The "Krone" Lower Austria column

The little messenger wants to live sustainably

(Bild: Krone kreativ/Daniela Gaigg/canva)

How we can live (more) sustainably in everyday life with simple steps. As a columnist, "Die kleine Botin" aka Daniela Gaigg writes about topics relating to life with the family. These include sustainability in everyday life, self-care and food for thought for parents.

"Living sustainably as a family with children" - sometimes sounds like a contradiction in terms. There is the everyday chaos that tugs at us, the constant demands and the many different needs of the children. We also often have a guilty conscience when we don't have enough time for the kids or we want to fulfill "all their wishes" as much as possible, which is then difficult to reconcile with sustainability. In the end, however, it is the small steps and actions in everyday life that not only help to protect the environment, but also set an example.

It starts with breakfast: instead of juice from disposable packaging, you can make a smoothie and use leftover fruit.

Baking bread together is a great idea for the weekend: home-baked bread lasts much longer and saves on travel, packaging and money.

If you like playdates, you'll also love toy swap dates: next time the kids have an afternoon date, a swap party would be cool. My kids gave me the idea when they swapped board games with their friends. This brings variety to the shelf and to everyday gaming.

You can also make a big difference in the household: Saving water, unplugging power guzzlers or not turning the heating up too high really make sense in the long term and the kids can learn a lot just by the way.