Image via Flickr by The Alec
One of the reasons the world at large is so interested in becoming greener and more eco-friendly is to preserve the Earth for the children. As resources dwindle, conservation is crucial. Since it’s vital for everyone to do their part, energy conservation should become a school requirement just like math or English
Teaching Good Habits from the Ground Up
It’s commonplace to teach manners to children as young as three or four. Parents and teachers introduce children of all ages to polite behavior and tolerance, as well as traditional subjects like math and science. Energy conservation is a science and children in preschool and kindergarten are perfectly capable of learning how to conserve energy, and that learning can easily increase as they get older.
The younger they start, the deeper the habits become. Children who learn to say “please” and “thank you” at a young age generally keep those habits their whole lives. You probably remember the earliest, most fundamental lessons you were ever taught, things like the multiplication tables and mnemonic devices for spelling. If you’d started learning about conservation in kindergarten, don’t you think those habits would still come easily?
Maintaining Age-Appropriate Levels of Understanding
The key is to make sure that lessons about energy conservation are age-appropriate. Some parents may worry that their children won’t understand why they should turn off the lights when not in use, or why the polar icecaps are such a huge concern. The fact is, children don’t have to learn about the specifics of the heavier subjects until they’re old enough to understand.
If you need tips, look to your local energy companies; check out pennsylvaniaelectricitycompanies.com for valuable pieces of advice. If your children are very young, the most you need to do is explain that conserving energy and being more eco-friendly is good for the Earth. Kids love to help; if you let them know that saving power, planting gardens, and picking up trash make the planet happy, then they will, in turn, be more than happy to help.
Are Children Too Impressionable?
Another fear is that children are too impressionable to handle such big lessons—but kids will always surprise you. Those children who do learn about energy conservation at home or in clubs are now teaching adults why it’s so important. Because kids absorb information so quickly and concisely, it’s actually hugely beneficial to start instilling good habits early. They get it and they want to help. Because they haven’t spent lifetimes unknowingly wasting energy, they’re arguably better equipped to start behaving in environmentally friendly ways than their parents and teachers.
Learning How to Make Conservation Fun
As long as you make learning fun, kids will love it. Schools are very well equipped to turn it into a fun experience. Teachers can spend a few hours a week in an electricity free environment. They can lead by example by unplugging the classroom computer or other electric devices, then invite the kids to do the same. They can plant trees, suggest different ways to conserve energy, and spend recesses cleaning up the campus lawn.
The kids who learn to conserve energy today may very well save the planet tomorrow. Do you think children are ever too young to become eco-friendly?
Author Bio:
Dylan Adams is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and former substitute teacher. He loves blogging and staying up to date on the latest education strategies to ensure children and young adults are receiving the knowledge they deserve.