10 green parenting ideas

Green parenting, or trying to make sure that your little one doesn’t have huge environmental impact is a great idea.  Not only is it better for the planet that your little one will grow up in, but it will probably also save you money.  Here are our top ten ideas for green parenting:

Use reusable nappies

It probably goes without saying that here at Ecobots we’re into the idea of reusable nappies.  Choosing a good reusable nappy system is a great idea if you want to save money and are interested in green parenting.  Reusable nappies, such as our Ecobots nappies have far less impact on the environment than disposable alternatives.

Dry your washing on the line

Harnessing the power of the wind to get your clothes dry is better for the environment and for your clothes.  There are lots of great reasons for drying your reusable nappies on the clothes line, but it’s also the best way to dry your babies clothes.  They will probably last longer, and save you money and electricity.

Walk more

Going out anywhere with a baby can become a big mission, getting a car seat into the car, getting your baby in and out of said car seat and into a pram or carrier and then reversing the process again afterwards.  Going for a walk though is a little simpler.  A comfortable baby sling or carrier is a great way to bond with your little one, get some exercise and get out of the house.  Slingbabies has lots of great information on choosing a baby carrier.  In terms of green parenting, it’s also much better for the environment than taking the car.

Home made toys

Lots of baby and children toys come with mountains of packaging and usually from overseas.  Cut down on all of that waste and make your own toys and activities at home.  Babies who are sitting love to play with objects from around the house such as clothes pegs, wooden spoons and other similar things.  Try making a treasure basket full of objects for your little one to explore with you.  There are heaps of other ideas for home made play and toys at various sites on the internet, such as the fantastic imagination tree.

Make your own baby food

I’m a big fan of baby led weaning, (partly because it’s easy and I’m lazy) but even if you follow a more traditional approach to weaning, then making your own baby food is a great green parenting idea.  You know exactly what goes into it, and of course cooking something at home uses far less energy and resources.  If you make a baby version of what you and your family are eating, it’s less preparation too, and less expense.

Use a toy library

Many areas have toy libraries, and a great green parenting idea is to make use of them.  Rather than having lots of different toys at home, that you’ll need to get rid of as they get older, and with lots of packaging, borrow them from a toy library.  That way you can rotate the things your baby plays with, and you don’t need to worry about sorting things out and passing them on when they are out grown.

Find pre-loved baby equipment

It’s very tempting to go out and buy all brand new stuff when you have a baby, but if you’re trying to go for a more environmental approach, think about using some second hand items.  Some things, such as car seats are better to buy new from a safety point of view (although you can rent them from Plunket) but other items such as prams, baby baths and nursery furniture can be found pre-loved.  Baby items are only used for a short amount of time, and are quite often in good used condition.

Pass things on to your friends

Share the love, and pass on your pre-loved equipment to your friends.  When you’ve finished with it, consider lending items to your friends and helping them out with some green parenting.  Just last year I spoke to a lady who had passed her ecobots nappies on to neighbours, and just about the whole street had used them on their babies at some point.  I love hearing stories like that.

Use the local library

Local library’s are great.  Not only do they have a great range of children’s books for you to borrow for your child, but many have story time or other groups for you to take your children to.  Children’s books tend to get a lot of use and abuse, and while it’s nice to have some favourite books at home, borrowing different ones from the library means that you’ve got access to lots of different stories without having to buy them yourself.  Again borrowing like this is better for the environment than everyone buying their own books.

Grow your own veg

Lots of the food we eat is heavily processed and has lots of air miles behind it.  Sometimes even items that seem to be the better choice, such as organic fruit and veg, can have travelled long distances to get to your plate.  Growing your own veg is great because you know exactly what’s been used on it in terms of fertiliser and insecticides, and it only needs to travel from your garden.  Growing your own veg is a great green parenting activity, as it’s something that your little one can get involved in as they get older.

 

So there you have it, our ten green parenting ideas, what do you do that could be called green parenting?