Kids & Shopping - How Kids Can Be Smart Consumers
This whole week we’ve been discussing consumer topics - how to buy less stuff and why, avoiding materialism, smart shopping, how this wraps in with eco-issues, and so fourth. Today being green youth Saturday, we’re going to look at some kid-specific shopping tips. If you’re a parent, you might enjoy this article; Eco-Kids Taking on Parents to Go Green - a great view of green kids today.
Kids and teens can actually follow the same set of basic shopping rules as adults which means asking yourself questions about a product before you buy; questions such as:
- Do I need it?
- How badly do I want it?
- Will I use it?
- Is it recyclable or otherwise healthy for the planet?
Here are some more ideas for youth to consider when making a purchase:
Do you have an item like this already at home? If so, do you enjoy it a lot, or is it sitting on a shelf, slightly used. Be honest.
How much does it cost? Is it worth the cost? If you’re not paying for the item yourself consider if you’d still want the item if you had to use chore or babysitting money to buy it.
A good rule of thumb is to not ever buy an item right away. If you see something you think you might enjoy, walk away. Think about it for a week. If after a week, you still think you need the item, go get it.
Another good rule of thumb is to consider how much stuff you already have. If your bedroom is full of slightly used and unused items, maybe it’s time to really think about why you’re asking your parents for this stuff in the first place. Here’s an example; no matter how many Legos my son gets, he always uses them, pretty much daily. On the other side of the coin, he really likes race car tracks and asks for them, but then never uses them. That’s a big waste of plastic, and money, and energy. We actually have a no-race track rule now. Every time Cedar asks for a new race set, we remind him he has a perfectly good set or two laying around unused.
Extra green shopping tips for kids and teens:
When looking for clothes try to find natural fiber clothing or organic items, or shop at a thrift store. If you aren’t sure which clothing to avoid check out this website.
Don’t buy animal fur items or fake fur items. Fur is sometimes used in toys and clothing. If you buy real fur you’re killing an animal, and fake fur is terrible for the environment as most are made from non-renewable oil-based fibers.
Be careful when buying shells. It’s fun to visit a beach and find shells that have naturally washed up on the beach, but buying shells from a store might mean you’re getting shells that were intentionally stolen from the ocean, and thus the animals who use them.
When buying new music, consider used CDs. You’ll get a better deal, more music for your buck, plus save some resources.
If you buy a toy requiring batteries, be sure to pick up some renewable batteries and a battery charger as well. This way you won’t have to waste resources to charge your toys.
Before your next shopping adventure you might want to consider going through the stuff you already have. Sort it, clean it, and offer it to a family or youth shelter. Or you could have a garage sale, which is a great way to recycle instead of toss items.
When shopping be sure to carry a reusable bag - some are really cute. In fact you might be able to win your own Reusable Kid’s Shopping Bag from Envirosax right here.
Kids and teens can be really smart consumers - it just takes a little planning and some caring about the earth.
Tags: animal fur, green shopping tips, green shopping tips for kids, green shopping tips for teens, Reusable Kid’s Shopping Bag, smart consumersRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Consumer Choice, Grow Green Kids, Stuff Owns You
2 opinions for Kids & Shopping - How Kids Can Be Smart Consumers
Rebecca
Mar 15, 2008 at 5:58 pm
It will be interesting to see what my daughter’s relationship to material possessions will be as she grows older. We have bought her three toys in two years. Don’t worry–she has dozens of toys, all from friends and relatives. She had so many that I ended up donating quite a few. We have even donated some without letting her play with them first if they are too big or too obnoxious. As she gets older, I wonder how I will deal with this, as it might be a bit cruel to let her open a present from Grandma and then force her to relinquish it.
Jennifer
Mar 16, 2008 at 12:53 am
My son Cedar, was the first child born in this generation on my side and my partner’s side. So, he was the main event and object of affection for years (he just turned 7 and just now got a nephew). He was so spoiled with stuff from everyone that it’s unbelievable. Like you I gave a lot away. No kid needs that much stuff.
What we eventually did (because you’re right, you can’t just give your daughter’s stuff away as she gets older) was ask people to only give him one gift, and to make it something significant. Something he asked for OR to offer him some time, like a trip to the park, doing an art project, etc.
Everyone in the family is on board with greener, less consumer based holidays EXCEPT my ex’s parents. No matter what we say, they still get him lots of gifts, often stuff he doesn’t need or want. My ex grew up in a family where stuff is a big deal and sort of dictates your worth. Luckily my ex is not like that now.
It’s a tough situation though, because we wish they’d stop giving him so much. We just try to talk to Cedar about what really matters over the stuff. I think he’ll end up being more like us than his grandparents - since he lives with us.
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