The Sustinable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting

Sustainable presenter 4.indd 1

18/01/2021 15:50

The climate crisis is a huge, overwhelming, anxiety-inducing issue for us as grown-ups, so the challenge when talking to our kids about it is to explain the situation, and why we’re wanting to make the changes we’re making, without scaring them. Here are some key points to think about:

5 Quick Wins With A New Baby

• Meet them where they are – talk about the climate crisis in a way that’s understandable and accessible.

• Have a try with reusable wipes, even if it’s just at home to start with.

• Look online to see if you have a nappy library near you and take a visit to have a chat. Speaking to a ‘real person’ about reusable nappies makes it feel much less daunting (I promise!).

• Nurture a love of nature – learn about our wonderful world and its inhabitants. We protect what we love.

• Wash at 30°C with an eco-friendly washing powder or liquid – you will suddenly find you are doing a LOT of washing!

• Keep things local and relatable – talk about things that they can see; litter is a great one, and it’s really easy to take action on by doing litter picks on your walks, or when you go to the beach.

• Could you commit to finding a certain percentage of baby clothes secondhand? What feels do-able?

• Let them know they are not alone – talk about other children doing brilliant things for the planet, and the wonderful people and organisations around the world who are working really hard to find solutions.

• If you can, grant yourself a cuppa and sit down when the baby sleeps (easier with first babies than subsequent ones, so make the most of it!). Nothing eco about this one at all, but who needs a bigger to-do list with a new baby?

• Focus on action – brainstorm a list of things that you can do as a family.

• Think about forming a family eco-committee – do a home audit of all the things you’re already doing really well, and then a list of all the changes you still want to make.

5 Quick Wins With Primary School Kids • See how much of their school uniform you can find secondhand. Not only will this help to save the planet, it will potentially save you a stack of cash too.

5 Top Tips For Getting Started

• Swap out one single use plastic item in lunch boxes. Pick the thing that will be easiest, and ask your kids for suggestions for replacements to try and make sure they’re on board and don’t mutiny…

• Think about your why – My why, when it boils down to it, is my kids. Our kids. All of our kids, and their futures. When it all feels a bit much, it really helps to tune back into my why.

• Have one car-free school run a week. Whether that’s the bus, or cycling, is there a way you can get everyone to school without using the car? Or can you car share with another family?

• Focus on what works for you – What works for other people might not work for you. It doesn’t matter.

• Make sure everyone has a reusable waterbottle. And remembers to take it out with them!

• Embrace the ‘ish’ – There isn’t this green hierarchy. What there is, is a myriad shades of green – and we’ll be different shades of green in different areas of our lives, on different days of the week, and depending on how irritating the kids are being.

• Offer to hold an assembly at your kids’ school. Please please please believe me when I said you don’t need to be an expert. I did 10 minutes at my kids’ school, talking about ‘The Big 4’ single-use plastics and took in some of my reusables to show them. They were so engaged and full of ideas, it was wonderful to see.

• Go for the easy wins – Think about the changes that will be the least stressful, easiest to get everyone on board with, cheapest, and do those.

• Pick one thing – Start off by picking one area to work on; maybe that’s food, or clothes, or single use plastic. And then pick ONE thing to change within that. Change happens ONE step at a time.

Sustainable presenter 4.indd 3

18/01/2021 15:55

The climate crisis is a huge, overwhelming, anxiety-inducing issue for us as grown-ups, so the challenge when talking to our kids about it is to explain the situation, and why we’re wanting to make the changes we’re making, without scaring them. Here are some key points to think about:

5 Quick Wins With A New Baby

• Meet them where they are – talk about the climate crisis in a way that’s understandable and accessible.

• Have a try with reusable wipes, even if it’s just at home to start with.

• Look online to see if you have a nappy library near you and take a visit to have a chat. Speaking to a ‘real person’ about reusable nappies makes it feel much less daunting (I promise!).

• Nurture a love of nature – learn about our wonderful world and its inhabitants. We protect what we love.

• Wash at 30°C with an eco-friendly washing powder or liquid – you will suddenly find you are doing a LOT of washing!

• Keep things local and relatable – talk about things that they can see; litter is a great one, and it’s really easy to take action on by doing litter picks on your walks, or when you go to the beach.

• Could you commit to finding a certain percentage of baby clothes secondhand? What feels do-able?

• Let them know they are not alone – talk about other children doing brilliant things for the planet, and the wonderful people and organisations around the world who are working really hard to find solutions.

• If you can, grant yourself a cuppa and sit down when the baby sleeps (easier with first babies than subsequent ones, so make the most of it!). Nothing eco about this one at all, but who needs a bigger to-do list with a new baby?

• Focus on action – brainstorm a list of things that you can do as a family.

• Think about forming a family eco-committee – do a home audit of all the things you’re already doing really well, and then a list of all the changes you still want to make.

5 Quick Wins With Primary School Kids • See how much of their school uniform you can find secondhand. Not only will this help to save the planet, it will potentially save you a stack of cash too.

5 Top Tips For Getting Started

• Swap out one single use plastic item in lunch boxes. Pick the thing that will be easiest, and ask your kids for suggestions for replacements to try and make sure they’re on board and don’t mutiny…

• Think about your why – My why, when it boils down to it, is my kids. Our kids. All of our kids, and their futures. When it all feels a bit much, it really helps to tune back into my why.

• Have one car-free school run a week. Whether that’s the bus, or cycling, is there a way you can get everyone to school without using the car? Or can you car share with another family?

• Focus on what works for you – What works for other people might not work for you. It doesn’t matter.

• Make sure everyone has a reusable waterbottle. And remembers to take it out with them!

• Embrace the ‘ish’ – There isn’t this green hierarchy. What there is, is a myriad shades of green – and we’ll be different shades of green in different areas of our lives, on different days of the week, and depending on how irritating the kids are being.

• Offer to hold an assembly at your kids’ school. Please please please believe me when I said you don’t need to be an expert. I did 10 minutes at my kids’ school, talking about ‘The Big 4’ single-use plastics and took in some of my reusables to show them. They were so engaged and full of ideas, it was wonderful to see.

• Go for the easy wins – Think about the changes that will be the least stressful, easiest to get everyone on board with, cheapest, and do those.

• Pick one thing – Start off by picking one area to work on; maybe that’s food, or clothes, or single use plastic. And then pick ONE thing to change within that. Change happens ONE step at a time.

Sustainable presenter 4.indd 3

18/01/2021 15:55

Filled with easy, do-able ideas and suggestions, plus bucketfuls of encouragement, this is the must-have friendly green bible of accessible eco-tips for families.

No preaching. No judgement. No guilt.

*

Publishing 18th March 2021 UK Publicity: Katherine Macpherson Email: katherine.macpherson@bloomsbury.com Trade Paperback | ÂŁ12.99 ISBN 9781472984579 | 234 x 153mm

Sustainable presenter 4.indd 4

18/01/2021 15:56