9 Daily Habits to Foster Sustainable Parenting

1. Change your mindset

Jen Panaro, founder and editor-in-chief of Honestly Modern, says that the first step toward healthy parenting is more of a shift in how you think than a change in what you do.

Arrow

2. Bring sustainability into the classroom

You can prioritize sustainability at home, but think about how many other parents would learn from you bringing sustainability into the classroom, too.

Arrow

3. Make small tweaks to your meals

There are so many small changes you can make that up the sustainability of your family's daily meals. Start buying more local and seasonal ingredients

Arrow

4. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room

From a young age, teach your kids to turn off the lights and machines when they're not in use. It will be natural for them to do that as they get older.

Arrow

5. Resist the urge to click "add to cart"

Instead of putting something in your Amazon cart right away, think about whether you can find it used instead. Kids change their needs a lot as they grow.

Arrow

6. Encourage active transportation

Don't drive if you can help it; walk, ride a bike, or take the bus instead. Besides cutting down on climate gases, it's a fun way to spend time together and gets people moving.

Arrow

7. Take shorter showers

When you think about how long a shower with a low-flow showerhead takes, even a small reduction in that time can make a difference. Make taking a shower a game to get your family to take shorter ones.

Arrow

8. Set up a family recycling center

Set up trash bins in a certain spot in your home and make it a family job to sort them every day. More trash will stay out of dumps if you teach your kids in your neighborhood.

Arrow

9. Foster a culture of reuse

When your kids draw or write, tell them to use both sides of the paper, and keep a pile of scrap paper for doodles and projects. Before you go to the store to buy something new.

Arrow