Composting with Kids

I have had some talk and requests about composting so I decided that today, I would talk about fun and helpful ways to start composting in your own home.

Composting can be done on a large or small scale, for whatever your needs are. You can use composts for indoor gardening/plants, plants on your deck, or a larger garden in your yard. There are many things you can add to your compost to help reduce waste and also to help your crops grow better. Kids will love to help you throw 'garbage' onto your plants such as banana peels and egg shells--things they are used to seeing being tossed out with no further use for them. This is an excellent way to teach your child about reducing waste and about plants/gardening.

An easy way to start composting is to put all of your grass clippings in a compost pile, but make sure to add "brown" material because otherwise the grass will start to stink. However, if there are pesticides on your lawn, you should not use weeds or grass from it. Do not put in fats, animal droppings, or animal products such as meat because this will make scavengers come to your compost. You can compost newspaper, plain computer paper, etc. but shred it first for faster decomposition. You can also add all of your coffee grouds which is great for attracting worms who will help your compost become richer. Put any vegetable or fruit waste such as peels, cores, etc, in your compost.

Okay, now that you know what to compost, I'll tell you a bit about how. You can start to compost in your kitchen by just keeping a special container, like a leftover yogurt or margarine container on your counter and adding in the day's waste that can be composted. This is what I do, and it does not stink. If you don't want it on your counter, you can put it under the sink. Take this compost out to a larger compost heap in your yard for it to decompose. When you have what looks like soil, dark and rich, then you have useable compost.

Please read further on how to compost from a website such as:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8100.html

http://www.marquisproject.com/composting101/howcomp.html

Also, you can read up on how composting is good for you and the environment:
http://www.region.peel.on.ca/pw/waste/compost/using/

Now for some ideas about composting with kids! Most kids will really enjoy getting there hands dirty helping with the compost and also watching it turn from garbage into useable soil that will help grow the plants that you may use in your home cooking. If your children are old enough to read, here is a link for a slideshow for children about composting:
http://sustainable.tamu.edu/slidesets/kidscompost/cover.html

Get your children involved by having them help you pick out a composter at your local hardware store. Then, you can explain how any of there garbage that was once alive (apart from meat), can put into the composter. If you want to make your own composter outdoors, take a metal garbage can and put holes around the bottom of the can. Then bury the can into the groud about a foot or more, to keep animals away. Your kids can help you if they are old enough, otherwise, let them watch and have them dump the compost into the can for you. Your compost should not stick if you have enough air flow and if it is mixed up enough. Check this kid friendly website for more advice for kids composting:
http://www.copper-tree.ca/garden/compost.html

For more information on gardening and composting with children check this website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/homegrownprojects_compost.shtml

Also, for information on composting in New Brunswick, see this information put out by the government of NB:
http://www.gnb.ca/0009/0372/0003/0001-e.asp

Good Luck with your composts! Let me know how they turn out or if there are any other topics you would like to discuss.

Rachel

About Me

Hello again,

Someone (Anonymous) requested that I reveal a little about myself. While I definintely plan to relate material to my own thoughts and life, etc. I hadn't said anything in my first post, so as requested I will now.

I am a full-time student in the BA/BEd program at UNB, however I am taking this spring/summer and next school year off since I am pregnant for my second son, due July 24th. I have a 5 year old son as well who will be starting Kindergarten in September. I look forward to talking about my experiences with becomming a mother of a school-aged child as well as parenting two boys. I will also hopefully be taking part in parent activities in the school, and bringing my two cents to meetings regarding Green initiatives, nutrition, exercise, mental health and well being in the school (Nashwaaksis Memorial). I live on the North Side and I am married (two years this July).

Some of the issues I would like to talk about will deal with pregnancy, infancy, and babyhood since I am getting ready for a new baby. This means that I will be sharing about breastfeeding, my decision to try cloth diapering, and my attempts to create a healthy environment for my new little one.

Thank you!

Mothering Generation Global

Hello all,

In today's society, we are seeing an increased awareness of the Earth and our impact upon it. It seems that everywhere we turn, we are being informed of the Green movement. Whether it be Green cleaning supplies, toiletries, makeup, or organic foods, clothing, and mattresses--more and more products within this Green lifestyle trend are emerging. It can be very difficult for parents to comprehend and make decisions through all this new information. While we want our children to be healthy, does it really have to cost so much? Do we really have to give up plastic bottles, Windex, and McDonald's?

I believe that life is about balance. I think that parents of today need to be more conscious of their impact on the earth and impart this message to their children--but I do not believe we have to buy a whole inventory of new products to reach this goal. In this Blog, I hope to discuss what it is like parenting children in a society where they are growing up with an increasingly small world; one which is newly being advertised as 'endangered' (even though this has been going on for decades). What are our options? How do we decide? What do we teach our children about these issues? How do we find balance? These are some issues that I hope to talk about with you.

Let me know of any thoughts you have on parenting children of this generation, or any topics that you would like to see covered or discussed on this Blog.

Thank you!