How to be more Sustainable as a Family with little Time or Money

Sustainable lifestyle practises are not only great for the environment, but also for our own well-being. However, actually incorporating new habits into daily life can seem overwhelming, particularly if you have limited resources, or energetic kids! Luckily, getting started with sustainability doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Here we will explore some effective, simple, inexpensive methods to start living more sustainably.

Embrace minimalism

In an increasingly material world, teach your children the value of experiences, relationships, and creativity. Declutter your home, donating, repurposing or reselling items that are no longer needed or have been kept for that ‘just in case’ day that never seems to come! Keep your home clutter-free, and reduce waste all in one go.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It’s been said many times before, and we’re saying it again because it is important! Not only to complete these practises yourself, but teach your children and family the importance of these values. Reduce consumption and waste, reusing and repurposing items rather than disposing, and follow your local recycling guidelines. Getting kids involved in the process of deciding what to do with items, and then following through as a family will have a huge hand in supporting them to understand how to live sustainably, and value what they have. Really embrace creativity, and find new purposes for old objects, letting your children have a whale of a time turning it into something new and exciting!

Energy Conservation

Want to be sustainable and save money at the same time? Sure you do! Conserving your energy usage is the best place to start. It may seem like it’s too small to make a big difference, but it all adds up. Get into the habit of not only turning lights off when not needed, but teach your children the value of unplugging devices and turning appliances off at the wall when not in use.

Grow your own food

Plants can thrive even in the smallest spaces, so if a windowsill is all you have to spare, you can still enjoy a bit of home-grown food. Tending to a plant, and being able to eat the result of your hard work is rewarding for the whole family. If you have a garden space, consider some easy fruit or veg you can plant, or why not grow some herbs and microgreens indoors? Pots can be your best friends when growing veg in a small space, and are easy to maintain compared to a bed. Get the family involved in planting, watering, and harvesting. Plants are a great way to not only teach your children about where their food comes from, but enables them to see the process of a plant producing edible food. Encourage your children to keep a plant diary to keep track of watering, or stick up a chart near the plants in question. You could even give them all a name!

Growing your own food is a great way to have access to fresh, organic produce, while reducing your reliance on plastic-packaged shop food.

Buy Eco-friendly and second-hand

As sustainability has become more mainstream and popular, Eco-friendly products are starting to become a more reasonable cost. When possible, it is always best to choose the eco-friendly option, sometimes it’s even become the most cost-effective option as well! Second hand is such an important market, as it extends the life of items and makes it more sustainable in the long run as there will be a reduction in the demand for new products. There are lots of different places to find second-hand items of good quality, and charity shops are a great place to start. Charity shops are also fantastic places to find items that can be upcycled into new items, or to use in fun crafty or DIY projects!

Practice mindful consumption

Instill mindful consumption habits in your children by teaching them how to make conscious choices about what you buy or bring home. Talk through and discuss with your children the value of what you are considering buying, and if it’s a necessary purchase or not. Could they even make it themselves? Creating wanted items themselves places a higher value on the item due to the effort and connection of the creation process. Consider the cost of the goods, ethical and environmental considerations of the production, but also the value of the item to the individual. By having these conversations with your kids around purchasing decisions, they will start to make these considerations themselves and grow up to be mindful about their consumption. Not only will this teach them about the environmental impact of purchases, but will also encourage sensible spending habits which will help them to manage their money as they grow older.

Explore nature

This last point is probably the best one to start with: Getting out in nature. Spend time outside! Go to your local green spaces and wander, hunt for colourful leaves, look under rocks to see what’s living there, get muddy. Encourage your children to enjoy being outside in all weathers, to want to ask questions and find new things. Show your family through your own actions that nature and the outdoors is an amazing, fun place to be! Get stuck in with them, dust off your bike, stomp about in your wellies! Children who spend more time outside and in nature are more likely to grow up to want to protect the spaces that they have such fond memories of.

Being sustainable as a family, when you have limited time or resources is extremely achievable. Start small, start easy. Choose something that will be easy to incorporate into your current routine, and when that has become an unconscious habit, choose the next practice. Foster a sense of stewardship and love for the environment in your youngsters, and watch them grow up with sustainability in their actions.

Not sure where to start? Heading to the Lake District or a local? Check out our outdoor activity ideas to get out and about.

Celebrating Earth Week together as a family - Bownessie style!

Earth Week leads up to Mother Earth Day, and is a wonderful chance to focus on the natural world, and the importance of cherishing it ready for generations to come. As a family, it’s a great opportunity to spend time together outside, and instil in children a love and sense of stewardship towards the environment.

There are countless ways to celebrate Earth Week or even just Earth Day as a family, from joining organised events or volunteer sessions, to activities just spent with the family.

Bownessie, a Guardian of nature in the Lake District, loves Earth Week, to see families coming together to celebrate the planet, and take action in their local environment. In this blog post, Bownessie explores creative, fun ideas to connect with nature, foster a love for the environment, and make a positive impact on the planet.

Things to do...

Sensory nature walks

It might seem simple, but just getting out into nature and exploring is a fantastic way to connect with the outdoors, and start to instill that feeling of connection. Head out to a local spot, or discover somewhere new!

Bownessie enjoys taking the time away from Windermere to discover new sights around the Lake District, although they're still very shy around other people!

As Bownessie would say, the place doesn’t matter as much as just being out and about in the fresh air. And get stuck in! It’s not just a wander to get from A to B, it’s an exploration, a journey. Take a moment with your family to focus on a sense and connect to it.

Listen to the sounds of wildlife, the birds, the wind in the trees.
Look for new discoveries. What’s under that rock? Who can find the most interesting shaped leaf?
Touch new textures. How does the moss feel compared to tree bark?
Smell the plants and flowers, how are they different?
Taste…maybe bring along some snacks instead of trying the plants!

Don’t forget to bring along some wet wipes or hand sanitiser for those curious hands!

If you’re in the Lake District, keep an eye out for Bownessie during Earth Week, will you catch a glimpse of them exploring a hidden spot?

Volunteer for a conservation project

Around Earth Week, many charities and organisations plan events to make a meaningful impact on their local environment. Whether your kids are little ones still exploring, or older teens needing to step outside, these events are a great way to help the environment as a family.

Whether it’s a park or beach cleanup, a tree planting event, or even a community garden planting group, it is very rewarding for all to get that sense of achievement for a job well done.

Whenever Bownessie is out and about, they love to see folks doing their bit to keep the beautiful Lakes clean and tidy!

Sustainable arts, crafts and upcycling

Encourage creativity in your house while being sustainable through some eco-friendly crafts and upcycling. If you are a crafty, creative household, you will know the importance of everyday items that can be used in all sorts of crafts, from toilet roll inners to lollysticks. Although it can be tempting to buy craft items new, it is such a fun challenge to scrounge for things to be able to use, as it stretches the brain to come up with ideas on what to do with them. Challenge your crafty kids with a selection of assorted objects, recycled boxes, old clothes, etc, and watch their creativity bloom!

If you prefer to have a more guided idea on what to do with your assorted recycled items, there are loads of art ideas floating around places like Pinterest to get you started.

The important thing is for you and the family to recognise that we don’t need to buy new items to be creative, there are plenty of items that get used and disposed of that can be turned into hours of fun!

Even Bownessie likes to collect items to make some fantastical creations, making something new out of something old or natural is just the ticket to while away his time!

Things to start...

Recycling and composting

Use Earth Week as a starting opportunity to establish good habits around recycling and composting.

Most councils in the UK have a variety of recycling opportunities, with some areas really quite strict on what can and can’t be put in the recycling bin. It may seem frustrating at first, but recycling can be a tricky process, and it’s important to follow the guidelines to ensure that the objects can be recycled properly.

Composting can be trickier than recycling, especially if you live somewhere that doesn’t have much outdoor space. Composting is a wonderful initiative, and a great one to get children involved in, as it demonstrates very well how plant waste from the kitchen can be used to grow new plants and replenish nutrients into the soil. If you are not in the position to start your own composting initiative, investigate local areas such as community gardens or garden centres that might allow you to investigate their composting process.

It will also be a good way to start some good behaviours on reducing food waste, especially if children can see just how quickly the compost piles up!

For more information on what can go into a compost bin, check out this handy infographic from Primrose.co.uk;

Reduce Energy consumption

In the current day and age, energy consumption is high and near-unavoidable. So many appliances rely on electricity, as well as our technology and houses. However, there are ways to start to reduce that energy consumption, which will not only benefit the environment, but also your energy bills!

Take the opportunity this Earth Week to start to get into the habit of turning appliances off at the wall when not in use, turning off lights when you leave the room, even reducing unnecessary water use.

Earth Week is a fantastic opportunity to come together as a family and celebrate our planet. Actively engaging in environment initiatives, and deepening your connection to nature can foster that love for the environment and the value of the natural world in your children so they can continue to steward our world.

As a Guardian of the natural world, Bownessie loves Earth Week, to see the enthusiasm it inspires in people of all ages.

Join them in making your positive impact in your local area.