Teaching Kids to Conserve Water

Conservation is one of the most important elements of going green. Conserving water helps ensure that both people and animals in your area have an abundant water supply, and the best part is that you can conserve water through some very simple techniques. If you want your conservation efforts to be as effective as possible, you should teach your children to follow your habits.

1.    Talk About Conservation

*  One of the best ways to get your children involved in conservation is talking to them about what it accomplishes. When kids know they are helping to save the environment and protect animal life, they are more likely to maintain these habits even when you’re not watching. Talk about how water gets to your home and the positive effects of water conservation so your kids know why it is so important. For instance, using less water means less energy is needed to treat and transport the water.

Create a Checklist

*  You can make a simple water conservation checklist that kids can fill out each week. This will help keep the habit fresh in their minds and will give you an easy way to keep track of their progress. Add things like turning off the faucet while brushing teeth, trying to take quick showers and waiting until they have a full load of laundry to bring it to the washroom. Reward children with stickers for maintaining a conservative water schedule.

Get them Involved

*   Kids are creative by nature and love solving problems and contributing to their families. Sit down with your children and ask them for suggestions on how your household could use less water. Let them brainstorm conservation ideas and then work with them to put those ideas into practice in your house. Children are more likely to follow through on a habit if they came up with it and implemented the plan. You may even get an idea you had not previously considered.

Start a Garden

*  While starting a garden may not necessarily seem like the best way to teach water conservation, it is a powerful method for showing children the importance of clean water. If you create a small garden and involve your children in caring for the plants, they will learn that clean and abundant water is absolutely critical for creating the healthy foods on which they rely. When fruits and vegetables are harvested, talk to your kids about whether or not the meal would have been possible without clean water.