Green Parenting 101
Being a parent means you want the best for your child. It comes naturally to many to begin, then, to think about sustaining a healthier planet and community for your children. Yet, it also happens that many parents simply stop trying to make the world a better place because they feel too overwhelmed just coping with daily life. Being “green” doesn’t have to be hard. Even better, it can be fun, save you money, and instill values in your children.
The key to a lot of green parenting tips is to start early. Preferably, you will begin instituting systems for a greener lifestyle long before you have your first child. If you didn’t, though, it’s not too late. Pick one new “goal” each month and make sure you have everything you need in place to succeed at your green goal. Remember, if you have practical “real world solutions” that are sustainable for your family then you will be more likely to succeed. Sometimes parents fall into an all or nothing mentality: “If I can’t cloth diaper 100% of the time, I can’t do it at all,” or “If I can’t afford all organic why bother?” However, like most things, there is a happy medium and with a little education, it won’t be hard to achieve.
TEN GOALS FOR GREENING YOUR FAMILY
- Make healthy choices for everything that goes in your baby’s mouth. This includes food as well as bottles, sippy cups, teethers, and toys.
- Green up your diaper routine.
- Reduce the impact on the planet of the clothes your child wears.
- Choose healthier baby care products.
- Avoid toxic toys!
- Create celebrations that are meaningful and reduce consumption.
- Find sustainable transportation alternatives for your whole family.
- Green up your home from better baby furniture to safe cleaners.
- Reduce your household carbon emissions (and off-set the rest).
- Create green community!
