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Speaking Point: In today's world, being ecologically minded is a priority for so many people. Living a "green" lifestyle has gone from being a philosophical debate to a true way of everyday life. People are becoming more and more expert on what is and isn't good for our environment and are making choices as to how to integrate that information into their daily lives. So parents who are ecologically minded incorporating that into their lifestyle are by default raising children in an ecologically minded family environment. This doesn't guarantee that families living "green" are producing children who will live "green" as well. But that is true about all the values parents have and incorporate into their Family Culture.

Speaking Point: Parents are responsible for creating the Family Culture that their children grow up in allowing them to safely explore their own voice. In the Family Culture resides all the rules, rituals and responsibilities that the parents hold important to represent the values they embrace.

Speaking Point: In my book, The Real Purpose Of Parenting,,, The Book You Wish Your Parents Read, I talk a great deal about the Family Culture and the Family Constitution that parents need to have as a structure of expectations their children use to navigate within. The Family Constitution is based on the deep rooted belief system of RESPECT...Respect of Self, Respect of Property, and Respect of Others. All rituals, rules and responsibilities come from that fundamental premise of respect. And living "green" is no exception. Parents who live "green" are rooted in another respect... the respect of the environment.

Speaking Point: For these parents, within their Family Culture and the identity of the family is the fundamental respect of the environment and the rituals necessary to live honorably within that value. Children will embrace the culture parents put them in and if the culture has expectations for living with the respect of the environment, kids will become as expert as their parents are. Why? Because it will be the "normal" way of operating in the family they live. It becomes the family identity growing up.

Speaking Point: So parents must consider the following:

Speaking Point: 1. First and foremost... to live "green" themselves and believe in it wholeheartedly. It is no longer just a philosophy, it is a way of life! 2. Creating a Family Constitution that incorporates the rules and roles that attend to the daily tasks that keep the family respecting the environment including where they shop, what they purchase, what they consume and how they dispose of their waste. 3. Creating rituals that identify the family and its members as it relates to the environment including examples of rituals such as recycling, food preparation, composting, etc.... as a part of their daily rituals.

Speaking Point: 4. Talking about the value of these rules, roles and rituals and why you, as parents, have made this a value of your Family Culture. 5. Listening to your child's view of their experience living in a "green" family and embrace their voice of how they see this value for themselves.

Speaking Point: Children growing up won't select every value, moral and ethic parents put out for them through their growing up, but they are fully immersed in them for the time they are with their parents. Children will embrace some of their parents values, put some of them back and create some of their own as they become adults and perhaps prepare for the Family Culture they wish for their family.

Speaking Point: Parents are responsible to teach, guide, coach and love their child through their child's own experience. So create the Family Culture you believe in with the values that matter to you. Just always remember... you need to welcome their choices as they find what is of value to them. So will your child be "green" if you are? Probably... but if they decide not to be when they grow up, don't be offended...just love them through it.