Green Baby Blog

In the News: No Impact

So it's impossible to read any green news lately and not come across Colin and Michelle Beavan, the NY couple who have pledged to live for a year with as little impact on the planet as possible. Or, as the NY Times put it, a year "without toilet paper." Pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

Although living without food that comes in packages and forgoing dining out in the name of eco-consciousness is interesting, I found myself drawn mostly to how this change is affecting the couple's two year old daughter, Isabella. While little is mentioned on how she's handling the switch to a home-steading life, the couple do relay an anecdote in which--breaking their vow against shopping--they relent and buy Isabella a birthday present. The prize? A pair of ballet slippers picked up for a buck. When I first read that I felt sorry for Isabella. I'm all for thrift store purchases, but a lone pair of slippers?

But after giving it some thought, I found I actually admired the Beavans. It's no easy task, deciding what and how much to buy a child. I know I'm always trying to strike that magical balance between buying things that foster Lu's development and not wanting to buy too much of anything. I want my daughter to possess an imagination that flourishes as a consequence of time spent in her own mind instead of someone else's; a curious intellect derived from examining the natural world instead of an artificial one. Still, I struggle. Who doesn't walk past the toy store and want to nab that cute new Uglydoll?

When I'm good at sticking to my guns, I learn to improvise: a drum is made from an old coffee can; a shaker from dried beans and a carton. When I'm bad, well, that's when Lu walks out of the local bookstore with a new book plucked from the shelf on a whim. Books, I tell myself, are good for her development. But isn't there a danger there, too, with over-consumption? Lofty ambitions aside, collecting is collecting.

I can't help but wonder: how do we provide our children with what they need while ensuring we don't create false needs in the process? One way I try and catch myself when I think I'm over-indulging Lu, materially or otherwise, is to imagine we're living a very different life. One where we don't have extra money to spend on so many toys, books, clothes. One where I'm so busy making three meals from scratch that I am truly my daughter's mother and not her all-day playmate.

Maybe the Beavans are onto something with their $1 ballet slippers.

Hm...maybe. But I still want my toilet paper!

What do you think? I'd love to hear thoughts on how you're raising children who aren't spoiled or spoiling the planet. For the NY Times article "The Year Without Toilet Paper," click here: No Impact. Free registration required.

Notes from the Field: Plastic

The other night one of my girlfriends teased me about my aversion to plastic, and before I knew it, I was attempting to recount how it was Chris and I ended up emptying our house of the stuff.

It started with the whole saran-wrap-in-the-microwave scare; which led to the no-plastic-bottles-in-the-dishwasher scare. Here, another girlfriend interjected, saying it was only when plastic is heated that you had to worry.

It's hard to know the truth these days, especially when industry is allowed to fund their own 'health' studies. At the heart of the plastics controversy is whether bisphenol-A (BPA), its main ingredient, leaches into whatever food or drink you happen to have contained--with heat or without. From what I can tell, scientists no longer believe it's merely heated plastic that's the problem. Recent reports indicate we'd all be doing ourselves a favor by avoiding the stuff. As reported in Environmental Health Perspectives:

"As of December 2004, there were 115 published in vivo studies concerning low-dose effects of BPA, and 94 of these report significant effects. In 31 publications with vertebrate and invertebrate animals, significant effects occurred below the predicted "safe" [level]...Nonetheless, chemical manufacturers continue to discount these published findings because no industry-funded studies have reported significant effects of low doses of BPA, although 90% of government-funded studies have reported significant effects."

!

Perhaps most alarming is the fact that BPA is widely believed to reproduce estrogen in humans and animals. Is it any wonder children are reaching puberty sooner? Or that male fish in the Potomac are producing eggs?

I have yet to decide if Lu will able to play with Lego's (I love Lego's!) but I think the main thing is to steer clear of plastics when eating, drinking, and when baby is in that stage where everything goes in the mouth. For Lu we bought teething rings made of wood (Haba is great!) and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, used glass bottles for drinking. She loved them!

Tools of the Trade: Skincare

Hooray! Perfect Organics--vegan, chemical-free--is set to launch its first line of skincare products geared exclusively towards children. Free of parabens, SLS & synthetic fragrance, Hippo & Turtle promises to be as stellar as the company's current repertoire of organic lotions.

While I'm a firm believer in treating skin problems from the inside out, while we were sorting through possible causes of Lu's eczema (food allergies), nothing could beat her rash better than Perfect Organics' 100% pure shea butter--no added ingredients.

Check it out: www.perfectorganics.com

From the Kitchen: Baby's First Food

One thing Chris and I knew early on was that when it came to Lucy's plate, she would eat whatever was served. We were determined not to make "side meals" that might turn her into a fussy, demanding eater with limited food choices.

But where to start? It's one thing to decree, "Baby eats what's on her plate!" but quite another to dream up what, in fact, is on the plate to begin with. Now that Lucy is almost 18 months, it's a no-brainer: she truly does eat what we eat. But when she was six months and going from breastmilk to solids, well, we weren't sure where to start.

Thank goodness for Ruth Yaron! Her book, "Super Baby Food" told us everything we needed to know--and then some. From portion sizes to foods that pack the most nutritional punch, Yaron has it all. Sometimes, the information was almost too overwhelming; I ended up skimming quite a bit. I thought I'd hit paydirt, however, with her suggestion that avocados be one of the first foods you give your child. I'd heard the first food you give baby is one they'll cherish always. Chock full of essential oils, fats and vitamins, we were thrilled when Lucy gobbled up a pureed version of the fruit; the green mustache merited many a picture! But alas, as is often the case, baby had her own mind to make up. And avocados--as was their meteoric rise to stardom--had in no time crashed to the bottom of the charts.

The new green of choice taking up space on Lu's plate? Okra!

Babies. So unpredictable!

Off the Shelf: Amby Hammock

The Amby Rocks!

Last week I wrote about the ONE thing we couldn't live without when Lucy was born, but I've never been a very convincing minimalist. And so I bring you the other must-have from that newborn, new-parents time period: the Amby Hammock!

The Amby is a sleeping system designed to take the place of a crib. As revolutionary as it is time-tested (its design takes a nod from cultures where babies are suspended from trees or doorways in little 'hammocks'), the Amby works its mo-jo by replicating that eternal place of comfort: Mama's womb. So says Dr. Hooi, Amby inventor:

"The conventional baby bed that is available is therefore nowhere near suitable. They are, very simply, adult beds made in miniature and ‘babied’ up with frills. The only problem here is that babies are not miniature adults! They are initially frail and helpless and they need a lot of nurturing and sleep. Their bed must therefore be a place of utmost comfort and security, a bed that is at once soothing and stimulating."

And that is indeed what happened for us: from the night she came home, Lucy slept seven hours a stretch! Granted, we'll never know for sure if it was the Amby or Lucy's easy-going temperament, but if I had to do it all over again, you wouldn't catch me without my Amby!

For more info, visit: http://www.ambybaby.com/

In the News: Green Cities

Follow Your (Green) Bliss!

Last year, Chris, Lucy and I packed up and headed west—from the nation’s capitol to Portland, OR. We were searching for a town to raise our daughter that was as green as it was child-friendly; I’m happy to report we found it!

It seems to me that the place we call home should hold true to our values. But if it doesn’t, what’s a person to do? You could always stay and effect change. But when you’re a parent raising future greenies, staying put comes with its own set of complications. For example, I love the fact that Lucy knows the difference between our recycling bins, the trash and compost—something she may know regardless of where we lived. But if we were still living in DC, would she have the chance to attend an environmental charter school when the time came? Maybe not.

What to look for in a green city? For us, it was a matter of the everyday—things like recycling programs and good public transit—combined with broader, more long term concerns such as sustainability and a plan to decrease pollution.

Looking for your own Emerald city? Check out Sperling’s Top Ten List, just published. To find out more, or to research a place you’ve always wondered about, visit: http://www.bestplaces.net/.

Burlington, VT
Ithaca, NY
Corvallis, OR
Springfield, MA
Wenatchee, WA
Charlottesville, VA
Boulder, CO
Madison, WI
Binghamton, NY
Champaign-Urbana, IL

Happy searching!

From the Kitchen: Organic Food

Budget-Minded Organics

Fiending for organics but short on money? According to Consumer Reports, save your dollars and cents for the big guns known to contain high levels of pesticide:   

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Imported grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red raspberries

Consumer also reports that labels such as "free range" are virtually devoid of meaning, thanks to "lax" government standards. A free range sticker can be slapped on a pack of chicken when the little guy was only allowed five minutes' respite from a dirty cramped cage. And even then, if Chicken Little stayed inside because the sky looked ready to drop, the label still applies!

Sheesh. I'm moving to the country and starting my own farm!

Notes from the Field: Early Potting Training

In the Bathroom: A Play in Ten Acts

I.  Put one-month old on potty. Take her off when she cries.

II. Try again.

III.  Take pictures of baby on toilet. Debate sending these to relatives but decide against it: how will baby feel 18 years from now?

IV. Tell everyone you know: “Our baby goes on the potty!” but ridicule elimination communication. Say,  “Those people are crazy.”

V. When baby is old enough to sit up on her own, lug a basket of toys into the bathroom. Hand over one at a time and say, “See there? Going potty is FUN!” Be prepared for baby to look at you strangely.

VI. Bring visiting friends into the bathroom to watch your four-month old pee on the potty. Clap and cheer, but don’t point.

VII. Teach babysitter how to put baby on potty. Explain.  “We don’t push the issue. If she goes in her diaper, we really don’t care.” Jump up for joy when after six months, baby no longer poops in her diaper. 

VIII. Around other parents, downplay your child’s success. Say, “We only did it on a whim. Who knew she’d take to it like that?”

IX. Tell them: “It’s really us who are trained, not baby.”

X. When pressed, lower voice and add with a knowing look: “We did it for the environment.” After a while, you’ll start to think you mean it.

In This Corner

Tushies vs. Seventh Gen.

When Lucy was born, Chris and I were living in an apartment building with a community laundry room. With only three machines in the entire joint, waiting to do your Sunday wash was like lining up around the block to get into the 16^th Street Lounge.

Unable to afford a diaper service, we opted for disposables. My first bet was Tushies, as they were the only paper diaper able to boast a true chlorine-free product. Chlorine allergies run rampant in my family and I didn’t want to take a chance with Lucy. We bought a bag and waited, eagerly, for her first messy diaper. How many times do we get to say that?

Although Tushies held up great as far as absorbency goes, what ultimately turned us off was their tabs. They were so hard to get open! I mangled several so badly we had to use scotch tape to fasten her diapers closed. How’s that for those first hectic days of parenting?

On we went to Seventh Generation—and we’ve never looked back. While these diapers do contain a scant amount of chlorine, Lucy has never developed a rash and the one time when we did have “tab” issues due to a faulty batch, the company gifted us with a coupon for a new pack.

Now that’s a company I like.

 

It's a Wrap!

When asked by expecting parents to name the one thing we couldn’t have lived without when Lucy was first born, I never hesitate to answer: The Wrap!

I knew I wanted to carry my little one close to me those first few months, if not year, of her life. Not all the time, granted, but when I was able to and when it was convenient for the both of us. The only question was, which carrier to buy?

The choices were overwhelming. Baby Bjorn and the Snugli fell on the more conventional side of things, slings seemed more ‘natural Mama.’ In the end I chose the Wrap—a 15 foot long bolt of cloth that comes with no buckles or shoulder support. I ordered it online and after excitedly unwrapping the package, I took one look at the monstrosity covering my couch end-to-end and promptly packed it away. No, I decided. This would never do. Maybe we could use it as a tablecloth, I thought unhappily.

Luckily, Chris proved braver. By the time Lucy arrived, he’d practiced several times wrapping the long cloth and tying it off in a boy-scout knot. She was a week old the first time we snuggled her in and went for a walk. She loved it!

Wraps are great because newborns can become so over-stimulated by everything the world offers. The wrap acts as a “barrier” to that which can frighten them. They bounce and jiggle along, as they did in the womb, your within-range heartbeat the icing on the cake. I can’t tell you how many times our wrap saved us from the hazards of a tired/cranky/colicky baby! When all else had failed, we would simply wrap her up and go for a “walk”—even if it was just up and down the stairs.

Another bonus was how versatile wraps are. If Lucy was awake and wanting to see the world, we carried her upright. If she wanted to snooze, we carried her curled up. When she was older, we shifted her around back—a huge hit. While carrying Lucy wrapped up, Chris and I did everything from remodel a room to hike the Pacific coast!

The web hosts a variety of marketplaces for wraps, but we bought ours at Ellaroo.com. They come in a wide range of sizes to accommodate a person’s height and weight; I went with the largest because I wanted Chris to be able to carry Lucy—he’s over 6’—but the larger size worked fine for me as well. Ellaroo Wraps are made of 100% cotton woven on a Guatemalan co-op and a portion of the profits are returned to workers. Check it out at: www.ellaroo.com.