Being eco-conscious and looking after our planet is something I really care about, and it’s a big part of how I run my small business too. At home, I’m trying to raise Layla with that same love and respect for nature and the world around her.
I’m not one for preaching or pushing things too hard – my approach to parenting is more about leading by example. Children learn so much just from watching us go about our everyday lives. So here are a few gentle, everyday ways we try to weave eco values into family life:
🌿 Talk about animals and habitats when you’re out and about
We’re lucky to live in beautiful Herefordshire, and my parents are still in the Cotswolds where I grew up – so we’re never far from the countryside. Family walks are something we do regularly (often with a picnic!).
Layla shares my love of animals and is always on the lookout for birds, bugs, and squirrels. She gets really excited about feeding birds the leftover crumbs from our lunch, and we love spotting birds’ nests or little tree hollows that might be home to a barn owl. She's especially fond of squirrels – on our picnic last week, one particularly bold little visitor caught her attention. She named her “Poppy” and was thrilled when this confident squirrel came right up to us, happily nibbling on a few of Layla’s scraps. It made her day!
♻️ Let them help with the recycling
You’d be surprised how fun this can be for little ones! Layla knows exactly where our recycling box is, and she’s always happy to help pop something in. We are currently saving toilet roll tubes for future crafty projects – which she loves.
🌱 Involve them in feeding the birds
Every morning when I go out to feed our bunny, Bridie, I also feed the birds. Layla joins me, scattering oats and checking the hanging feeders in our tree. Sometimes we even spot our resident leucistic blackbird “Blighty”. Before bed, we leave out a little cat food for “Hodge” – the hedgehog who visits our garden every night.
📚 Read books about nature, seasons, and the planet
There are so many lovely picture books that gently introduce ideas about wildlife, the seasons, and looking after the Earth. We’ve slowly been growing our little collection – you can check out my blog “Our Favourite Bedtime Books about Nature, Animals and Kindness” for some inspiration.
☁️ Celebrate simple outdoor joys
Layla is naturally drawn to the little wonders of the outdoors – jumping in puddles (always when she’s not wearing wellies, of course), sniffing flowers, watching ants or bees go about their business, and lying back to find shapes in the clouds. Children are so good at noticing and enjoying the simple things – it’s something I try to learn from, too.
I already see that natural love of nature in Layla, and I hope that by nurturing it, she’ll grow into someone who cares for the planet in her own way.
Younger generations are so much more aware of environmental issues than we were – I certainly don’t remember being taught about plastic pollution or climate change as a child. But the goal isn’t to raise perfect little eco warriors – it’s just about taking small, loving steps toward raising kind, thoughtful humans who respect the Earth and all its creatures.
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