• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

Living Off The Grid With Children


Often people ask me, what is it like living off the grid with young children? The truth is, I have never not lived off the grid with children, so I am not sure how it differs entirely. However, my children have grown up learning about sources of power and its limitations.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful creek that provides us with power via a turgo wheel (1100 watts), as well as two solar panels (170 watts) for backup. This is ample power for a family of four using CFLs, energy-saving appliances, etc. However, there are times when our power is down: large winter storms that fill the creek with leaves, and push the intake out of the water; creek levels drop in the summer and the dam needs rebuilding, etc. These are the times when my children experience down times from electricity, which is a good thing, depending upon how you spin it.

Several times a year, we are without power due to the aforementioned reasons. During these times, my children actually enjoy the close family time we spend. Sometimes we play a game by candlelight, read a book, snuggle close and tell stories, etc. It is amazing how power outages bring a family closer, and we always have a back-up generator and solar panels for recharging the batteries to keep the refrigerator running.

One thing that is nice about having your own power system is that when it is down, it is within your own power to go and fix. You don’t have to wait for the power company to rescue you. Young children often imitate the behavior of their adult models, and living off the grid provides opportunities for such modeling. When my daughter was two, she would get on her little wooden scooter and tell me she was going to fix the hydro! It was too cute! We have yet to involve our children in the maintenance of our system, as they are too little and the creek is usually big and dangerous when it needs fixing.

Living off the grid does limit some aspects of your power usage which children need to learn. You cannot turn on several big loads at the same time, especially when power supply has dropped, such as when a few leaves are covering the intake. For a two-year-old, it can be hard to understand why she can’t watch her favorite program on TV or listen to her favorite cd, but I also feel like these are good lessons in conservation. My children do not leave rooms without turning off lights, as they have always lived where this can be a necessity.

My six-year-old is just beginning to understand how our power system is better for the Earth, as she questions why there are so many power lines in towns. She has asked me where other people get their power, and she holds the same affinity for our creek that we do. By living off the grid, we are offering our children a unique opportunity to grow up leaving a smaller carbon footprint on our climate.

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Daily Tip: Avoid Chlorine Bleach-Make Your Own Whitener or Use the Sun
Avoid Chlorine Bleach-Make Your Own Whitener or Use the Sun »

Comments

  1. Carrie says

    August 8, 2007 at 6:37 pm

    You have certainly inspired me. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Leila says

    August 9, 2007 at 7:53 pm

    I grew up in Colombia and the power would go out quite often- although we were in a metropolitan city. Our family had the kind of fun you talk about. We’d light candles and sing, play a game, tell stories. I’m wondering how to pass on that kind of simple enjoyment to my daughter.

    Reply
  3. robert veach says

    November 19, 2007 at 7:49 pm

    Good article!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Why the Klamath Dams Don’t Provide “Green” Energy : Sustainablog says:
    February 12, 2008 at 8:40 pm

    […] renewable energy. Although hydroelectricity is sustainable, such as the micro hydro system that powers my home, on a massive scale, it is not green. New projects are being protested worldwide. On the Klamath, […]

    Reply
  2. Being Green in a Tight Economy: Part IV : Eco Child’s Play says:
    October 24, 2008 at 7:01 am

    […] talk about energy. Been there, done that you say. We all know to turn lights off when we leave the room, to unplug […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

Plants Over Plastics! Repurpose Compostable Home Products

Convenient Plastic Container Free Dropps Laundry & Dishwashing Pods

More from the archives!

The Secret of Paradise Book Review

Eco-Friendly Kids Fashion: Solid Threads 100% Organic Cotton Live By Line

Our First Kiva Loan from Eco Child's Play

A Sane Home: In A Plywood and Particleboard World

Sustainable fashion: The facts

cbd salve joy organics

CBD Products that Actually Deliver: Joy Organics

wama hemp underwear

The Most Comfortable Underwear is Made of Hemp: WAMA Review

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

Celebrate the Earth: Five Ideas to Celebrate Arbor Day with Children

Be an Earthwatch Volunteer (Help Scientists Solve Real World Environmental Problems)

BPA-Free? Not Exactly.

GREEN & SUSTAINABLE Our pillows are made with Michigan tart cherry pits, cleaned without chemicals, naturally dyed, minimally packaged, and made in the USA.

Hot Cherry Therapeutic Pillow: Soothe your sore muscles with old Swiss tradition

Can Schools Help Reduce Obesity Rates?

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

Childhood Obesity Linked to Tonsillectomy Performed in Early Childhood

Are dangerous parabens lurking in your beauty products?

Avocado Cucumber Hand Rolls

Raw Food Recipes: Avocado Cucumber Hand Rolls

Green Household Products – Seventh Generation’s Cheerleader for Eco Living

Imagination, Inspiration & the Next Generation

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.