How to Get Your Family Excited About Going Green

When I started making changes in an effort to live a more natural and sustainable life, my family wasn’t always as excited about the process as I was. This happens to a lot of families. One person just goes wild with making all kinds of changes - and while they are definitely positive changes, it can be a lot to handle for those that aren’t as gung-ho about it at first.

What helps me stay positive about my efforts is that any effort toward living a greener lifestyle is better than no effort at all. It’s tempting to give up if you start feeling a little pushback from your loved ones. If this situation sounds familiar, don’t despair. I’m happy to share ways that I’ve been able to make going green more appealing to my family and how you can do the same.

Spend Time As A Family in The Natural World

Spending time in nature is a great way to learn to appreciate the environment. When you have fond, joyful memories of spending time enjoying all the Earth has to offer, it’s much easier to make the effort to preserve its beauty and abundance. There are many things you and your family can do to enjoy nature together. Find a pastime that you can all enjoy regularly for years to come. It’s a tradition you won’t regret starting. 

Try activities such as:

- Camping

- Hiking

- Fishing

- Hunting

- Biking

- Walking

- Kayaking

- Canoeing

- Snowboarding

- Sledding

- Swimming

If you have children, especially if they are small, point out any animal habitats you see while spending time outdoors. Explain how the animals’ homes - and our own homes as well - are affected when we make less than earth friendly choices.

Discuss Environmental Issues

Talk about what’s going on in the environmental industry, whether it means sharing research findings, new developments toward sustainability or even just what a family member’s favorite celebrity is saying about environmental issues. Anything that piques their interest in green living is a great point of discussion.
Keep the lines of communication open about why it’s important to think about sustainability and use environmentally friendly products as well. Staying mindful of the “why” behind it all is really helpful when it comes to getting excited about helping the planet.

Find Ways to Help Out

As politician Ross Perot once said, “The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty.  The activist is the man who cleans up the river.” Find projects that you can do as a family to help improve the environment. This can mean planting trees, cleaning up parks, or participating in community efforts.
Finding “green projects” to do at home can be helpful as well. You can find really fun things to do with kids. For example, my oldest son and I recently decorated some old coffee cans to make cool little storage containers for some of his toys. It was fun, he learned a little about recycling, and we made something genuinely useful.

Invite Ideas

Ask your family about what they think your next “green move” should be as a family. They might be more excited about the process if they get to have some control over what goes on. Making the decisions together is a great way to bond and it is incredibly satisfying to set and reach a goal together as a family.

Similarly, you can challenge kids to come up with green craft projects to do together. For example, “What’s something useful we can make out of all these old cartons?”
Getting your family excited about going green might not happen all at once, but if you stay positive and keep encouraging your loved ones, chances are good they’ll come around. The best part is, you’ll probably have a lot of fun in the process, too.

Author Bio:

Kylie Worthington freaks her family out all the time with new and exciting green projects. As a natural living advocate and mother of two sons as well, she is usually doing about 6 things at once. She enjoys hiking, camping, and reading her favorite blogs like http://www.ecohomeinspired.com.