Interior Wellness
Issue #23
Having a baby or have kids? Make them Eco friendly!!
By Dawnica and Jason Flatt
Babies are born pure and innocent, a clean slate in which everything they are exposed to has an effect on their future. That sounds like a huge responsibility, and well, it is. We must constantly be aware of their environment and what we are exposing them to. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming and some simple changes can make a big difference.
Here are 10 ways of creating an Eco friendly baby/child. t Handy Hand me downs – Gather clothes and toys at garage sales, consignment stores like Lizzie Bits and Mommy & Me the KamloopsParents.com Markets or resale sites like Monkey Business Consignment or swap groups on Facebook. This saves money with not having to buy everything ‘New’ and a great way to reuse. t Entertainment and toys - Put only a few toys out and rotate them from time to time. Include common household objects in the mix: kitchen spoons, pots and measuring cups can entertain for hours. When buying toys, choose toys that are made from sustainable, BPA Free and organic materials. This reduces toxic substance exposure. Getting books from the library is another great idea. t Make your own baby food – not only will you know what is in the food, but you will also save. It’s healthy, quick and cost-effective. t Nurse instead of Formula – although this is not always an option, it’s a great way to provide the best nutrition. You are also saving on all the manufacturing, packaging or shipping that goes along with all those bottles and cans. t Buy organically grown, local products when possible. t Know what you use – Deciding what products we use on our
children is crucial. Read food labels and also read product labels such as bath products to know they are safe to use our on children’s skin. t Clean Green – We know that chemicals are all around us: some good, and some bad. Think about the products you use in your home. Chances are, your child will come in contact with these products as they play and explore in their surroundings. t RE- Use where possible – plastic bags have their uses but try to limit the times plastic is used. Instead use reusable containers and try to remember that cloth bag instead of accepting another plastic bag when you shop. t Laundry – Do full loads when washing and air dry whenever possible. You’ll reduce your electricity bill and you won’t have your dryer heating up the house as the warmer weather approaches. t Use Cloth Diapers – Why add to landfills when you don’t need to? Disposables sit for 250-500 years. This is our children’s future. Disposable diapers also expose our children to many chemicals that sit against their baby’s skin between changes causing diaper rash. Cloth diapers allow the skin to breathe. There are many options today in styles and materials and there are also diaper services that do the laundering for you, making cloth even easier to use. The more you include your child in all of these daily tasks, the more they will realize why you’ve made the choices that you have. Setting this example is probably the most important step in creating an eco friendly child because they become aware of their environment and the impact that they have on it based on the decisions you make today. Dawnica and Jason Flatt are owners of Snug Glee Bumz Diaper service. They provide the diapers and even wash them too, diverting over 25 000 diapers from the landfills so far! Ease of Disposables with benefits of cloth. Snug Glee Bumz Diaper Service, 250-554-9722 www.snuggleebumz.com
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