As people are beginning to understand how their behavior alters the planet, ecological consciousness is becoming a popular trend. Children are taught by their parents the importance of the environment as well as the interaction between themselves and their surroundings. Taking some simple measures in your home will instill in your child the meaning of action and advocacy. Children learn from example, so teaching them early on that environmental concerns are important will help.
A major step that you can take is to use cloth diapers. Some parents tend to immediately disregard the idea but it is definitely one worth considering. The advantages of cloth diapering are not limited to cost as the popularity of cloth diaper increases with the quality of materials used for the diapers themselves. ModernToday s cloth dipaers are not like those your parents used. Cloth diapers are now very stylish and even have cute patterns and designs. Many of the latest cloth diaper designs use snaps or Velcro style closures in place of the old fashioned diaper pins. They are very cost effective over disposable diapers since you use them again and again, and there are even one size cloth diapers that will last your child from the day they are born to the day they are potty trained. This can amount to an enormous cost saving. It has become easier to use cloth diapers while going out or if your child is daycare with the modern day wet bags – stylish, smaller bags designed to contain wetness and odor that you put your cloth diaper in until you get home and throw it in the washing machine.
Paper products use a lot of energy in the manufacturing process and reducing and/or eliminating their use in your home can be very eco friendly. Although convenient, paper products are impacting our planet. Choosing to reduce how many times your family uses paper plates is an environmentally friendly choice, eliminating them entirely from mealtime is even better! Use your regular plates instead. In place of paper based towels and napkins at mealtime, which are thrown away after each meal, use cloth towels and cloth napkins which can be washed and re used many times. Not only are you helping with environmental savings but you ll also see savings in your weekly shopping.
A cost effective, environmentally aware approach to starting your baby on solid foods is to make your own. It’s easy as well. While at the grocery store you can purchase organic fruits and veggies and some ice cube trays. Dice the fruit or vegetables and puree in your food processor or blender. Once they are sufficiently mashed fill the ice cube tray and put it in the freezer. After they ve frozen, pop the cubes from the tray and place them into baggies. As your baby s feeding time approaches, take a veggie or fruit cube from the freezer and let it gradually thaw, or microwave ot for 10 to 15 seconds. Organic, nutritious meals made from wholesome ingredients can be easily made and stored with the added benefit of being able to reuse all the items required for this process.
The environment can even be effected by the toys your child plays with. Today, children s toys tend to be made from artificial materals such as plastics which are not manufactured in an eco friendly manner. Some have even been found dangerous to kids. It is possible to purchase stuffed animals made of organic materials or even wooden toys intead of plastic ones. You can even knit or crochet your own baby toys. Another great choice would be a book. For obvious reasons books will increase your child’s brain power and imagination, but books can also be recycled when they are outgrown.
You and your family can be proactive in hundreds of ways to make your household as earth friendly as possible. Your day to day activities can easily be adapted to the adage: reduce, reuse, recycle . Be sure to explain to your children the purpose of these actions so that they understand that everyone has an impact on the world they live in. And remind them that it is their future that they are protecting by taking these steps.
Author Resource:
Maria Cummings is a mom that has devoted herself to helping kids and families in the community. As Manager of Bustling Baby, Maria enjoys sharing her experience of natural parenting with new parents and supports parents in finding the best natural baby products at ==> http://www.BustlingBaby.com
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