child education
Get Smart About Sustainability: Tips for teaching kids earth-friendly habits
Connecting sustainability lessons to your child’s daily life, like school, can help them understand and establish earth-friendly habits from a young age.
Last Updated on July 27, 2024 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) For many parents, their interest in sustainability and earth-friendly living is driven by a desire to create a better world for their children. Taking personal action and responsibility are part of the solution but teaching the next generation to be environmentally conscious is an important part of the equation, too.
Connecting lessons about sustainability to familiar aspects of your child’s daily life, like school, can makes it easy for him or her to understand and establish earth-friendly habits from a young age. Here are some ideas for promoting sustainable behaviors this school year:
Be smart about supplies. Before restocking your student’s supplies, take inventory of what you have left over from last year. Your student probably had several items with plenty of life left, or things that were bought as backups, so you can avoid waste and save a little money while reducing your consumption of unnecessary goods.
Model good habits. Kids learn by example, so know they’re watching and internalizing your behaviors. If you’re not already practicing these habits, make an intentional effort to turn lights off before you leave the house each morning, turn off the water while brushing teeth, use alternate energy sources around the house and encourage your school district to adopt sustainable practices, such as propane-powered buses.
Reduce food-based waste. Convenient, single-serve packaging makes assembling school lunches a breeze, but all that extra wrapping is waste that ends up in the landfill. Other options, like buying in bulk and sending treats in reusable plastic bags, is a more earth-friendly approach. Bento-style boxes with compartments for different foods are another option to help make lunchtime more sustainable. Similarly, encourage your child to carry a water bottle at school each day, which reduces water fountain waste (and cuts back on his or her exposure to germs).
Enjoy nature together. As temperatures cool, it’s a terrific opportunity to spend quality time outdoors as a family. Showing your child reasons to appreciate nature can make it easier for him or her to understand and provide motivation to make choices that protect the earth.
Reinforce with reading. Multiple studies reinforce the benefits of reading with and to young students. Selecting books with earth-positive messaging helps them explore new ideas for sustainable living and see how beloved characters embrace values similar to those your family shares.
Safer, Smarter Bus Transportation
The way kids ride to school today is very much the way children traveled to school 25 years ago: in aging diesel school buses. However, diesel school buses are not only expensive to operate, but they pose risks to children’s health, the community and the climate.
Today, there are two main options for clean student transportation: propane and electric. While both can reduce emissions, propane can do it at a fraction of the cost.
Every day, 1.3 million American children ride to school in 22,000 propane-powered school buses. Propane buses are currently in 1,000 school districts in 48 states. That’s only about 5% of the nation’s total buses, but the number is growing. These are some of the reasons more districts are moving to propane-powered transportation:
Student Health and the Environment
The cloud of black smoke that comes from the tailpipe of a diesel bus contains harmful emissions that are classified by the World Health Organization as a carcinogen and are known triggers for issues like asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Propane school buses lower those emissions to near-zero levels, which improves air quality and eliminates concerns about breathing-related issues. In fact, according to a study by Georgia State University, students who ride to school on a low-emissions bus, like propane, had higher test scores than those who rode on diesel buses.
Compared to electric, propane buses provide a lower lifetime carbon option. That includes emissions that take place before the wheels start turning on the road, like charging a bus using the electric grid versus refueling it with propane. Coal and natural gas are still America’s primary sources of energy for electricity generation and drive up emissions.
Cost Savings
Three times less expensive than electric buses, the cost of a propane school bus and its refueling infrastructure is one of the most affordable options for school districts.
School districts can save money throughout the lifetime of propane buses, which cost 30-50% less per mile to operate than diesel, according to the Propane Education & Research Council. What’s more, a World LP Gas Association study found replacing diesel buses with propane buses would save enough money to hire 23,000 new teachers.
Reliability
While electric vehicles make sense for several uses, propane has the fuel range and performance needed for large vehicles that drive long distances without stopping to recharge or refuel. A typical propane school bus can drive more than 2.5 times farther on a full tank than a comparable electric school bus can drive on a full charge.
Find more information about clean school bus operation at BetterOurBuses.com.
SOURCE:
Propane Education & Research Council
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Family
6 Hacks to Prep Your Mudroom for Back-to-School Season
When school is back in session, it means a lot of coming and going to and from your home – often in a rush. Start with these mudroom organization and habit hacks to make your family’s daily routines a little easier.
(Feature Impact) When school is back in session, it means a lot of coming and going to and from your home – often in a rush. Smooth out those morning scrambles and save yourself some afternoon cleanups by turning your mudroom into a space that feels more organized and less chaotic.
Start with these mudroom organization and habit hacks to make your family’s daily routines a little easier.
Do a Beginning-of-Year Declutter
If the coat hooks are still sporting rain jackets the kids outgrew several seasons ago, that’s your sign to plan a purge. Out with the old, in with the new: collect last year’s coats, too-small shoes, the backpack with the broken zipper, worn-out accessories and that pile of junk mail then figure out what to keep, toss and donate.
Create a “Get-Out-The-Door” Spot for Essentials
“Have you seen my…” is a sentence you can only stand to hear (and say) so many times in one morning. Set up shelves or baskets for important items like keys, permission slips, library books, water bottles, lunchboxes, sports gear and anything else that needs to leave the house with the family. Repetition will build the habit, and even if things still get lost from time to time, this system gives everyone a first place to look.
Choose a Shoe System
Whether you’re a shoe rack kind of family or you’ve got DIY dreams of building an aesthetic wooden bench with shoe storage underneath, lock it in. Shoes are easy for kids to kick off when they get home, and if they aren’t sure where to put them, they’ll remain wherever they land or pile up by the door. Also consider putting down washable mats so grime doesn’t accumulate on your rack or floor.
Give Each Child a Designated Drop Zone
It’s easier for kids to stay organized when they have their own dedicated spaces to hang up jackets, set down backpacks, put shoes and store everyday essentials. Provide each child with their own coat hooks, cubbies, bins or lockers. Build them at kid-friendly heights and make it fun by letting everyone decorate their own zone.
Have Options Ready for Bad Weather
With a little advanced planning, you can prevent your mudroom from living up to its name. Set up a rainy-day corner with an umbrella stand, boot tray, towel basket and hooks or racks to hang damp outerwear. Keep a laundry hamper in the mudroom, too, so wet clothes and dirty uniforms don’t migrate through the house.
Label Storage Areas Clearly
Nearly everyone’s been there: you start a new organization system feeling efficient and optimistic, then over time, memories lapse and it descends back into anarchy. Labels may not stop this from happening every time, but at least they might make kids stop and consider whether their books should go in the basket labeled “Books” or on top of the shoe rack. That’s one step closer to restoring order.
For more back-to-school tips and tricks, visit eLivingToday.com.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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child education
Top 5 Tips for Teaching Kids Modern Money Lessons in the Digital Age
Teaching Kids Modern Money Lessons: Helping kids feel confident about money can start with simple, everyday experiences. Giving kids opportunities to practice earning, saving, spending and making choices with money can help them build skills and confidence, even as more of their financial lives become digital.
Top 5 Tips for Teaching Kids Modern Money Lessons in the Digital Age
(Feature Impact) Helping kids feel confident about money can start with simple, everyday experiences. That can be especially important today, when children may hear different messages about money from parents, friends and financial influencers on social media. Giving kids opportunities to practice earning, saving, spending and making choices with money can help them build skills and confidence, even as more of their financial lives become digital.
Parents don’t need to be financial experts to help children develop healthy money habits. Starting conversations early and giving kids opportunities to practice skills like budgeting, saving and investing can prepare them to make thoughtful financial decisions as they grow. Consider these tips from the experts at Charles Schwab, which provides a full range of brokerage, banking and financial advisory services, to help build kids’ financial knowledge and confidence.
- Start with Hands-On Activities
As children grow, the way parents teach them about money should grow with them. Young kids can start by filling piggy banks or savings jars with coins and cash. As they get older, help them open bank accounts to see how their balances change over time. Introduce budgeting by letting kids make some of their own spending decisions, such as choosing a snack or deciding whether to go to a movie or save for new headphones. Older kids can get involved in family decisions, such as planning a weekend trip within a set budget.
- Encourage Smart Saving and Investing Habits
Learning to save and invest early can help kids see how financial decisions pay off over time. Start with a savings account and show them how compound interest can help their money grow. As kids enter their teen years, look for ways to give them hands-on experience with investing. A teen investing account can give young people a real-world opportunity to research investments, make decisions and learn how to manage money with a parent’s guidance and oversight, helping them better understand risk and reward while building financial skills and confidence.
- Teach Teens About Debt and Credit
Before teens begin using credit themselves, help them understand what borrowing actually costs. A credit card may make a purchase feel easy in the moment, but interest and fees can make that purchase more expensive if the balance isn’t paid off. Talk about the importance of living within their means, how credit scores work and how interest and late fees can cause debt to grow. Real-life examples, such as comparing the cost of paying for something now versus the cost of carrying a balance, can make these lessons easier to understand.
- Introduce Kid-Friendly Digital Tools
For today’s kids, learning about money also means learning how to manage it digitally. When children are old enough to have their own devices or use a parent’s device with supervision, introduce them to age-appropriate banking and budgeting tools. Show them how to check a balance, track spending and follow progress toward a savings goal. These everyday experiences help connect the money lessons they learn at home with the tools they’ll likely use as adults.
- Keep Talking About Money
Building financial confidence doesn’t happen through one conversation. Make money an ongoing, age-appropriate topic by asking kids what they think about spending and saving, and what short- and long-term goals matter to them. Invite them to ask questions and, when appropriate, include them in everyday household money decisions. Giving kids a safe place to learn and make choices (and sometimes mistakes) can help them become more comfortable managing money.
Learn more modern strategies for teaching kids and teens financial literacy at SchwabMoneywise.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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More Than Hair: How the Back-to-School Haircut Impacts Confidence
(Feature Impact) For years, parents make nearly every style decision for their children – from first-day outfits to picture-day haircuts. Then, almost overnight, those little ones develop opinions of their own about what to wear and how to style their hair.
As boys enter middle and high school, 84% of parents notice their sons care significantly or somewhat more about their appearance, based on results of a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Sport Clips Haircuts, a sports-themed haircutting franchise specializing in haircuts for men and boys.
What’s more, according to the American Psychological Association, physical appearance is an important part of adolescent identity, helping young people express themselves while also navigating social expectations and peer relationships. Those expectations have added more pressure on children and teens to present themselves well as nearly three-quarters of parents surveyed (71%) said boys today face more pressure to look put-together going into a new school year than they remember from their own school years.
Haircuts are Becoming Part of Back-to-School Checklists
While shopping for school supplies, organizing backpacks and choosing first-day outfits are all familiar traditions ahead of a new school year, scheduling a haircut is increasingly part of the back-to-school agenda. While 20% of parents surveyed notice their child shift back into school mode when they pick out their first-day outfit, and another 19% said it’s when their sons pack or organize their bags, 71% said getting their son a fresh haircut or new hairstyle has become a reliable part of their back-to-school routine.
In fact, more than one-third of parents said their preteen or teenage sons are the ones asking for a back-to-school haircut. Another 22% said they bring it up around the same time, meaning more than half of boys are already thinking about how they’ll show up on the first day.
The Connection Between Appearance and Confidence
Ninety-five percent of parents surveyed said the way their son feels about his appearance influences how confidently he approaches school, sports and social activities. As boys age and want to choose their own style, a haircut is only one piece of the equation. Allowing them to choose clothes they feel comfortable wearing as well as having conversations about what they’re looking forward to (and what they’re nervous about) as another school year begins are also part of the preparations that can help boost self-esteem before they ever walk through the school doors.
The Hairstyles Boys are Asking for This Year
If you thought parents’ opinions about theirs sons’ haircuts mattered, think again. More than half of boys ages 11-17 know exactly what haircut they want before the school year begins. Parents report many are inspired by celebrities, athletes or digital creators.
According to the survey, 30% of boys want a tapered fade like the one U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese wore during the 2026 World Cup. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents said their child wants a classic cut, similar to YouTuber Caylus Cunningham. Only 10% of boys are requesting a longer or shaggy style, like actor Jacob Elordi, and even fewer are looking for fringe bangs; the “broccoli cut,” which is short on the sides and curly on top; or a buzz cut.
Whether it’s a subtle trim or a completely new style, the back-to-school haircut has evolved into one of the first opportunities each school year for boys to express themselves. Learn more about this year’s trends, and schedule an appointment ahead of the school year, at sportclipsinc.com.
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