My little environmentalist
By dorannmwin
@dorannmwin (36392)
United States
December 28, 2012 1:23pm CST
I know that a lot of families have the issue of having one person in their family that is always turning the thermostat up because they get cold during the winter. In fact, I know that I was the one that was guilty of this when I was younger and I remember the lectures that my mother gave me for doing this.
Well in our house the problem has been quite the opposite. I keep getting really cold and I'll go to check the thermostat and it will be set 4-5 degrees lower than where I set it. I finally realized who was doing it the other day when I asked Kathryn to please go turn the thermostat up 2 degrees. She got so mad at me because that is a waste of fossil fuels. She was so afraid that she was going to get into trouble. Well, the fact is, I'm not going to get mad at her for doing something that is saving us money.
However, she really flipped crazy with it yesterday as she turned the thermostat from 69 degrees all the way down to 45 degrees. I was literally freezing to death and almost got angry when I saw the setting on the thermostat.
I love the fact that she is trying to do things that will help to save our environment, but I seriously think that I am going to have to get a lock box to go on our thermostat.
Have any of your children ever become really conscientious about the waste of natural resources such as fossil fuels? If they have, were they like Kathryn in trying to take a stand to help to save the environment?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
15 Jan 13
It is interesting that your daughter would be like this, as I am sure most parents have the opposite issue all the time to deal with. For someone always wanting to turn the heat down is amazing, especially this time of yr. But you might have to instill for her to leave it alone, or you will have to lock it. It does get annoying when you have people who are always messing with the thermostats.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
16 Jan 13
I know that my mother had the exact same issue when I was younger. I was always the one that was bumping the thermostat up by a degree or two.
I have finally been able to get her to leave the thermostat alone, however, we will see if that is something that lasts as we go through this next really cold snap.
@bounce58 (17380)
• Canada
15 Jan 13
My kids haven't gone that far yet. They haven't made the connection that lowering the thermostat does save the environment.
But they have been very good about things being recyclable and not. They often would have trouble throwing stuff out in the garbage because according to them, some of the 'crap' that they have in their room does not belong in the garbage. It should go to recycling.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
16 Jan 13
Yeah, both of my children are really good with recycling as well. We don't just do the traditional recycling, we also do a lot of donating of things that we no longer have a need for.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
31 Dec 12
I did explain that to her. I told her that it was okay to adjust the thermostat by one or two degrees during the day or when we are not going to be at home, but to turn it down that low is not a good idea at all because it will ultimately cost a lot more to get the house back to an ideal temperature.
@Adoniah (7512)
• United States
28 Dec 12
I never had that problem with the kids because I was the one turning off lights and changing the thermostats...
Both of my kids are conscientious, but not fanatical about it...Mostly we do this for monetary reasons. I wish I could afford to run the air in summer and heat in winter, but it is too expensive and will only get worse...
Both of my kids are conscientious, but not fanatical about it...Mostly we do this for monetary reasons. I wish I could afford to run the air in summer and heat in winter, but it is too expensive and will only get worse...@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
31 Dec 12
Well, we do run the air conditioning in the summer and the heat in the winter. However, I do tend to keep it slightly chilly in the house during the winter and slightly warm in the house during the summer. Of course the reason for this is because of the fact that I don't have the money to keep the house at an ideal temperature throughout the year.
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Jan 13
New rule: children are not to touch the thermostat unless a parent specifically gives them permission.
How good is she at following rules?
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Jan 13
Rules that I make? She seems to think that those particular rules are the rules that were made to be broken. Now if I could convince her teachers to tell her this rule, it would be a rule that would be followed to a T.
