Teaching kids the value of conservation and sustainable living is part of Climate Control’s outreach program. That’s why we like to send Comfort Bear out and about to schools, festivals and other events. And he’s coming to our big Anniversary Party on June 29th to help us celebrate 25 years of bringing comfort to Kansas City. We hope you’ll join us and say hi to Comfort Bear. In the meantime it’s never too late to start your kids on the green path.
Comfort Bear would like to share these tips:
Teaching kids green habits lasts a lifetime!
Remember when your dad reminded you over and over again to “turn off the lights!” Well, he was right (we won’t tell him). Remind your kids to turn off lights, televisions and computers when not in use.
Set up recycling bins for glass, paper and plastic. If you have a recycling pick up or even if you need to take it to a recycling center get your kids used to saving and sorting recyclables.
Turn off the water while washing hands or brushing teeth and speed up those showers. Running the water while you’re brushing or washing can waste up to a gallon and a half or more a minute so get those hands, arms, legs or toothbrush wet, do your thing and then turn the water back on to rinse.
Walk, carpool or ride the bus to school. If you’ve ever sat in the pick-up lane at school you’ve seen all the cars running and emitting toxic fumes. There’s a reason they ask you to turn off your car. Think of the fewer emissions there would be if you were to pick up three kids instead of just one. And think of the time you’d save if you shared those duties with other parents and didn’t have to sit there every day.
Don’t buy bottled water! Eighty percent of bottles never reach a recycling center and the world uses enough bottled water to circle the earth 150 times. Get your kids their own reusable bottles to carry around.
Donate used goods. Getting your kids used to taking clothes and household goods to charities will not only make them aware of those less fortunate it may increase their appreciation of the things they have. Buying less “stuff” reduces the stuff that makes it into landfills.
Take reusable bags to do your shopping and general toting around. Plastic shopping bags are being banned around the country because of the waste and environmental hazards they pose. Look for cloth bags that can be washed. You can even find cloth markers and have your kids decorate bags for their own use as well as yours.
Getting kids familiar with sustainable habits is easy if you just make it a part of your everyday lifestyle. Good habits start early and most of our kids are already growing up with recycling waste, using products that come from recycled materials and are learning about it school. Our natural resources are not infinite and our kids will lead the way in future efforts to preserve our planet. So get them involved early and it’ll just become second nature.
Comfort Bear would love to share more tips for saving our planet and having fun doing it. Join him on June 29th for Climate Control’s 25th Anniversary celebration. It’s free, we’ll have games, food, a benefit auction and even a chance to win ticket to KCs “Big Game” on June 10th. Comfort Bear his own website full of more information!
