More than ever before, the inaccessibility to water in South Africa has been brought to the spotlight with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Experts have emphasised that part of curbing the spread of infection is hand washing, but how can you wash your hands if you don’t have clean, running water? Sadly, a lack of water is a reality for many South Africans, especially those living in rural communities. Some schools haven’t been able to reopen after level 5 lockdown due to a lack of water. Therefore, we must prioritise teaching our children about saving water at a young age so that they can carry this skill through to adulthood.
Two years ago, the Western Cape suffered a drought that led to restrictions that forced residents to think twice about how they use water.
An important lesson
Teach your child that water is precious and shouldn’t be wasted. They should know that when water is dripping from our taps, they should inform you and make an active effort to conserve water.
Here are some simple tips to get your little one started on saving water:
- Set a good example for your child. Don’t let the tap run while you’re brushing your teeth, and explain to your children why you’re doing this. Using simple conservation methods like this will not only lower your water bill, you’ll also teach your children to save water.
- Flushing the toilet can seem like a little bit of adventure when you’re a toddler, but you waste litres of water when you flush unnecessarily. Teach your kids to only flush when they really have to.
- Teach your children where water comes from, and explain to them that although the oceans have plenty of water, it’s not drinkable. If they understand where water comes from and that no one is making more of it, they have a better understanding of why they shouldn’t waste it and why they should respect water.
- Teach your children to close the tap properly and not let it leak as a dripping tap wastes more water than you think.
- Explain to your child why you only water your garden once a week.
- Encourage them to take a shower with you instead of insisting on taking a bath. A shower consumes less water and ideally should take four minutes max.
- Teach your child the importance of reusing, reducing, and recycling.
