Talking About Green

Having and caring for a new born is something many women look forward to. It is an exciting time and a memorable stage in any mother’s life. But as many women will attest, the tasks involved in motherhood can be daunting and will require a lot of effort.

Diapers come to mind, for example, and the numbers exhausted by an infant up to the toddler years is definitely significant. The cost of diapers can cause not only stress in the family’s budget but also to the environment. And with many babies born every minute, you can only imagine how many soiled diapers the Earth has to put up with.

Thus it will help a lot if mums and their partners take time to assess how they perform the tasks of caring for a baby and its corresponding impact on the ecosystem.

Here are some ways on how to reduce the adverse effects of baby care on the environment.

1. Reduce, Re-use and Recycle

This is the mantra of a green lifestyle so why not introduce this worthwhile mentality early on the baby’s life. As much as expecting parents get excited with baby clothing and accessories, it may be best not to purchase too much too soon. Those who have fallen victims to the practice of shopping out of excitement will tell you how most products they bought were not actually utilized and some are even forgotten. Ask already parents for what exactly are the basic items that you need and how many.

You can also ask friends and relatives for used baby items that may still be in excellent conditions. Look out for second hand prams, car seats, toys and even cot. Most of these are washable so why not consider using them? This will save you heaps of money that you can use towards other important items such as hospital bills and future immunization fees. Plus, you will be helping the planet by reducing rubbish. Of course, take care of the products as much as possible so you can forward it to someone else who may need it. So don’t let yourself be swayed by consumerism and try to become eco-aware parents.

2. Try Organic

When shopping for baby clothing and other fabric-based items such as blankets and bed covers, consider going for those made from organic products. Contrary to common belief, there are many eco-friendly shops offering beautifully made and well-designed baby items nowadays. Have a look around or online and show your support by choosing these products over non-organic fabric, as these are known to be heavily sprayed by pesticide which obviously harms the planet and possibly, your baby.

Likewise, feed your toddlers with organic food. And it is better if you get them straight from your garden. Consider having your own fresh produce in the backyard and be assured of exactly what you are feeding your baby and your family for that matter. Cooking from home grown ingredients saves a lot of carbon footprints as those bought from the market are obviously transported from the farms. Also do not forget to use washable containers for feeding the baby over disposable ones to reduce waste. Prefer cloth napkins instead of disposable ones.

3. Green Clean

Caring for a baby will entail a lot of washing in terms of laundry and bath time. You can do your share of being green by using eco-friendly detergents for the laundry and organic bath wash and shampoo for baby’s bath time. Save the water used at bath time to flush the toilet. Avoid using the tumble dryer and air dry baby’s clothes and use washable nappies instead. This will cut down your carbon emissions massively.

These simple steps will give you something to be proud of as a mum as you are helping preserve the planet that your kid will live in for many years to come. Being a green parent is also an excellent example to kids as they model your eco-friendly ways.

Annie is an eco-consious parent and green blogger for Dobovo, the free resource for kiev apartments online. Plan a green famaly vacation with us!