Parents’ giving the gift of teaching kids how to recycle!
When I was little I could remember driving down the freeway in Northern California and seeing people throw their fast food trash out the window. I remember it didn’t happen once it happened all the time. Somewhere along the way as I was growing up we as a community started to become aware of all of the damage we were doing to the community by “trashing” it and condemned this activity making it socially unacceptable.
No longer do we see this on a regular basis but you do see it on occasion, but it’s the exception not the rule. When I do see it, 90% of the time it’s a younger person who just hasn’t been given the correct guidance.
One of these times I was with my daughters and we observed a young man probably 9th grade throwing his Styrofoam cup into the bushes. I turned around and told him to pick it up, he was with his girlfriend so he felt the need to say no. But I persisted and told him I would follow him home if he didn’t and that it was wrong to litter. He finally did and his girlfriend helped him see his wrong ways.
The reason for my story is what if more people turned around, what if more people said something when they see people litter on our streets, parks, or anywhere else. Maybe this young man would think twice about littering again, maybe he would say something to his friends.
As parents by openly condemning this we send our children a strong message, we tell them it’s unacceptable and to hold their friends accountable. When I am out with my daughters at a restraint who uses Styrofoam, I ask why? Why do you use something that wont breakdown?
I guess the bottom line is we all have choices about the products we use and the how we recycle them. Just remember your children are watching and will follow your example. Give them the best gift a parent can give….the gift of being a responsible eco-friendly person.
Matt the author of this is the Co-Founder of www.uanditrade.com. Uanditrade is a place where parents trade families used clothing, used books, used toys and so much more. It’s completely free for parents to trade on the site. Trading items is a unique solution to today’s economy and solves many issues with pulling too many of the earths natural resources. For more information go to www.uanditrade.com.
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