For Mother’s Day this year, we know exactly what to get mom – energy savings. This gift will save mom money while benefiting the planet. ComEd moms share what they wish their kids would do to conserve electricity and how they’re teaching them energy saving habits.
Is there something your kid(s) do that wastes electricity in the house?
- “Bit of a reversal but my toddler, Paisley, is obsessed with turning things off – even when we’re in the middle of using them. Her favorite is light switches, but daddy’s Xbox is a close second. I might be the only one whose child doesn’t waste electricity!” – Shannon Peters, Senior Vegetation Management Program Manager, mother of a 10-month-old and 3-year-old.
- “My son leaves the lights on in every room he walks in. I walk behind him turning them off. At least I get my steps in at home…” – Joy, Work Control Coordinator, mother of a 9-year-old.
- “My oldest daughter leaves her cell phone charger plugged in when not being used.” – Donnisha Johnson, New Construction Representative, mother of a 5-year-old and 12-year-old.
- “My kids leave the lights and Xbox on. They also leave the door open in the summer when the air-conditioning is on.” – Nicole Brown, Senior Engineering Technician, mother of a 9-year-old and 10-year-old.
- “Yes…they always leave the TV on whenever we leave the house. To save their “place” in a game, they will pause it and leave the gaming system on. They always leave the pantry light on after they get a snack.” – Shemka Wesby, Manager New Business Large Projects, mother of a 9-year-old, 10-year-old and 13-year-old.
- “My youngest is very cognizant of ensuring everything is powered off – always looking to recycle, turn off lights … My oldest, however, has trouble turning off lights around the house or powering off electronics.” – Jessica Jaramillo, Regional Manager of National Accounts, mother of a 4-year-old and 5-year-old.
How do you teach your kid(s) to get in the habit of saving electricity?
- “We talk about how we need to take care of things we love, and one way to take care of the earth is by not using more things than we need. We also talk about what momma does at work and how I spend my time talking to other little kids about how to save electricity (I give presentations for schools and Girl Scout troops).” – Shannon Peters, Senior Vegetation Management Program Manager, mother of a 10-month-old and 3-year old.
- “By using only what you need. You don’t need to strain the system like overstretching a rubber band until it breaks.” – Joy, Work Control Coordinator, mother of a 9-year-old
- “I explain to her that having an outlet to plug-in a charger is a privilege, and it’s not free. Wasting electricity is like taking money from mom’s pocket and throwing it out the window. The higher the bill, the fewer funds will be available to do fun stuff.” – Donnisha Johnson, New Construction Representative, mother of a 5-year-old and 12-year-old.
- I remind them that I work for ComEd and know energy saving tips. I have them walk with me to turn lights off and to shut off the Xbox and tell them why it is important. I also show them our ComEd bill and explain why it fluctuates from month to month. – Nicole Brown, Senior Engineering Technician, mother of a 9-year-old and 10-year old.
- I talk to them a lot about the bill and how it goes up because of them wasting electricity. I also leave post-it notes by the light switches to turn them off.” – Shemka Wesby, Manager New Business Large Projects, mother of a 9-year-old, 10-year-old and 13-year-old.
- “I have a star chart that includes their chores. One of the categories provides double stars for turning off lights, recycling, closing doors and powering off electronics.” – Jessica Jaramillo, Regional Manager of National Accounts, mother of a 4-year-old and-5-year-old.
Here’s hoping this Mother’s Day the kids turn off the lights and power off their gaming systems. There are lots of other ideas for ways to save energy, and money, at ComEd.com/WaysToSave.
