We live in a consumer world. Buy Buy Buy! More More More! Convenience is the key word. It's no wonder that when we have a baby, we feel the need to get all the latest gadgets. There is so much out there that markets itself as making your life easier and completely necessary.
But really we are doing a disservice to our children by caving to the consumer mentality. We are not only showing them that yes indeed this is the way we are supposed to be living our lives (which it is not!) but we are also creating mass amounts of waste that will have them suffering in the future.
It takes nylon fabric 30 to 40 years to biodegrade. It takes a single use disposable diaper 250 to 500 years. It takes plastic 500 years or possibly never to biodegrade. A lot of things we just don't know because they were created so recently.
Think of all the legos, barbies, highchairs, bouncer seats, toy cars...the list goes on and on. And just for a moment let's put aside the impact that the plastic has on the landfills just in terms of space and lets discuss the toxins that are in the plastic that we allow our little ones to touch daily. The toxins that will leach into our soil and water systems when sitting in landfills. It's a bit overwhelming if you start to think about it.
Chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are key ingredients in modern plastics. They have been shown to disrupt the delicate endocrine system, leading to developmental problems in children, little girls getting their menses at age 7, and little boys growing breasts. Not to mention there are a host of modern illnesses that have been rising for a generation - a generation of plastic. Some of these illnesses include obesity, diabetes, autism, ADHD all of which could have chemical connections. In a recent NY Times article Dr. Phillip Landrigan director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at New York City's Mount Sinai Medical Center was quoted in saying "We don't give environmental exposure the attention it deserves. There's an emerging understanding that kids are uniquely susceptible to environmental hazards".
Plastics are just one aspect of the large environmental impact that children are not only having on the world but are also suffering from. Think about how many car journey are made to tote children to and from school, to and from ballet, soccer, or karate. Petroleum use and automobile transport is proven to be having negative effects on air quality and global warming.
Another huge impact that comes to mind when thinking about my child is food! Kids eat a ton! And if we follow mainstream culture, they are eating tons of processed packaged foods. It takes a plastic coated milk carton 5 years to break down.
I feel I have made my point. Children (and humans in general) are placing an overwhelming burden on our planet. I know we are not perfect and that it's nice to gift a brand new box of legos for a birthday gift. But I feel as responsible conscious citizens of this planet, we (and parents even more so) need to make conscious choices to reduce the impact we are having.
I've come up with some ideas of how we can reduce our impact while raising children.
Ideas for a Low Impact Life with Kids
- Try to limit purchasing new toys. Make it special. Birthdays or a holiday are more special when the attitude of gratitude accompanies.
- Buy wooden or enviromentally friendly toys whenever possible
- Buy second hand toys or gift used toys to friends. Donate your used toys.
- Trade toys between playmates or borrow toys from a Toy Lending Library. In Santa Fe, it is located in the Community College.
- Reduce the amount of packaged foods you purchase. Try to make everything from scratch. For those on a time budget, spend one day a week cooking and freeze for the rest of week. Better for enviroment and your health.
- Reduce or discontinue car journeys. Kids love being pulled in bike trailers, riding their own bikes, pushing their scooters around town. Children also love trains and buses. We can teach our children alternatives to cars.
- Grow a garden, shop at the Farmer's Market, or local Co-op. The closer you can source your food, the better.
- When buying baby gadgets, look on Craigslist for second hand or ask friends if they are wanting to get rid of any baby items. You end up using them such a short period of time. It's better for your wallet too.
- Use cloth diapers. I swear to you that cloth diapers are no more of a hassle then disposable. The new designs are super convenient and they actually work way better than disposable. I am currently doing the single mom thing and in grad school and still have time to wash my baby's cloth diapers. SOOOO EASY!
- Opt for glass baby bottles and stainless steel water bottles.
- Use a dry erase board vs. paper to let little ones practice writing their ABCs and practicing math.
- Go to the library for books or buy second hand books at library sales.
- Decrease the amount of extracuricular activities your children are in. They need down time and will appreciate a slower rhthym to their lives. For those activities that you do partake in, carpool.
These are just a few ideas of how you can decrease the environmental impact your family has on mother earth. Not only will these changes allow you more time with your family, increase the amount of money in your wallet, but you'll be teaching your children impeccable values.
Do you have any tips how your family leads a low impact life? If so, please share in the comments below.
With so much love,
xoxo
Nancy
-
No comments:
Post a Comment