Nourished Magazine :: Wisdom to thrive by

Here are ten easy steps you can take towards greener parenting. They are based on ethical and sustainable choices that help to reduce both the amount of resources we use and the amount of waste that we generate.

1. Breastfeeding

Breastmilk provides the best nutrition for your baby, it protects baby from illness and infection, and is available instantly at the right temperature with no need for packaging or chemicals for preparation or sterilisation.

There are also numerous benefits for the nursing mother: an increased sense of bonding with your baby; a decreased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis; and stimulation of hormones which alleviate the symptoms of tiredness and depression that often occur in the weeks after birth.

In the early days of breastfeeding, most mothers need to use breastpads to absorb leaking milk while feeding or in the case of let-down. Cloth breastpads are reuseable, soft, absorbent and gentle on tender nipples.

If breastfeeding is not possible for you, look into organisations such as Mother’s Milk Bank or make your own nutritious baby formula.

2. Use more cloth nappies and cloth wipes or go Nappy Free!

Nappies

Single-use nappies generate an enormous amount of waste that sits in landfill for decades if not longer. Reduce waste by using cloth nappies. This is also a great way to save money (unless you get addicted to buying the great variety of gorgeous and very cute modern cloth nappies that are now available!).

The white towelling squares of the time of our own babyhood and earlier were the ultimate in reuseable cloth. These nappies would be used for a number of babies and when there were no more babies in the house, they would continue their useful life for wiping up spills and as dusting rags.

Modern cloth nappies come in a range of shapes and styles – the OzCloth Nappies site has collected all the most frequently asked questions to provide you with a good introduction to the topic and can help you to decide which nappies will best suit your lifestyle, fashion sense and budget!

Washing cloth nappies is easy and straightforward – no more dunking in the toilet and soaking in buckets of chemicals followed by boiling in a copper! Tip off the solids into the toilet, store the nappy in a dry pail till there is a washerload’s worth, then wash using a small amount of detergent and no fabric softener. Be energy efficient and hang the nappies to line dry outdoors and take advantage of the antibacterial and bleaching action of the sun.

You can ease into cloth nappies by using them at home only, but most people find that they soon want to show off their cute cloth nappies when out and about as well.

New fabrics such as hemp and bamboo provide alternatives to cotton if your baby’s skin reacts to cotton nappies.

In general, cloth nappy babies toilet train earlier than babies who wear disposables.

Wipes

Use cloth wipes moistened with a little warm water or a spritz of a solution made from essential oils or a decoction such as camomile tea. They can be washed together with the nappies. Buy a stash or make your own by cutting up an old Tshirt. Knit fabric does not fray too much so there is no need to finish the edges. To make a longer lasting cloth wipe, take two layers of fabric, at least one must be absorbent (such as cotton, flannelette, bamboo or hemp fabric) but the other may be something like microfleece or polar fleece and sew them together.

Go Nappy free

If you want to reduce nappy usage even further, you may like to begin early pottying with your baby – something you can do right from birth. This is called elimination communication or infant potty training and takes advantage of the fact that babies are aware of their elimination right from birth. By responding to your baby’s squirms and fussiness and offering them a potty or other alternative, you will reduce nappy use and many people find that their babies are completely toilet trained during their second year (rather than into their third or fourth as is the case for many disposible nappy wearing toddlers), thus reducing both resource usage and waste. For more information: Raising Baby Nappy Free.

3. Chemicals in the home

Offgassing

Many many products such as carpet, treated fabrics, chipboard and compressed wood furniture, paints, stains, glues and plastics release a variety of toxic chemicals into the air, sometimes for weeks or even years after production. These chemicals include formaldehyde and benzene, and as a group are known as VOCs – volatile organic compounds. The offgassing that occurs from these products is a particular concern around babies as they breathe faster and shallower than adults, so take more into their lungs. Select new products for your baby based on organic products or those that have been treated to minimise offgassing.

If standard products are your only option, then air them well for at least several weeks before using them with your baby and then only use them in a well-ventilated room.

Skin products

Supermarket and pharmacy shelves are stacked with bottles and jars of creams, lotions, soaps, balms and other such stuff for your baby’s skin. Many are concocted from synthetic chemicals and more and more children are becoming sensitised and intolerant of such chemicals.

Most babies do not get very dirty – at least not until they are crawling around and playing in the mud! Consequently, they do not need soaps and shampoos to remove dirt and will be fine with a warm bath in plain water. This will not dry the skin so much and less moisturiser, if any, will be needed. Purchase items with natural products where possible, or make your own.

Diluted apple cider vinegar is a great way to clean baby’s hair and control/reduce cradle cap, but in general warm water should suffice while they are little.

Cleaning products

Most household cleaning jobs can be performed with warm water, vinegar, sodium bicarbonate, soap and a bit of elbow grease! A comprehensive list of green cleaning recipes and methods can be found here.

4. Babywearing

Dispense with a heavy bulky pram or stroller and hold your baby close and comfortably using a sling, pouch, wrap or other baby carrier. The use of slings calms babies and makes it possible for a parent to have one or both hands free to attend to other children or tasks around the house. They are also very convenient for carrying a baby on outings to the beach, the shops or when dropping off and picking up older children at school with no need to struggle with putting up or collapsing a pram and loading it into the car.

A fun quiz to help you decide which carrier would be best for you is at Thriving Babies

5. Clothing

A number of new, sustainably-produced fibres such as hemp, bamboo, wild nettle and others, are now used in baby clothing so look out for them as well as for organic cotton and wool.

Babies grow so quickly that their cute little clothing no longer fits well before it is worn out. Reduce resource usage in growing or making fibre, manufacturing and transport of clothing by passing on the outgrown items to another family. If you don’t know anyone with a child smaller than yours, consider giving clean good condition clothing to a charitable organisation such as St Vincent de Paul or the Salvos, or use your local Freecycle group to pass items on to someone else who will use them.

Repair favourite clothing – don’t be alarmed by the thought of needle and thread or a sewing machine! Make a feature of a patch or use a novelty button if you can’t find a perfect match. Check online for detailed instructions for making clothing repairs.

If there is an item of clothing that you or your child is particularly fond of, then you can reuse the fabric in another item of clothing or a quilt. There are numerous online communities dedicated to reconstructed clothing. One blog I enjoy about the topic is Consumption Rebellion and and an ever changing source of inspiration is at the Reconstructed Clothing Tribe.

6. Baby led solids

When your baby begins to eat solid foods, there is no need to be dependent on bought jars of pureed baby food. Indeed, there is no need for mushed food at all. Give your baby pieces of food to hold and to nibble or chew at. Try the approach of baby led solids.

Including your baby in family meals from early on develops a sense of inclusion and family bonding. It also saves time and makes food preparation easier enabling your child to develop the muscles and techniques of chewing which later are important for good speech development.

7. Co-sleeping

No need for a dedicated nursery for your newborn – have your baby sleep in the same room as you. Not only can you lie and watch the incomparable beauty of a sleeping baby, but you can reduce the disturbance in the night when you have to get up for feeds and nappy changes.

Follow the guidelines for safe co-sleeping and enjoy snuggling up to your baby with no need to even get out of bed on a cold night to breastfeed. Read Dr Sarah Buckley’s article: The Cosiness of Co-Sleeping

8. Children’s toys and playthings

Select only a small number of toys and try to find ones made of natural materials to reduce the amount of plastics in your child’s environment. Simple items with a variety of uses that stimulate the imagination, such as wooden blocks, soft dolls and coloured cloths (not to mention the perennial favourite of cardboard boxes!) generally have a greater ongoing appeal to children than complicated items with a single use.

Give your child real things to play with and to use – measuring cups and a bowl of water (in a water-friendly place and warm weather!), saucepan lids and chopsticks (instant drum kit), paper and tape… Make your own playdough with the child in a variety of colours – even add sparkles if you wish. Keep a box of old clothes for dressing up: include hats, scarves, glasses frames, shoes, capes, shirts, belts, pants, etc. and be prepared to participate with your child(ren) amid gales of laughter. Have a box (regularly culled) of recycling and discarded items for craft. Buy masking tape in bulk, make your own glue (flour, water, salt), reuse fabric, paper, string and more.

Many regions have a Toy Library where, for a small annual fee, a variety of high quality toys and games can be borrowed. You can try out different toys and puzzles prior to purchase, or just borrow, play and return.

9. Real activities

Include your toddlers and children in gardening, cooking and other real activities. Encourage their help to grow food such as lettuce and herbs for the family. You might set aside a special patch for each child and they can choose what to grow – vegetables, flowers, herbs. The most delicious vegetables are always those that you pick and eat straight from your own garden!

From toddlerhood and up, children enjoy helping in the kitchen: cooking, measuring, stirring, and even washing up. It may take longer to cook and clean up with your little helper at your side, however, the investment in time while your child is young will pay off later when they value their own capability in cooking and being able to prepare food from scratch.

10. Spend time, not money

Possibly the most important gifts we can give to our children are our time and attention – both resource and waste-free. Cliché though it may seem, children grow up quickly so spend more time with them having experiences and spending less money on stuff.

There are many things to do with your children: sing songs, dance, go for a very slow walk and view the wonders of the world at a toddler’s pace, read a book, read a poem, tell a story, cook together, build sand castles together, throw pebbles into puddles, make a daisy chain, blow a dandelion clock, climb a tree, roll down a hill, collect stones, draw leaves, make collages, look at things through a magnifying glass, make leaf boats and float them in the bath tub…the list is endless.

Taking simple steps like these towards greener parenting will leave our world in a better condition for our children, so remember to Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Reconstruct and Recycle.

About the Author...

Marnie Holmes is a greener parenting mother of two home educated daughters. Among other things, she is an entomologist, writer, publisher, editor and escapee from the multinational corporate world, providing support and information to new parents about more sustainable living alternatives. She also runs Noonee Wilga, an online business devoted to providing custom-made products such as cloth nappies, menstrual pads, baby carriers and made-to-measure baby gear.