Do you turn off the lights when you leave a room?  Do you conserve water?  If so, you are already doing good things to help the planet and building a better future for our kids.  If you have encouraged your family to also adopt these practices, you are doing even more.  Earth Day is April 22, 2010. Today!  During Earth Week, thousands of people will be doing things to help the environment and “go green.”  There are many little things that each of us can do to help the Earth.  However, every day can, and should, be Earth Day.  Try these activities and tips to help your family go green and build a greener future.

Living Green Around the House

1. Plant a tree or grow a garden.  Plants act as natural filtration systems.  In short, they keep the air fresh and oxygenated.  Keep them inside your home too to keep the inside are fresh.
2. Turn off the lights.  CO2 is the main contributing factor to global warming.  Every time you use something electronic, use electricity, fire up your car or even take a shower (you water has to be heated) you are emitting CO2.  Turn off the lights, take shorter showers, turn down your hot water heater and don’t let your car idle for more than one minute.
3. Stop using plastic water bottles.  You can recycle your plastic water bottles, but after being recycled several times, the plastic downgrades.  Get a reusable canteen and go with glass jars for storage.
4. Unplug.  Electronic devices still use energy, even when they are turned off.   Unplug your radio, stereo, blow dryer and television to save more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.  This amounts to around $256 a year.
5. Turn off the water.  By simply turning off the tap when you are washing the dishes or brushing your teeth, you can save as much as 2.4 gallons of water – per minute. I admit, I am bad about this one but am working on it! I brush my teeth with my kids and they are now helping to keep me stright
6. Dispose of batteries, paint, bleach and nail polish the right way.
7. Stop getting junk mail.   Junk mail in your mail box can generate a lot of paper waste.  Remove your name from lists on www.donotmail.org and get a paperless version of the yellow pages at www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org.
8. Go green with your laundry.  Wash your clothes in cold water and hand them out to dry.  You will save energy, cut down on CO2 and your clothes will last longer!
9. Here is one I am guilty of. Do you have a cell phone? When you take it off the charger make sure you unplug the cord from the wall. The charger is still using draining and using electricity! I learned that at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/11/treehugger_home_2.php
10. Try composting.  You can start your own bin for around $20 or even less.  You will prevent hundreds of pounds of waste (40% of which is food) from making it to the landfill.  This is better because in a landfill, everything is compacted so most of the items do not biodegrade due to lack of oxygen.
11. Create art for your walls.  Use pictures of old calendars and magazines to make art for your walls or put fun appliqués on old tiles to make wall decorations.
12. Use “green” cleaning products.  You can use “green” household cleaning products, but they can be a little pricy.  White vinegar, salt and lemon are items that you probably already have in your home, are not petro based and do a great job.  Also, vinegar, applied with old newspapers work great for washing your mirrors and windows.
13. Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!

Living Green when Out and About

1. Don’t litter.  Discarded plastics, trash and even cigarette butts can wind up in our beaches and oceans.  In case you were wondering, in the Pacific Ocean there is a patch of garbage plastic that is 300 feet deep and twice the size of Texas.
2. Take public transportation.  Taking the subway or city bus saves energy and you can relax while enjoying the ride.
3. Ride your bike or walk.  It is good for you and good for the environment.
4. Shop at thrift stores.  You can find great deals and you can help the environment by recycling clothing.
5. Pay your bills online.  You cut out the paper bills.  Less paper means less waste. This equals to a healthier, cleaner environment!
6. Freecycle!  Visit www.freecycle.org and find your community in the list.  Join and begin freecycling!  You can get things that other people are getting rid of, and you can freecycle things that you no longer want.   This reduces the amount of waste that winds up in the landfills and you can wind up with some really cool stuff.

Eating Green

1. Eat local fruits and vegetables.  On the average, vegetables and fruits have to travel more than 1500 miles to get to your grocery store.  If you eat local produce you not only cut down on the energy that is required to grow and transport your food (by 1/5), you also support your local farmers.
2. Buy organic, grass fed meat.  In January 2008, the FDA approved cloned meat.  There are no requirements that this meat be labeled or marked, so you have no way of knowing whether or not your meat is cloned unless you are buying organic.
3. Read your labels.  Just about 60% of the foods that you find on your grocery store shelves is genetically modified.  Read the labels and look for hidden ingredients such as sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  Basically, if you can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t want it in your body.
4. Eat fresh.  Frozen foods require ten times more energy to produce.  They also offer less nutritional value than their fresh counterparts.  What’s more, they are usually packed with preservatives.  Fresh is best.
5. Buy natural foods.  Many brands are responding to their customers’ demands for natural foods and are introducing natural versions of old favorites.  Smucker’s (www.smuckers.com) has a line of natural peanut butter and fruit preserves.  Cascade Fresh (www.cascadefresh.com) has a line of natural yogurts with active cultures.  Whole Foods brand 365 has many natural foods from salsa to chocolate to sodas.  You will find the taste is better and there really isn’t that much of a difference pricewise from the less healthy versions.
   There are many things that you and your family can do to live greener.  Don’t try to do it all at once.  Take baby steps, incorporate one or two practices at a time and eventually your family will be living green full time!

HAPPY EARTH DAY FROM ALL OF US HERE AT MORE4KIDS!!

Lets make Everyday be World Oceans Day, and lets try everyday to find ways to show our kids how important our Environment is. Tuesday, June 8, 2010 happened to be World Oceans Day, and what a wonderful time to teach our kids about the importance of our oceans and ways that they can be more environmentally aware. This day is occurring amid one of the worse oil spills, and with all the news on the BP Oil Spill, no doubt oceans are in the forefront of your mind, and the minds of your children. As you and your children watch television and see the heartbreaking pictures of ocean waters covered in oil and birds and other sea life sadly coated in oil from the spill, you may wonder if there is something you can do to help. Yes, you can help. By raising your children to be environmentally aware and by getting involved in projects and events, such as World Ocean Day, every one can make a difference.

Teaching Your Children Why Oceans are Important

First, you need to start by teaching your children why the oceans are so important in the first place. While your kids may be upset about the tragedy occurring with the BP oil spill, they may not fully understand the full impact that such a disaster can have on the oceans and the entire earth. Why are oceans and all the life in them so important? Here is a look at several important reasons.

Reason #1 – Oxygen, Food, and Other Essentials – First, the oceans and ocean life are important because as humans we all rely on them for our oxygen, some food, and other essentials, such as certain medications. Much of the oxygen we breath comes from the ocean, which means we are helpless without them.

Reason #2 – Opportunities for Recreation and Fun – Another reason that our oceans are so important is because of all the opportunities and fun that they provide us with today. Many people enjoy boating on the ocean, swimming, fishing, diving, surfing, snorkeling, and more. Without the diversity of life in the ocean, it just wouldn't be the same.

Reason #3 – Climate Issues - Last, the diversity of life within the ocean needs to be preserved because it helps to keep the climate conditions at normal within the planet and also helps the planet to adjust to a climate that is changing.

About World Ocean Day

By celebrating World Ocean Day with your children, you can work together to help make a difference in the oceans around the globe. This day is designed as a day when others can be made more aware of how important oceans are in every life. It is a time to learn to reduce negative impacts on our oceans, and a day when people from all walks of life in this world can come together, celebrate the oceans, and work to make a difference by standing up for oceans and the diversity of life within them. For 2010, the theme for this day is the Oceans of Life, which is all about the great diversity of life found within the oceans today.

Ways You Can Take Action

So, how can you take action and get your children involved in celebrating World Ocean Day? There are a variety of things you can do. First, you and your children can work together to spread the information about this day to others. Let others know how important the oceans are and about the World Ocean Day. This is the best place to start out.

Another way to take action is to go to one of the many World Ocean Day Events. There may be an event going on in your area. Check http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/2010events.php to see what events may be taking place that you can attend. If there are no events in your area, consider planning an event of your own to get the word out to others.

You can use World Ocean Day to teach your child more about conserving to protect the oceans and the life in them. Here are some important tips you can teach your child about ocean conservation, which will help them to grow up more environmentally aware:

Tip #1 – Make a commitment to really make a difference. Work this year to reduce the amount of energy that you consume.

Tip #2 – In your home, find ways to conserve. Go with CFL light bulbs and upgrade your appliances to options that are greener to use.

Tip #3 – Think about what you really need and become a conscientious consumer. When you do make purchases, purchase products that are green, such as seafood that is sustainable or local products from a farmer's market.

Tip #4 – Talk to others about your concern for the ocean. Get these concerns out there to family and friends, or even try to share this with local media in your area.

Tip #5 – On a daily basis, try to cut down on carbon emissions. Carpool, take the bus, walk, or ride your bike to accomplish this.

Tip #6 – In the community you live in, work to make a difference. Try volunteering with an ocean group that is located in your own area.

Tip #7 – Take time to celebrate the wonderful oceans that we have. Get involved in World Oceans Day.

Today, more than ever before, kids need to realize the importance of our oceans. Tragedies like the BP Oil Spill are damaging the oceans, which is a disaster that will have a high impact on the ocean, life in the ocean, and even humans. Start teaching kids to take care of the oceans. Celebrate World Ocean Day and work all year long on raising environmentally aware kids that will continue to work on saving our earth in the future.

Parenting at More4kids: More4Kids Inc © and All Rights Reserved

We all want the best for our families, and many feel that living green is the way to achieve that goal. We want to save the environment for ourselves and our families and neighbors and friends. The marketplace has introduced lots of green products to extract the green from our wallets. The real goal of going green is to buy less and use less.  That is a recession friendly goal, because when you achieve it, you will be spending less.

What are some “green” things that we can do as Parents? Conserve energy in your home and in the rest of your life. Use healthier cleaners, and reusable tools.

Do not just turn your car ignition off when you pick up the kids at school, walk to meet them and walk home with them. This is compatible with the fact that we need to use less gasoline and also that we need to get more exercise. This is setting the tone for a healthy green lifestyle for your kids as well. You get to share the wonders of the walk home, and talk with your kids and hear about their day and marvel at the world around you.

Shopping Green

Shop your local thrift shops or yard sales for children’s clothing, especially. Buy things that are gently used, with a lot of life left in them. Most thrift shops benefit a charity, so you are setting an example of giving back and not wasting things that still have life in them. Buy sweaters, jackets and clothes that are easy to layer, because at home, you are turning down the heat.

Reading Green

Use the local library for green ideas. You will save money, while teaching your children to love reading. Instead of buying magazines and newspapers, and having that clutter at home and filling the landfill, read hundreds through the library. Use the library to find recipes for green household cleaners, beauty products and healthy living. People have been trying to live green for years, and called it being frugal.

Cleaning Green

On the subject of cleaning, think green. You can go to the store and buy the “new” green cleaners. They are still in throw away packaging, and still suck the green right out of your pocket book. Save the bottles when they are empty, and make your own cleaning and household products. Vinegar, baking soda, salt, alcohol, and peroxide all clean well, without extra chemicals to add fragrance and are less toxic in the environment. Look for helpful hints on your library trips. Use baking soda to boost laundry cleaning, or to scour with. Put vinegar in the rinse and your clothing will be brighter and you will find that you do not need fabric softener. This results in fewer chemical exposures for your home and your children.

More Green Parenting Ideas

Few things are as green as raising a garden and eating out of it, provided you have the space. Your children will be willing helpers and will benefit from home grown organic vegetables. Use more vegetables and less meat in your diet and your health will improve. So will your grocery bill. Kids that help grow vegetables also eat more of them.

When you are eating your meals with your home grown vegetables, turn off the lights. Serve dinner by candlelight, it saves power and gives the whole room a glow. Children feel so awe inspired that they behave better and conversation flows more smoothly. Teach your children to turn out lights when they leave the room, and turn off the water while they brush their teeth. These are small steps that add up to big savings on the environment and on the budget.

Let your children be detectives with you when you shop. Teach them to choose products with less packaging. Pop measured amounts of pop corn, for instance, instead of those individual microwave packets. Make homemade snacks and put them in reusable containers, or split the package of cookies into their own 100 calorie packs. Instead of caving in and buying the trendy lunch meat and cracker quick lunches, package your own for pennies, and call them “momables”. Generally, what children grow up with, they are happy with. Start young with green living and they will choose that style throughout their lives.

Why YOU are Never Too Young to Make a Difference!

The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes

Whether you are 10, 12, 15, 17, or any other age, you probably don't think adults are going to listen to you. Maybe you have a cause you are passionate about, but you don't think anyone will listen to what a kid or teen will have to say. You're wrong! You may be young, you may not have all the answers, but you are truly never to young to make a difference in this world. Take for instance a young girl, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who was able to speak to the entire United Nations Assembly when it met in Brazil several years ago. At that point in time, she was only twelve years old, and what she would say there in front of leaders from all over the world would silence the entire world and make them think.

At the age of twelve, Severn had raised the money needed to travel to Brazil to attend the UN Assembly. From Canada, this was about 5,000 miles from home for her – a long way for a 12 year old to travel and it was a lot of money for a 12 year old to raise, but she did it. She was convinced that she had something worth saying that the leaders of the United Nations needed to hear, and she was determined to use her words in a powerful way.

In her speech to this delegation, she addressed a variety of different issues (SEE the video of her speach at the end of this article). She talked about pollution, the extinction of animals, ozone layer depletion, forest devastation, starving children, and more. These were big issues, but she wasn't afraid to tackle them. She admitted, she didn't know the answers or how to fix these problems herself, but she wanted to challenge world leaders to start finding the answers and to stop causing the problems.

Another topic that Severn addressed was the topic of sharing. She spoke of how many children go without on a daily basis, yet so many have more than enough – even throwing items away. Instead of sharing with others, people hold onto the wealth that they have when they could help others around the world. As a child she said she was taught to clean up after herself, to be kind to others, to share, and to take care of what she had, yet she felt that adults didn't do these very things that they were teaching children. Severn wondered why adults didn't clean up after themselves, why they didn't take care of what they had, and why they didn't share and help others. Definitely great questions to be asking!

Believe it or not, this speech was given many years ago – back in 1992. While the speech was definitely relevant then, it's still relevant today as well. Many of these issues are now being addressed and greater attention has been brought to these issues. Some of those leaders at the UN Assembly may not have paid much attention to anyone else, but a young girl was able to stop and make them think. Many of the delegates there were moved to tears by her words, and at the end of her speech, she was given a standing ovation. All around the world her speech was heard, and more than 15 years later, people are still listening to her speech. This was one girl that decided that she could make a difference – and she did.

Even after her speech, she didn't stop working to make a difference in her world. She felt that while speaking to leaders was important that "becoming the change" was even more important if things were going to be accomplished. Over the past few years as she grew up and reached adulthood, she has continued to champion the changes that she spoke so passionately about in 1992. She founded that Environmental Children's Organization when she was only nine, she's co-hosted a children's TV series known as Suzuki's Nature Quest, and was instrumental in the think tank based on the web – The Skyfish Project. She is a speaker, author, and environmental activist that speaks all over the world today, urging those she speaks to, to act on the issues addressed to help preserve the future.

Her words in 1992 definitely silenced the entire world. Although she admitted to Time magazine that she was discouraged that more action wasn't taken by the UN she addressed, she never gave up. While her confidence was a bit shaken that her speech didn't bring about more results, she didn't let it stop her. As a child, and now as an adult, she has continued to use her voice to make a difference in this world, determined that change will come.

It truly doesn't matter how old you are – you can make a difference in your world today. There is never an age where you are too young to make a difference in some way. If you have a cause or idea you are passionate about, don't think you are too young to do anything about it. Follow after the courage of Severn and find a way that you can make a difference. Perhaps you too will be able to silence the world.

Now, here is the video of this remarkable girl:

So, what is Green Parenting? Teaching our children to conserve our planets energy and resources has been around for many of us for years now. However, with increased global awareness of our planet Earth’s decline, now more then ever we need to teach our children how to utilize the resources that are already available to them, without creating further harm to the environment. By starting our children out learning how to be friendly to the environment, living in harmony with it, the whole world benefits for future generations to come. So how do you teach your child to be more green conscious? With all the ads on tv as well as in stores, for harsh chemicals of all kinds geared for making life easier, its harder to teach a simpler and more green way of life, but it can be done.

When using the phrase “simpler and more green way of life” all that simply means is to use vinegar instead of a chemical to clean your windows for example, or what about some baking soda to clean the bath tub instead of harsh and dangerous chemicals? These examples help out by keeping our ground water clean, which is very important since we need to drink water to survive! Going green doesn’t mean something difficult or hard just a bit of research on your part as a parent and life can be fun and exciting as well as earth friendly. Kids are pretty resilient, so teaching them the green way of life is going to be like a great adventure that all are going to benefit from. So now where do you go from here? There are all kinds of great ideas that can be found from books to the internet on how even the smallest changes can make a huge difference in a very short time.

If you live in the country kids know about trees, they are living breathing entities. So a great place to start here, could be a visit to the local library and reading a book from there you have been wanting to, instead of buying a new one. You are saving money and the trees we need to breathe. Some other great ideas for the country are rain barrels, they are fun to make, and again reusing any number of types of materials to make it. An example of this would be an old bathtub or maybe a used 55 gallon drum, (these are especially great if are gardening also) to catch the rainwater. This is known as recycling, the reuse of materials we have been filling up our landfills with, damaging the earth. So what to do in the city? A great example here would be to visit your local used clothing store or charity mission, taking your old clothes in and picking up new ones (though used) and creating your own unique wardrobe. It’s affordable and kids love shopping for their own clothes. Being the green parent of a green family, I couldn’t imagine life any other way.

If you want your children to grow up to be environmentally conscious, you have to start teaching them while they are young. You can't expect them to just learn on their own. However, you'll find that there are a variety of great recycling websites and environmental sites out there where you kids can learn more about the environment and recycling, while having a great time. Wondering where to send your kids to learn more? Here's a look at 10 of the top recycling websites out there for kids that make excellent choices.

Website #1 – Kids Planet

Website Address: www.kidsplanet.org  
This site has many great games for kids on the web of life, fact sheets on different animal species, and they provide excellent information on what kids can do to help protect and defend their own environment. They even have their own Wildlife Adoption Center on the site.

Website #2 – Kids for a Clean Environment

Website Address: www.kidsface.org/  
The mission of this site is to provide excellent and education information to kids on environmental issues and to encourage them to work on improving the world around them. It provides information on how they can work in their own community and how they can work on recycling.

Website #3 – Eco Mentors

Website Address: www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/ecomentors/index.cfm
This is one of the best sites on the web that will teach your kids more about the environment while allowing them to have a lot of fun. It is actually an award winning site for kids, and provides interactive and innovation environmental education for kids and their families. Great activities and games are used on the site to help you child have a wonderful time while learning more.

Website #4 – Captain Planet Foundation

Website Address: www.captainplanetfdn.org/index.html  
This foundation has the mission to help encourage kids from grades Kindergarten through 12th grade to learn more about the environment and they support many environmental projects that kids can get involved in, in a hands on manner. They also encourage activities that help kids all around the world to work together and on an individual level to help the environment. The site is easy for kids to navigate through, and it provides information on projects that the foundation has going. It also teaches kids great ways that they can have a good effect on their own environment.

Website #5 – National Geographic Kids

Website Address: http://kids.nationalgeographic.co.uk/  
This is an excellent site for kids, with all the great options that you'd expect from National Geographic. It is an excellent resource for kids and it has information on a variety of topics, including the environment and how problems with the environment affect the world and animals around it. You'll find stories, quizzes, games, tips, and videos that your kids will enjoy while learning more about the environment and recycling.

Website #6 – EPA Student Center

Website Address: www.epa.gov/students/  
This is the official site of the EPA in the United States. They include many great stories, games, and pictures. There are many funny cartoons that include facts about the environment that kids can enjoy. It also includes excellent ways that kids can improve the environment and keep nature alive as well.

Website #7 – Meet the Greens

Website Address: www.meetthegreens.org/  
This website is all about a family, which is known as the Greens, and they are a family working hard to make sure that the do the right thing for the environment. It is a site based in the United States and it includes adventures of the family, which are animated, and they all have great environmental messages for them. Not only can they learn about recycling, saving animals, and more, but there is a blog that is interactive where your kids can have discussions about the programs.

Website#8 – Recyclezone

Website Address: www.recyclezone.org.uk/  
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the UK actually sponsors this site. It provides a wealth of great information that is presented on a level for children. The site is brightly colored, it's easy for kids to use, and interactive to get them involved in learning. You'll find many great jokes, brain teasers, music, and games on the site that will keep your kids entertained while they learn.

Website #9 – Children of the Earth

Website Address: www.childrenoftheearth.org  
The Children of the Earth website helps to provide information for kids that will allow them to understand and respect the world around them. Lessons are taught on plants, soil, energy, animals, and more. It helps them to learn about how their actions can either have negative or positive effects on the environment.

Website #10 – Environmental Education for Kids

Website Address: www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm  
EEK is an online magazine that is for kids. It is geared to kids in grade 4-8. They have articles about the environment and other issues, and they even have great activities for your kids to enjoy online as well.

The internet can be a great tool for teaching your kids more about the environment. With these excellent sites to help you out, you can help them to learn more about their environment, recycling, and all they can do to have a positive impact on their world. Explore the sites with them and enjoy learning and working together to save the earth.

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