Taking Responsibility (entry for #livesustainably writing contest)

The theme for this week's writing contest sponsored by @livesustainably is "Taking Responsibility."

How do I take responsibility for the betterment of the future for the world? Well, not being of a crusading nature, I concentrate on my impact closer to home, and do a number of small things that I like to think add up to improve the planet (and I've talked about some of them here before), like reusing and repurposing items, recycling, litter pickup, being mindful not to waste food, etc., and if the opportunity presents itself, I encourage others to do the same.

My most pressing responsibility, though, is my children, and they are the future who will inherit our earth. There is so much to teach them about life, and taking good care of our environment as an investment in their own future is part of that! The best thing I can do, I think, is continue leading by example as they grow, getting them involved and even excited about those small things that I do. Branching out from efforts at home, we may be able to start checking out community initiatives as well, as they get a bit older. What long term good are my efforts to future generations, if I don't actively pass them down to those future generations while I have the chance?

So far, at their impressionable preschool ages, it's working :) The trick is going to be keeping it up as they get older! For example....

They absolutely beg to go to the recycling center with me and have the best time pitching items into the bins...it becomes a game that makes everyone else there smile at their enthusiasm. Once our neighbor found out we do regular recycling runs, she said she'd save her plastic bottles if I didn't mind taking them there. I agreed. The kids see that and I have explained that it's something helpful we can do to keep the bottles out of the landfill. I don't think they totally get it yet, but they'll grow up with that concept.

Pixie, being the more observant child, has picked up on the things that I habitually save for reuse, and will make comments accordingly. While I'm carefully cutting open a mailing bag, she'll pipe up "Are you going to save the bag, Mommy?" Or on the rare occasion one of us absentmindedly starts to throw away a recycleable item, she'll quickly "catch" us!

Litter pickup is another great way to get little children involved and begin teaching them about taking care of the world around us. I've pointed out trash along the road and how it's not attractive for other people to see, and how it's rude to throw things out car windows for someone else to clean up. I've talked about preventing animals from being harmed while cutting up the plastic rings that hold canned and bottled drinks together.

I'm excited to (hopefully) do a better job on our garden this year, and the Husband and I discussed the kiddos being old enough now to try giving them their own little plots within the garden. Pixie picked out pumpkin seeds to grow :) I would love to raise both kiddos with the desire and the ability to both grow/harvest and then prepare their own nutritious meals, instead of relying on packaged or fast foods when they launch out into the world.

I'm taking responsibility for raising self-sufficient young adults who have a healthy mindfulness of their impact on the environment in their day to day living. Hopefully I'm successful at passing on habits that help do their part to make the world a bit better place!