Children Can Go Green Too with Caruso!

Encouraging your children to do things can be an exhausting experience. Encouraging your children to go green can be even harder. Some children refuse to eat vegetables while others repeatedly ignore simple requests. But instead of forcing your ideals onto your children, you have to let go and empower them with positivity. Of course, eating fruits and vegetables as well as participating in eco-friendly activities is important for kids to start doing at an early age, so you have to play into their egos - empower them to make these better choices and show them it can be fun. Here are some tips I have come across to help your child adapt to a healthier and greener lifestyle.

Allow your child to pick organic fruits and vegetables from the store or your backyard garden for family meals. This gives them the power to choose, and they're more likely to eat something that they chose.
Involve your child in everything green by making activities fun. Recycling, composting and reusing is even hard for adults to get in the habit of. However, by incorporating your child's favorite cartoon character or creating a game out of the activity, you will engage your little one to follow along.
Read and provide educational materials that shed a positive light on eating a plant-based diet and caring for the environment. Books and magazines that make these things cool and rewarding can foster discussion between you and your child. Plus, walking to the library is a great way to exercise and enjoy the fresh air.
Try to get the entire family on the same page. It's going to be harder for your child to want to join in when one of his/her parents isn't engaged as well. So have family dinners together and do eco-friendly activities together too. It creates a support system and your child will want to emulate immediate family members.
Children need to know that they're wanted and that they're wants count too. So give them healthy choices and compassionate lifestyle paths to choose from. When junk food, meat and dairy aren't an option in the household, your child will conform and pick from the healthier alternatives you're providing. It's the same thing with reusing, reducing and recycling...when you make these habits fun and rewarding, your child will be encouraged to participate.
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Best regards,
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI
Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900