as I do." You can help him to incorporate green living as a natural part of his life by modeling responsible thinking and habits.

Educate Yourself

To model green behaviors for your children, you need to learn what those behaviors should be and develop habits to integrate the green practices into your family's life. Now that you are the example being imitated by a child who will grow up in a world of immense ecological challenges, it is more important than ever that you deeply understand why you must be green and change whatever needs to change in your life to live ecologically.

You can combine your environmental education with your child's. When you take the bus instead of driving, you can point out that since the bus riders are sharing, the Earth gets less oil taken out of the ground and less pollution put into the air. How much less? An online resource, the carbon foot lesson plan, can show you how to calculate your carbon footprint together.

You can focus on solutions, talking to your child about the kinds of vehicles and public transportation that smart people around the world are creating to tread more lightly on the Earth. Cars that use the sun instead of gas, super-fast trains floating on magnetized air — green living is a fun subject to learn about for all ages.

Inspire Connection With the Natural World

Your child needs to feel that she is part of the web of life, that she belongs to the Earth. She should understand that she breathes the Earth's air, drinks its water, and eats its plants and maybe its animals. You can provide opportunities to connect with the Earth with camping, hikes, and nature adventures — not just once in a while but as a basic part of your family's life. Your child can develop empathy for creatures that live on the Earth, awareness of the way our choices affect them, and appreciation for the way nature knits all the wonders together to make a healthy Earth.

Your child should feel at home on the planet, and realize that life on Earth for most of its inhabitants does not mean sidewalks and tall buildings, but soil and sky and rain. You can help her understand how the ecosystem works, its cycles and interrelations. 

Talk About the Choices You Make In Your Daily Life

Much of green living comes down to being satisfied with the good things you have and taking care of them. You can show care for the Earth's limited resources and the high ecological costs of manufacturing by repairing things that break when possible instead of tossing them out. It should make sense to your child that he would wear mostly clothes that already exist, such as thrift shop finds or his big brother's outgrown t-shirts, rather than buying new.

Teach not to waste. Turn off lights. When you recycle, point out that this material is still useful, so it would be irresponsible to throw it away. Wash dishes with your child, and be mindful together of the water you use. Don't be a miser, but find the amount that works well without waste. Choose safe natural products. If a food was grown with chemicals that are bad for the Earth and for the people who eat it, say so, and choose from organic options.

Conclusion

Your child is learning faster than he ever will again. You can make green living an important and rewarding part of his life, not by pointing out ecological problems all day long, but by focusing on the immense importance of the natural world and what your family can do to promote its health.