baby talk

we come upon this earth with nothing but the body that has been granted to us, then we hopefully spend the next 80 or so years in this body. can one imagine what effect we have upon this earth in that time? the results are staggering for the average american. we are consumers, users, throw AWAYers and then we leave. we leave this earth with all of the 'things' that we thought we needed in our lifetime. i don't mean to be so pesimistic about our impact, but it is the honest truth.

as a mother of two i have come to realize that the first few years of our journey here are spent using vast amounts of resources. a child's impact on the environment is boggling. not that they choose to do so, but their caretakers are the ones to blame. as parents it is our responsiblity to keep our baby's consumerism to a minimum. unfortunately the market gears every effort towards the mommy's need to buy buy buy and have the latest and greatest. they want us to believe that our children are better off with their product, or our lives will be so
much easier with their product, or that you just simply need it.

what does a baby need? well, they obviously need us as parents to provide. to provide love, food and shelter. that really isn't much to ask for. then why do we buy some many things? families fill their homes with bouncers, cribs, a changing table, loads of clothing, paper diapers, toys toys and more toys, car seats and more. something are obviously needed, but the majority is just stuff. if i had to compile a list of what i really use on a day to day basis as a mother, this is what i'd say is absolutely necessary:

• diapers (cloth preferred), wipes (reusable fleece) and covers


• a sling or pack carrier for baby (keeps my hands free and baby safe and warm)


• food (breast for baby and solids for big sister)
  
• a few blankets (for warmth, protection, a place to play)


• clothing (for all obvious reasons, but the reality is that they don't need a million outifts)


• a stroller or wagon (gets us out and about on foot and is great exercise for mama and papa)

well, that's about it. it isn't much, but i would say that it covers the necessities. to start with, we have used the same diapers for baby one as we have for baby two. a $400 investment covered us for about 2 years with baby one and now baby two is using the same setup. any parent will tell you that the cost of diapers is excessive. however, tell these same parents that you use cloth diapers and they we go on and on about the mess, the bother and the clean-up, all of which isn't true. once you go with cloth, the routine is easy, clean and cheap. plus, healthy for your baby's bum and for the environment. we even use reusable fleece wipes with homemade wipe solution. check out vermont diaper company for the lowdown on cloth diapering. just remember, a newborn blows through about 10-12 diapers a day for the first few months. add that one up!

next on the list is a sling. we have three different carriers for the kids and can even use one of them with our 2 1/2 year old. these are great for keeping hands free, keeping kiddos up on your level, and keeping them safe and content. we use our ergo baby carrier the most and i'd say that it is the most versitile and durable. they're a great company out of hawaii and they're perspective on baby wearing is just up our ally. anytime we run into other folks using it, they feel the same way we do about the ergo. it goes without saying that once a parent finds something that works, they are always willing to share the love with others. it is a definite must have for families who enjoy being on the go with kiddos!

some things go without saying, but i have to mention food. yes, we do feed our little monsters. one gets the boob and the other eats pretty much what we eat. no microwaved meals, no prepackaged entrees, rarely anything out of a box and just good ole fashioned food. i truely feel bad for kids who chow down on nothing but processed food. i know that we are a rarity and i do understand that some families don't have the time or means to provide what we feel is good food. however, i don't hesitate to share my ideals with anyone who asks about our diets. food is a huge part of our lives and i am proud of the fact that we do what we do. one other thing that i should mention is our habit of eating meals together. as a kid my mom had dinner on the table at 5:30 and was dead set against eating anywhere, but the kitchen table. i thank her for that and i hope that we can say the same thing when our peanuts are old enough to understand the importance of food and family.

keeping our children safe, well feed, clean and warm are just a few of things that are expected of us as parents. clothing is an enormous financial and environmental burden when it comes to kids. in the first year of life, a child's growth is tremendous and along with that comes everchanging wardrobes. from then on, it is a constant cycle of buy more clothes, pack them away and then so on and so forth. one must wonder, how much clothing does my child need? not much! we love getting bags of hand-me-downs from the neighbor and handing down our stuff to my sister and then back again. why not? have you ever seen an infant wear out a pair of pajamas? never! so, if you keep clothing in good shape, stain free when possible and share with others, it can be a constant flow of 'new' clothes. we also hit up our local salvation army on half price family day and frequent the local consignment shops. it doesn't mean that your kiddos have to be wearing duds from the 80's and be out of style. it just means that you are merely reusing what someone else has already worn. not a big deal and your little ones can still be in style. plus, you don't feel bad if your peanuts totally trash an outfit that only cost a buck!

i cannot think of a better way to get fresh air and excerise than walking with my little ones. from the time my oldest was a few weeks old, i had her out in the fresh air every decent day that i could. it was good for both of us. i'd bundle her up in our favorite patagonia baby bunting, pack her in the sling and a stroller when she was a bit bigger, and off we'd go. we took her everywhere, the beach, hiking, festivals, around town, and anywhere that we could. now, she is in a jog stroller and the youngest one is in the ergo baby carrier. we feel limitless and they feel less confined when we 'travel' outdoors. our recent addition of a wagon is great for shorter walks and when we need to bring some goodies along. you know, stuffed animals, beach toys, a dish for the neighborhood potluck and even a friend. there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a designer stroller, but do get a feel for what you need and then try a few out. our local consignment shop always has strollers for sale and they would suffice for almost any family. i can honestly say that our jog stroller has been everywhere with us, from florida to maine and it is still holding up.

the key to reusing kids' gear and clothing is care. if you take care of what you have, it will take care of you. appreciate your goods and you will reap more from them. when you realize how much 'stuff' your little people use, then you may realize the importance of reusing, recycling and consciously raising them can have on your surroundings. here are a few facts about what our kids do to our mother earth:

in 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.

no one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.

disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

the manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.

over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.

it is estimated that each baby will need about 6,000 diapers during the first two years of life.

these facts don't even take into consideration everything that a child consumes in the first few years, but it gives you a good idea of what their potty habits do to our land

so, that's that! just remember that every little bit counts. if you practice healthy and constructive habits in your home, then hopefully your peanuts will grow up and do the same. it is contagious! your job as a parent goes far deeper than providing food, love and shelter. it makes an impression that is so deep, that future generations deal with the choices you have made. if you want your great great grandchildren to live amoung your rubbish, then go ahead and keep on consuming without consciousness. if you want them to live in paradise, then start now and do the right thing.