There's more to sustainability than conserving energy for your family. There's value in teaching your kids about energy-efficient practices early on to grow up knowing how important these habits are to our environment and economy. Statistics show that an average family uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water every day. This fact alone is enough to consider teaching your kids about energy-saving habits. Let's look at other ways to save time and money by educating yourself about these topics!
Why Should You Teach Them?
Being energy efficient starts with you; there are many ways you start conserving your energy before teaching your children. Studies have found that choosing a suitable roofing material can reduce 30% of your home's energy needs, so perhaps you'll start teaching your kids by making changes at home they can see! Here are a few reasons to teach your children about being energy efficient.
-
They will save money. Your kids will know that running a dishwasher or washing machine with a full load costs less. They also won't be as likely to waste money by leaving lights on throughout the house, spending excessive amounts on heating water, or closing doors and windows when heating or cooling their home.
-
It's good for the environment. The fact is that conserving energy is good for the environment. Teaching your children to save energy can help protect Earth's resources for their future and generations after them.
-
It helps them learn new things. Children are receptive to learning new things, such as how they can make a difference in saving the world around them by changing simple household habits like turning off lights before going out of a room and shutting off faucets while brushing their teeth.
What to Teach Them
When teaching your kids about energy efficiency habits, it's essential to take responsibility. While you might turn off the lights when they leave the room, if you aren't teaching them to do so from an early age, they won't have that habit ingrained in them. Instead of fighting with your kids about what is and isn't responsible for energy use, teach them why their actions are essential.
When you teach your children that turning off lights, turning down the heat, and unplugging appliances when not in use can save money on electricity bills, they will have a greater incentive to remember to do these things without requiring reminders from you. You will reap financial benefits by using solar energy and energy-efficient light bulbs.
How to Start
It may be tempting to tell your children how important it is to keep the lights off when they leave a room, but if you don't get your kids invested in the process, you risk forgetting to take action. Instead, set aside some time to make energy efficiency habits fun for your kids.
A great way to engage your children in this matter is by starting with an easy task and then working up. Give your kids small rewards each time a job has been completed to show them what can be accomplished by giving small rewards each time a job has been completed. The next time one of these actions occurs without any prompting, you can praise them even more. Make sure that you also follow through on these new habits; children learn from their parents more than anyone else, so if they see you following through with these habits, it will likely reinforce the behavior.
There are many ways to achieve energy efficiency; a simple fix like upgrading your HVAC system can reduce your energy consumption by 50% for electric units and 10% for gas units. Consider what steps your family as a whole can take to make your home as energy efficient as possible, and think about starting with updating your roof and HVAC systems, as they're important systems in your home! Most importantly, don't forget that your children are still learning, and the way you model your behaviors will be the most potent influence on theirs. You can help them become thoughtful and considerate citizens who are mindful of their carbon footprint if you lead by example in your family.
