While you might be convinced of the importance of saving energy within your home, your kids may not be working with the same information you are. This can result in your home running less efficiently than it could be simply because you haven’t figured out how to get your kids actively involved in this endeavor.
Luckily, once you’re able to effectively explain to your kids why it’s important to save energy and exactly how they can help with this, you may find that you have some very dedicated little conservationists on your hands. So to help your family get to this point, here are three ways you can help your kids to save energy at home.
Create Habits Around Lights
What helping kids save energy all comes down to is creative habits. But for your little ones to create the right habits, they may need a little help along the way, especially with remembering to do things like turn off the lights.
One way you can encourage your kids to turn off the lights in the house after they leave a room is to give them a three strikes rule each day. While it’s easy to forget to turn off a light once, if your child gets three strikes for having to be reminded to turn off the light, Samantha Zabell, a contributor to YourTeenMag.com, recommends something like pushing bedtime up by 15 minutes or not allowing any more screen time that day. Hopefully, these little reminders only have to be given once for your child to remember better the next time.
Make Using Less Water A Game
While it’s great to save energy by installing energy efficient windows or a smart thermostat, what can make an additional difference for saving energy at home is to find ways to help your kids use less water.
Many times, using less water can be turned into a fun game rather than a punishment. For example, you could see which one of your kids is able to shower the fastest, while still getting thoroughly cleaned. Whoever uses less water could be given a prize or extra privilege. You could also see who can use the least amount of water to do things like brush their teeth or rinse off their dishes.
Get Creative About Limiting Screen Time
The amount of screen time your child has each day will also mean that your child is using more or less energy. And while Nina Shen Rastogi, a contributor to Slate.com, reminds us that charging devices over and over again doesn’t really take up a lot of energy in the grand scheme of things, if you have the TV or video game console on all day, this can use up quite a bit of energy.
To help limit this screen time, help your kids come up with fun activities to do that don’t involve screens. This can help your kids become more independent and creative while also reducing your energy usage at home.
If you’re wanting to help your kids learn how they can start saving energy through their own habits, consider using the tips mentioned above to show you how this can be done.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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