Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids About Eco-Friendly Living

 

Teaching your children about caring for the environment and creating eco-friendly habits can start at any age. The following activities provide simple ways for parents to teach kids about eco-friendly living while keeping them engaged and having fun.

Go Plogging Together. Plogging, the act of picking up litter while jogging, originated in Sweden and quickly gained popularity in countries all around the world. A simple and effective way to keep your area beautiful while staying active, it’s an activity that is simple for children to join in on. Try it the next time your family hits your favorite trail or beach. Add more excitement by seeing who can collect the most litter in an allotted time.

Practice Recycling and Try Composting. The average family throws away a lot of useful items. Avoid needlessly contributing to the trash heap and teach your children to spot items that can be easily recycled. Consider furthering your eco-conscious lessons by starting a backyard compost pile for your garden.

Reuse Everyday Items in Crafts. Milk cartons, soda cans and jar lids can all be used to make creative and adorable crafts. For your youngest family members, getting them involved in reusing items at an early age will give them a headstart and a more innate insight into how to creatively use items that would otherwise become trash.

Adopt an Animal. Many wildlife rehabilitation programs allow the public to symbolically adopt an animal. Whether the funds go directly to that particular animal’s recovery and rehabilitation or are devoted to protecting that species’ habitat for future generations, your family can learn more about your favorite animal and financially support it in the process. 

Teaching kids about eco-friendly living doesn’t need to be boring or full of do’s and don’ts. Instead, make it fun and educational for the whole family. 

How Closing Old Credit Card Accounts Can Hurt Your Credit Score

 

If you have an old credit card that you no longer use, you might think that it would make sense to close the account. Under some circumstances, that can actually backfire and hurt your credit score.

Factors That Impact Your Credit Score
Credit scores are based on several factors. Algorithms analyze an individual’s history to figure out how likely that person is to fail to repay debts or to make payments late.

If you close a credit card account, it can increase your credit utilization ratio, which is calculated by dividing your total credit card balances by the sum of your credit limits. Closing an account will lower your total available credit and will therefore raise your utilization ratio. 

If you close an account with a high credit limit, you may see a spike in your credit utilization ratio even if your total amount of debt remains steady. A higher credit utilization ratio can make you risky in the eyes of lenders and may make it difficult for you to qualify for a loan. 

The length of your credit history is one of the main components that determines your credit score. It accounts for 15 percent of your FICO credit score. Your credit score may fall right after you close an old account, but it may go back up after a few months if you pay your other bills on time.

If you close an account in good standing, it will be removed from your credit reports after 10 years. If you close an account with a history of late payments, it will be removed from your credit report after seven years. Closed accounts will continue to be factored into your credit score until they’re removed from your credit report.

How to Decide Whether to Close an Account
Accounts that have been open for several years and that have low balances and high credit limits can help your credit score. It’s generally a good idea to keep them open, especially if you don’t have a large number of credit cards.

It may make sense to cancel a credit card that you rarely or never use and that charges an annual fee. Before you do so, call the card issuer and ask if the company will reduce or waive the fee to keep you as a customer. 

It may be a good idea to close a card with a high interest rate if you carry a balance to help you stop accumulating debt.

Don’t close an old credit card account if you plan to apply for a mortgage, a car loan or another type of loan in the near future. If you want to close several accounts, don’t do it all at once because that can have a significant negative impact on your credit score. Close them gradually and see how much closing each account affects your credit score. Since a long credit history can help your score, you should keep at least one older account open.

How to Reduce the Amount of Fat in Your Diet

 

Many people eat a diet with too much fat, which can lead to obesity. That can increase the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some types of cancer. High fat intake can also lead to high cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Here are some ways to cut back and develop healthier eating habits.

Read Nutritional Labels
When you go grocery shopping, read the nutritional labels on packages. You might be surprised by the amounts of fat in many foods, even ones labeled low-fat or fat-free. In addition, many low-fat or fat-free foods contain large amounts of sugar, which can lead to weight gain.

Avoid buying products with high levels of saturated and trans fats and hydrogenated oil. Chips, baked goods, fried foods and processed snacks tend to have high levels of fat.

Choose Lean and Low-Fat Foods
Buy lean meat, such as chicken and turkey, and remove the skin before cooking. If you want to have pork or beef, look for lean cuts or trim the fat before cooking. Fish is another good source of low-fat protein. Grill, broil or bake meat and fish instead of frying it. Place meat on a rack so fat can drip from it as it cooks. Beans, lentils and tofu are good sources of protein that have less fat than meat. Incorporate them into your diet in place of meat for some meals.

Replace whole milk with a reduced-fat or fat-free version. Buy low-fat cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressing. Avoid sauces made with cream or cheese, or use low-fat ingredients. Flavor foods with herbs and spices instead of butter and cheese. Use olive, canola, sunflower or safflower oil instead of butter or shortening.

Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains at mealtimes and for snacks. Look for creative ways to incorporate them into your favorite dishes. 

Make Healthy Choices When Dining Out
Restaurant meals often contain high levels of fat, as well as salt and sugar. When you eat at a restaurant, look for nutritional information on the menu. If it is not available, choose dishes that are baked, broiled or roasted and avoid foods that are fried or that have heavy sauces or gravies. If a dish is ordinarily cooked with butter, ask if it can be made without it. Order your salad with low-fat dressing on the side. Look for low-fat desserts or skip dessert altogether.

Work on Developing Healthier Eating Habits
Many people eat unhealthy amounts of fat and suffer a range of negative health effects as a result. Cutting back on fat does not mean that you have to go without foods you enjoy. You can look for healthier alternatives or find new recipes to try. If you have questions about your health or need advice on dietary changes, consult your doctor.

Helping Your Child Connect With Nature

 

Amid growing environmental concerns at a time when group activity is curtailed, encouraging your child to bond with nature can achieve two important goals, researchers say.

According to a recent study by North Carolina State University, solitary outings and shared outings with parents help children to not just understand and enjoy nature, but to build respect and personal concern for preserving natural resources. 

Preschoolers on a walk outside can identify flower colors, inspect insects, and collect and trace fallen leaves.

Older children can benefit from picnics in the park or in a wilderness area. They can do a soil test, create a wildlife habitat, learn to identify trees and shrubs and research their contributions to the environment.

Hiking, fishing, skiing, surfing and other outdoor sports are far more than a source of fun, researchers note. They boost physical health and emotional well-being and, especially when paired with parental questions and input, they inspire in children of all ages a connection to and an interest in nature and the environment.

Now, with screens taking up more of your child’s time than ever, health experts agree that it’s critical for parents to provide opportunities for outdoor activity and nature study.

• Set up a treasure hunt – Make a short list of things for younger kids to look for outside, such as a smooth rock, something green or something that grows on a bush.
• Schedule sidewalk activity – Skating, bicycling, skateboarding or scooter-riding are great ways to keep kids moving.
• Plan a camping trip – Spend hours or days in a mountain or seashore environment. Talk about the difference between pets and wild animals. Talk about how things grow, about keeping the environment safe and about how tides work.
• Try photography – Older kids can use a phone, but even young children can use a simple camera to photograph things in nature. Talk about the plants, animals or seashells they captured. Frame a few of their best photos and put the rest in scrapbooks.