Sound Off! How Have You Gone Green for Your Kids?

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It’s a delicate world out there. Every day, we face choices that can affect the planet — and our health. When we’re young and single, without children, we tend to be a little more carefree, but once those kids come along, priorities change.

Going green — choosing eco-friendly products and foods — can make a huge difference in our lives, and in the well-being of the world around us. Whether it’s buying organic fruit at the grocery store, using cloth diapers instead of disposables, or teaching our children to recycle, we can all take small steps to help the environment — and often, ourselves.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how you’ve gone green since having kids.

Comments

I walk more – if I don’t have to take my care I don’t.
We recycle – not just in the seperate cans but we don’t just go and fill up more of our landfills with our garbage. IF we want to throw away some house items (dining room sets, a purse, a wallet, a painting, clothing, shoes etc) we donate them. We don’t fill up a bag of trash and let it just lay around.
We use cloth diapers!!! That seems to be a biggy.
In the summer we don’t use our dryer, we line up our items outside and let the sun take care of it.

- Kayla on April 8th, 2009

I use a number of Melaleuca products – they are environmentally friendly.

- LeeAnneB on April 8th, 2009

We recycle our plastic and cans and buy as many organic products as possible. I have taught the kids to turn the water off when they are brushing their teeth. We have an herb garden and tomato plants. We try not to waste anything! And my hubby and I share a car (by choice!). These are all small steps to being “green” but we are very conscious of it.

- HeatherR on April 8th, 2009

It’s a small step, hoping to get bigger, but I try to use those recyclable bags at the grocery stores. We also recycle paper and aluminum cans. With the left over bread from the sandwiches (I cut off the crusts) we donate the scraps to some local ducks. I’m trying to teach my boys to conserve in general:money, water, earth, etc. We also donate any unwanted items to Goodwill – knowing that the extra toys will go to children who are less fortunate. Hopefully the steps will get bigger and bigger as my boys get bigger and bigger.

- mom of 3 boys on April 8th, 2009

I started researching every product I purchase and as a result, started writing a green-themed parenting blog to share my findings with other families in hopes of encouraging them to help the cause. After all, it takes a village!

- UggaMugga.com on April 8th, 2009

I’m not into organic things at all but I’ve been using my own bag for shopping for years. And if I forget it and get a plastic one I re use it at home in the trashcan.

Also things that are easy to do and save money: turn off the faucet when not needed, turn off the lights when you’re not in the room, things like that.
Oh and don’t get a gas wasting car, get a smaller one with better mileage and only use it for long distances. For shorter distances use your bicycle.

- Anna on April 8th, 2009

One thing is we use Nature Baby Care disposable diapers. They are the only disposable that is %100 biodegradable. We are on a seriously tight budget but they are about the same price and I think it’s important. They work great too and are better for the baby. I honestly think all other disposable diapers should be eliminated so we can stop filling our landfills. Nature Baby Care just needs to become more widely available.

- Jennifer on April 8th, 2009

Since I had the baby, I’ve switched to environmentally friendly kitchen soaps, bath soaps and laundry soap–I’ve tried the Costco kind, Trader Joe’s, Seventh Generation and Method brands. Sticking to Costco and Trader Joe’s for now. I use vinegar, water and baking soda for kitchen & bathroom cleaning purposes (for the environment and also to avoid accidental poisoning of baby if ingested). I try to buy organic food if it doesn’t cost more too much more than regular stuff. We recycle as much of our garbage as possible and for 13 years have had only one family car and only drive when we go longer distances–we always live close to where we work and walk/bike to work or take the metro. I am also an active member of Freecycle so I donate and receive stuff that would otherwise go to landfills.

- Luvinarlington on April 8th, 2009

We live near a grocery store, a drug store, many businesses, and several restaurants. If we are running out, we walk there. We don’t waste gas and we get some exercise, too.
We use canvas bags when shopping.
We try to reuse all plastic containers.
We turn off all lights when not in the room.
When it is nice outside, we open the windows. In the winter, we have a fire going until it is time to go to bed, then we turn on the heat. When it is not cold outside, our thermostat is always on the off position.
We air dry as many clothes as we can.
We turn off the water when when brushing teeth. Hubby and I co-shower together as often as possible. With our girls, we either have them take a quick shower together, or they will hop in with me.
We have both downgraded to smaller, more eco-friendly cars. We are getting ready to turn my car in for a hybrid.
My daughter is very concerned with the environment, and is organizing a group through her school to help clean up local parks.

- Dana on April 8th, 2009

living here on an island is tough, before we moved here we recycled, but here they dont do that as much, but instead we do burn our refuse as much as we can, i use environment friendly cleaning products, we have changed out all of our lightbulbs to the energy efficient ones, i reuse my plastic bags for just about anything that i can, i live 6 miles out of town, so i combine all of the trips that i can~

- melissa on April 8th, 2009

Where to begin! Using cloth diapers, buying organic food, joining a CSA, growing & canning our own food, buying mostly natural fiber & organic clothing, using cloth bags when shopping, using pyrex, ceramic, glass & stainless instead of plastic, sewing our own stuff, making soap, line drying clothes as much as possible, using eco-friendly cleaners & personal products, getting a tankless hot water heater & HE washer, recycling…the list continues to grow!

- Cerise on April 8th, 2009

I started buying organic foods and essentially no processed foods (aside from ice cream, which I just can’t give up) as soon as I could afford it, about a year after college. It has always been part of my life to eat as healthy as possible.

When I found out I was pregnant, I started researching ways to go chemical free in our house. Now I make all our cleaning solutions instead of buying, and over time we’ve replaced quite a few of our bed linens with organic cotton. We’ll do mattresses and other furniture next, but since those are big ticket items, we’ll do those over time as we can afford it.

Eventually, when we own a home, we’ll remodel slowly a bit at a time with eco-friendly materials.

- Mrs. R. on April 8th, 2009

We cloth diaper our kids and use cloth wipes. We recycle everything the recycling center accepts (aluminum, plastic, glass, newspaper, etc.) We air dry our clothes, grow a garden every summer, walk everywhere, donate to second hand and buy second hand. We open the windows and close the shades in the summer to keep the house cool, and in the winter we have all the shades open to let the sun warm the house. I cut everyone’s hair so we don’t go to the beauty shop, make my own purses, diaper bags, baby toys (cloth), curtains, baby blankets, etc.

Going green isn’t just good for the earth, it is good for all involved. Saves a LOT of money and everything can be a learning experience for the kids, for example, growing a garden is a great science lesson. We don’t necessarily see ourselves as green, just living a simple life and passing down lessons our grandparents and parents taught us.

- Lisa on April 8th, 2009

We exclusively breastfeed for as long as possible (my 18 month old is JUST now really getting into solids by her choice), we cloth diaper, we cosleep (it saves having to buy a crib, bedding, have a nursery, etc), all our groceries are organic, we recycle, etc. 80% of my daughter’s clothes are hand-me-downs and even a lot of her diapers are gently used. We use wool covers instead of PUL, and lots of those I sewed from recycled wool sweaters.

We also use Elimination Communication so that we have to wash fewer diapers. My daughter’s been using the potty about 50% of the time since she was six months old and now uses it every time during the day.

We buy local produce, meat, eggs and milk when available, and I make a lot of our food from scratch. During the summer we have a large garden. We have smaller cars, we use natural cleaning products, and my partner and I even use cloth wipes when we use the bathroom (well we do for, um, purely liquid trips .

We don’t use plastic toys (plastic manufacturing is horrible for the planet) and we buy second hand toys whenever we can. We also don’t have too many- she loves playing with anything and everything around the house. I make most of her soft toys from organic cotton and wool (which I get free from local sheep) for stuffing.

- Amy on April 8th, 2009

Going green its not cheap because its a scam set out by politicians that figured out we where willing to pay more money for items that were eco friendly! There are plenty of scientist who do not support the scam of global warming! It possibly the biggest scam in history! I’m not saying to not recycle or buy things that are healthy! I’m just saying to do your research wisely before falling in line with the other gerbils! In fact many people haven’t even done their research into global warming and only believe it because they heard it on TV or the Net! Do this for me type in global warming scam and see what you get! There is as much information on it being a lie as to it being fact! That being because companies pay for the studies and can have them altered to their point of view! Statistics 101! Sure recycle and help the environment but lets not get overwhelmed with thinking the earth is dieing! One fact little people know of is that a volcano eruptions puts out more carbon then we could produce in 50 years! Get the facts before you make a decision to buy things that are supposedly for the environment! Do your research as I have and you’ll find your self very mad at some big politicians that have tried to take advantage of us! You also find that there is more support for all these supposed signs be natural events that have repeatedly happened through out earth history! Geology is where they know that this warming effect has happened before and many times! More like global money making scam!The economic news seems to get worse everyday, the last thing I have on mind right now is “going green.”

- Renee on April 8th, 2009

renee: you are correct in saying that some people who have adhered to a green lifestyle have done very little research, but your comment was, in my opinion, slightly harsh. i, for one, don’t feel that green living is a “scam” set out by politicians. it’s just a healthier way of living. whether or not global warming is completely irreversable or caused by humans alone or even real is up for debate, but there are some very real, tangible problems in our world. i live in a small town, near a major city, and from a large hill, i can literally see the smog settled over downtown. a field i used to picnic in is now a landfill. a creek in our local park is cluttered with so much garbage geese choose to swim chlorinated pools. the produce at the supermarket is waxy and tasteless, whereas the produce from the farmer’s market is fresh and delicious…you may not choose to live green, but you don’t have to attack others who do. (and in regards to not going green because of the economy: recycling or buying second-hand saves money, and some many organic and local farmers are willing to work out a price bargain if you are interested in their goods but cannot afford their prices. i voluntarily pay extra for my jams so that the lady who makes them can knock a few dollars off for other customers…)

- ooji on April 8th, 2009

I don’t think that much about going totally green. I buy a few things organic and I recycle some things. I believe that we should practice conservation not totally going crazy with the whole eco-movement. I believe we should take care of what we have but beyond that I believe God brought all of this world into being. Therefor I believe He has the ultimate plan in mind and nothing we can do will change that plan.

- Nicole on April 8th, 2009

Regardless of whether or not you feel there is global warming, I don’t see how a person can go wrong by living a lifestyle that is closer to the earth and organic. Living greenly doesn’t have to be more expensive, and don’t be fooled by the advertisements!!

- Bieta on April 9th, 2009

Some things we do, others we do not. I try to think before I buy. We use Second Generation diapers because they are chlorine free an because they cause less rashes than other disposables. I also use cloth diapers sometimes. I use environmentally friendly laundry and dish soaps. We recycle cans and plastic bags and other items when possible. Our light bulbs are eco. friendly, we are considerate with heat, air conditioning and water usage. I buy used clothing for my son when possible, not just for conservation but because of cost. I buy some organic foods: Milk and juice most all of the times, others as I can.

- Emi on April 9th, 2009

I’ve just moved to the US from Germany, and I’m still getting used to things here. For instance, in our area you just throw old batteries in the garbage, which paralyzes me! At least I try to separate as much garbage and recycle as they let me. I’ve always shopped with re-usable canvas bags and shopping baskets and try to stick to local food suppliers to avoid wasted resources from long shipping (I read that food can travel 1500 miles on average before it reaches our dinner tables). I’m lucky enough to have lots of local, organic farmers in the area who sell their own produce, dairy, etc. We also used cloth diapers for our daughter and try to dress in organic, fair-trade textiles. I avoid nasty cleaning chemicals, fabric softeners, and lots of other unnecessary stuff that seems to be pushed on us just for the sake of buying them. We just invested in a front-loading washing machine to save water (OK, I’ll admit it – it’s a German model). We turn things off instead of leaving them on standby. Cars are more of a necessity here than in Europe, but we do our best to walk or ride bikes if possible.
@ ooji: well said!

- Kirsten Lioba on April 9th, 2009

I just did a complete turnaround during my oldest child’s first year. I do think the term “going green” is more a catch-phrase to get people’s attention though. Anyway, my journey all started with cloth diapers to save money, and it all went downhill from there. Cloth pads/diva cup for me, making babyfood myself, having homebirths with subsequent children (and cloth diapering them, too), extended breastfeeding (to 2yo is my goal – I just go with the flow), decluttering, we have a 1200sf garden in our little suburban lot – not including fruit trees, we heat with wood (we live in/near a forest and cut down dead wood), we bike and walk if/when it’s doable, and reuse tons of things in all kinds of ways until they’re just too scary or used up to use again (I’ve sewn up raggedy/shredded prefolds into pocket diaper inserts after stripping off the shredded layer, save hole-y jeans to use for future knee patches or a jean skirt for myself, etc.). I do use non-toxic cleaners 90% of the time, do a ton of canning/freezing/dehydrating/root cellaring of homegrown goodies, buy a bunch of things like soap and lip balm and rash cream from wahm’s, and on and on. Just the way our household works.

- Lanna on April 9th, 2009

I just did a complete turnaround during my oldest child’s first year. I do think the term “going green” is more a catch-phrase to get people’s attention though. Anyway, my journey all started with cloth diapers to save money, and it all went downhill from there. Cloth pads/diva cup for me, making babyfood myself, having homebirths with subsequent children (and cloth diapering them, too), extended breastfeeding (to 2yo is my goal – I just go with the flow), decluttering, we have a 1200sf garden in our little suburban lot – not including fruit trees, we heat with wood (we live in/near a forest and cut down dead wood), we bike and walk if/when it’s doable, and reuse tons of things in all kinds of ways until they’re just too scary or used up to use again (I’ve sewn up raggedy/shredded prefolds into pocket diaper inserts after stripping off the shredded layer, save hole-y jeans to use for future knee patches or a jean skirt for myself, etc.). I do use non-toxic cleaners 90% of the time, do a ton of canning/freezing/dehydrating/root cellaring of homegrown goodies, buy a bunch of things like soap and lip balm and rash cream from wahm’s, and on and on. Just the way our household works.
Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!

- Lanna on April 9th, 2009

I noticed a few comments about global warming and the green movement. I myself believe that the science behind global warming is suspect and am not worried about climate change or climate crisis. However, I believe that we should be responsible with the earth and the environment. If you believe that the earth is God’s creation, as an earlier poster mentioned, than you can conceive of this as good stewardship. It is possible to care for the environment without buying the global warming theory.

I am finishing my 7th year of university and therefore don’t have a huge budget to buy organic or eco-friendly products. But if an eco-friendly product is around the same price or just a little more, I will buy it. I try to take my bike to the store when possible, although I live in an extreme winter climate and this is just not practical for about half of the year or more. I re-cycle as much as possible, and try to minimize my use of ziploc and plastic bags. When I have children, I hope to cloth diaper them as much as possible. My mother did it with all three children because she couldn’t afford disposable, so I can’t see why I shouldn’t be able to manage.

- lawgirl on April 11th, 2009

Renee and Nicole- I completely agree with both of you.
There is no real truth of Global Warming!

- Mary on April 11th, 2009

I have made the switch to all non toxic cleaning products with cloth rags and the biggest change is I started to cloth diaper. I use the gDiapers which are a hybrid of disposable and cloth. you can use the “disposable” liner or you can use prefolded cloth inserts(which I now do). The best part is that you can flush the inserts with poopy on them and you can compost the wet ones. Or you can always throw them away and they will compost in a few months. It has been great and since i dont have to buy diapers I dont add to the landfils and i dont have to drive to the store to buy more inserts.

- Jennifer on April 15th, 2009

I’m a little offended at this article’s hinting at that fact that having children makes one more green…in fact, I’ve noticed many people reject their responsibility to the planet (whatever they believe that is) due to children. Monstrous gas guzzling vehicles, disposable EVERYTHING, and running every electrical and gas perk in the house for the kids (like kids have never survived without airconditioning?!) I clean mostly with vinegar, chose not to use electricty at too high a rate and recylce and reuse. I don’t have children now, but when I do, I plan to teach them that they are no more entitled to the planet’s resources than anyone else.

- Katie on April 22nd, 2009