KidTip: Put children in charge of bringing your own take-out containers

If there's any hope for me in the momnesia department, it's that my kids will function as the remembering part of my brain for me. They were the ones who helped me remember to bring my reuseable grocery bags when I was forming that habit. They are the ones who remind their Grandpa to put his seatbelt on every time. They really have fantastic memories and never forget a thing: "Mom, do you remember that time when we came to Willamette Park and Maya got a bloody nose and we ate graham crackers and then I used the potty and after that we went home and I had to take a nap but I didn't want to?" Do your kids do this too? I say we need to harness this superior memory power like it is solar energy!

Surely you know how the road to hell is paved with good intentions? For over a year at least, I've been meaning to remember to bring my own reuseable takeout containers on the rare occasion of when we go out to dinner. Do I ever remember? Nooooo. But my kids will. The last time we went out to dinner, something actually made me think about the take-out factor. We went out for Thai. We always come home with leftovers from Thai food. So the kids helped me pack some food storage containers before going to the restaurant. Then they were excited to help me pack the leftovers into the containers! Gosh, did we feel proud. It was like birthing a baby...

Now we've planted a memory seed. The kids will remember to bring the reuseable food containers the next time we go out to eat... Hallelujah. One less thing the EnviroMom has to try to remember...