Getting all the members in your family to agree on something can be challenging. Everyone has their own ideas, preferences, and habits.

With something as important to you as sustainable living, you just may have an opportunity to get everyone on board, as long as you keep it simple, and play to your audience.

Here are some ideas to help each member of your clan cooperate and get involved.

Teach Your Children Well

You can have the biggest impact now – and in the future – by teaching your children about sustainable living, and instilling green practices that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Little children are the easiest to influence, and they will probably be the most eager to get involved. Start small by getting them to recycle things around the house they can easily pick up and sort.

Bedtime rituals are a great time to educate your little ones, and establish great routines. Water conservation can be taught by using just as much water as necessary in the bath tub, and shutting off tap water when brushing teeth.

As you dress your child for sleep, let them feel how soft their pajamas are, and talk to them about how organic cotton is grown, using sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices.

Every child loves to be read to at night, and this is a great opportunity to choose colorful and creative books about green topics that your child will love.

Tuck them into their covers with a lovable plush animal friend to foster respect and care for animals, or a veggie pal to encourage good eating habits.

Activism And Teenagers: A Perfect Match

Give your teenager a real cause to get behind, and a valid reason to fight for what’s right.

Channel your teenager’s natural rebellious energy with these videos about climate change, and help them figure out what they can do to help protect our natural resources.

Encourage them to “fight the power” by taking shorter showers, shutting off lights when leaving a room, and riding their bike whenever possible, rather than asking for a ride or borrowing the car.

You might even convince them to power down their devices and unplug for a bit to do something outdoors.

Significant Others

Hopefully, your mate shares your views on sustainable living. Look for ways in which you can conserve energy in your home, and reduce your imprint on the environment.

Start by replacing energy-guzzling appliances with efficient energy star rated ones that will save the environment, and money in the long run.

If you can, take public transportation to work, or arrange carpools.

When something breaks in your home, make a project of fixing it together rather than replacing. You can get instructions to do just about anything on Youtube. Look for pre-owned merchandise when it makes sense, and always donate your unwanted items to charities rather than the garbage heap.

Become a team of organic “foodies”, scouring local sustainable produce resources to create thoughtful meals together. It’s a wonderful bonding experience for couples, and you’ll be helping your whole family to eat healthier, and be mindful of where their food comes from.

The Family Garden

Gardening together is perhaps the best way for the entire family to practice sustainable living. The best part is, you’ll be doing it together, creating memories and a lifestyle to be proud of.

Don’t have the yard space for a garden? Learn how to start a container garden with your family.