April 2008 - Going Green with Your Children

I have a calendar filled with all sorts of quirky little holidays for April. There is Find-A Rainbow Day on the third, Ponce de Leon Day on the eighth, National Eggs Benedict Day on the sixteenth and Zipper Day on the twenty-ninth. April is also National Frog Month. So, between frog month and zipper day there is a lot to celebrate. But, what about a day that is set aside to highlight that we are stewards of this grand world of ours, a day to educate your children about one of their greatest responsibilities as a human: Earth Day.

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22. This may strike fear in the hearts of those who think that going green is a nearly impossible task better suited to tree huggers without jobs. Never fear…there is one thing you can do in your own home every day with little effort and plenty of positive results: Recycle!

My two children came home from school a few years ago and asked me why we didn't recycle. I had excuses 1) I don't have the time or energy. They said, "We'll do it." 2) One family won't make a dent in the trash problem we have or save the environment. They asked, "What if everyone thought that?" 3) I don't even know what all is recyclable. They said, "We can check at Cabot Recycling." What can I say? I was out maneuvered by my two children and they were right. We started recycling and still do.

We simply took a good sized (but manageable) box and set it near the trash can in the kitchen. If it is recyclable it goes in the box; if not, it goes in the trash can. Check with your local recycling place to see what they take. Yep, it was that simple.

What do we recycle? Well, let's see what is in the box right now:

Boxes from taco dinners, dog treats, instant oatmeal, cereal, pasta, tea, crackers, cake mix, gifts, stuffing, frozen foods, skillet dinners, snack cakes, microwave popcorn, cards, cardboard (of all kinds).

Paper - catalogs, magazines (we didn't donate to a laundry mat, waiting room or elderly facility), newspapers, junk mail (nothing with personal information on it), sugar bags, dog food bags.

Plastic bottles from water, pop, vinegar, laundry detergent, dish liquid, milk (rinsed).

Our local recycling center is Cabot Recycling and they even take household batteries.

These recyclables are easy to save and light to move and definitely make a difference.

Earth Day means a lot more than recycling though. Another thing we do with our children is pick up trash. We don't wander the roadsides, even though the boys would like to. But, if we see trash as we are walking anywhere, on our property, a neighbor's, the grocery store parking lot or the sidewalk, we pick it up and put it in a trash can. It may seem like something small, but once again every little bit helps.

One of the greatest ways to teach children the importance of these types of things is to remind them that as human beings, we are the ones making the mess. And, as human beings we need to do our part in cleaning it up or recycling it to be used for something useful.

Just to let you know, April is also Keep America Beautiful Month and Poetry Month. April also has Sibling Day, Arbor Day, National Honesty Day and my personal favorite, which I just discovered, No Housework Day (that would be April seventh). Let's celebrate.

Lisa M. Sheldon is a wife, mother, author and Calhoun County resident. She has 12 years experience in early childhood education and her RBA from WVU-P. She is also a columnist and advertising director for The Calhoun Chronicle.