Water is such a necessity in life that people are known to consume large amounts of it in their daily lives. To put things into perspective, Americans use about 80 to 100 gallons of water per day, according to the Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Water is used in so many household tasks at home such as washing the dishes or your hands, doing the laundry, and taking a shower.
Water supply is known to be a valuable and limited resource in the world, but what makes the water very significant for families is that water utilities also come with charges or costs. Water bills make the act of conserving it all the more important. However, for busy families, not every parent has the time to constantly check the water usage at home, so you can teach your children how they can help control the water usage. For busy moms, if your young children are already at a capable age, you can help guide them on their own ways of saving water in the household.
Checking for leaks
Toilet leaks can waste about 200 gallons of water, so finding leaks can immediately let you fix them to reduce your water consumption. Children are just as capable of checking if there are any present leaks in your home, and one way they can do that is by checking on the toilet. An interesting experiment they can do to test for leaks is to place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. They can confirm if the toilet has a leak if the color shows up in the bowl without flushing. However, checking for leaks, such as those in the appliances or the water heater, may be too complicated for children. For water heater leaking, parents who may be uncomfortable with handling electricity or gas can call on professionals to look over and fix it.
Teaching Children Water-Saving Tips
One way that children can help conserve water is by turning off the taps after they brush their teeth or after washing the dishes. It may be just a simple act, but even just making sure the tap is properly turned off can save up to 8 gallons of water. For children who want to take a bath, you can recommend they try to use the shower for under five minutes instead of filling out a bathtub. But if they’re going to use the bathtub, they need to make sure to plug the drain immediately after use.
Chores With Children
When doing chores with your children, take note of tasks that involve water, such as washing the dishes or watering the yard. When you ask your children to water the yard, it’s better to let them do it in the morning rather than in the middle of the day. The weather is much warmer during those hours, which makes the water evaporate faster for the plants, so the water ends up being a waste.
Every single drop of water counts, as it not only concerns the value of water conservation but also your water bills. Even if it’s just through simple steps, teaching your children how to conserve water can help contribute to water conservation in the household, as well as help them learn new things. You can even try to find new ways of doing chores with your children more fun along the way.
