There are times when I wish I had the knowledge I have now, back when I was starting my family. It seems that parents are so much more informed environmentally than they were even 13 years ago when I had my first child. There was no internet when I had my son. What I learned was from books I read or people I talked to. There was no emphasis on cloth diapers or BPA issues. It’s wonderful to see parents of young children and babies making the conscious effort to teach their kids from the start how to live “green”. These children will grow up understanding that our earth is precious and worth saving from the beginning.
Tag Archive: Green Parenting
Save Your Energy!
I never knew raising kids required so much energy! And I’m not just talking about the energy that I expend chasing my kids around all day. I’m talking about the energy I use in my home to feed, wash, entertain, and clean up after them. Americans use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute…EVERY MINUTE! The good news is that it’s much easier than you think to reduce your contribution to that figure, trimming your monthly energy bill while helping you protect the planet. Here are some easy ideas for reducing energy consumption in your home:
Control Your Temperature: About 2/3 of the money you spend on energy is used to control your home’s temperature.
Healthy School Lunches: Sometimes It Takes Bribery
Over the last couple years, I’ve gradually been going green, and it’s not until recently that our efforts have been more aggressive. However, with that said, I’ve always taken time to stop and explain to my children every step we are taking, all the whys and all the hows. My children are 12, 10, and 7, so there is quite a bit they understand and can participate in. Plus, I’ve always been the kind of Mom that feels the more communication between my children and me, the better.
When I was in college last year–attempting to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up–not having to make cold lunches every morning for my kids was great.
Welcome Baby Naturally: 6 Steps for a Green, Non Toxic Nursery
Our babies are born with a chemical body burden.
The Environmental Working Group (“EWG”) found that umbilical cord blood from ten randomly selected babies contained 287 chemicals of the 413 for which tests were performed. Of those 287 chemicals, 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 218 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.
This potential chemical body burden in a newborn baby is scary for new parents. It was scary for me. You welcome your child to the world, and already you feel as if you have failed.
