Litter Bugs

I try to be a good role model for my children. I try to teach them about being environmentally friendly. I recycle, I try to re-use things like egg cartons, plastic bags, cardboard. I use cloth diapers 50% of the time. Obviously there is a LOT more I could do for the environment and to teach my children, but I figure this is a good start.

One lesson I have taught my daughter is to never throw trash on the ground. This lesson as obviously sunk in. Since all the snow is melting, we can now see the ground. Which means she can now see all the trash...everywhere. Do you know how heartbreaking it is to hear your 3 year old daughter say "what's that mommy? Is that trash? Oh No! Trash goes in the can not on ground!!" And she doesn't say it once. In typical toddler fashion she says it over, and over, and over again. It BREAKS MY HEART every time she says it. If you ask her how it makes her feel to see trash on the ground, she says "sad".

How hard is it to hold onto something until you see a trash can? I don't think it is terribly difficult. If you can hold onto your McD's cup to drink your soda, then you can hold onto it a few minutes longer until you see a trash can.

Today we went to a mom and child play group program at the local pre-k/kindergarten school. It is only 2 blocks from our house so I decided we would walk. The entire way there my daughter talked about the trash on the ground. We couldn't walk more than 6 inches without seeing a bottle, wrapper, or paper bag on the ground. We could have filled a trash bag with how much we saw on each side of the road.

I have been left in a sad mood all day because of what I saw this morning. People who do not care one little bit about our planet, who are too lazy to pick up after themselves, and who think whatever is the most convenient action for them is the best, make me sick.