Green Options

INFORM does it again just as parents can once again embrace the “most wonderful time of the year- the Staples Inc. version“. In other words, it’s back to school time for the kids.

My assumption is that kids are already well ahead of their parents in terms of incorporating green living (with less fuss than adults) into their lives and those of their peers. In fact, kids often pressure parents to recycle, according to a study published in the BBC.

Still, raising children to be good citizens and those that can quickly make the link between paper usage, recycling, deforestation, government action and climate change later in their life (I coin these savvy “Forest Citizens”) is not easy but it is well worth it on many levels. Here is who we are watching to help us raise good Forest Citizens as we embark on the craziness of the school year:

First the New York Times, now the BBC!  Today, Eco Child’s Play’s Kristen Chase and myself were featured on the BBC’s program “World Have Your Say“. The topic was “Would you stop having children to save the environment?“  I was invited to join the conversation with John Guillebaud, professor of family planning at University [...]

Editor’s note: We are delighted to feature this guest post written by Kristen Chase. Kristen is the co-founder and editor of Cool Mom Picks, a shopping blog for kids and the parents who love them recently featured in Real Simple Magazine. She and her partner Liz Gumbinner seek out the best off-the-beaten path gifts and gear, many of which are eco-friendly and organic.

With our first child, we just grabbed any old crib mattress and went on our merry way. Turns out, she was a terrible horrible very bad sleeper. And while the mattress may not have had anything to do with her horrible sleep habits, we made sure that with our second, we researched better mattress and furniture choices — not just because we wanted to get some shut-eye, but also due to the laundry list of chemicals and other products that are used in crib mattresses.

Truth be told, we’re surrounded by chemicals every day, and while many parents are attempting to green up their nursery, budget is definitely a concern. But considering your baby sleeps (or *fingers crossed* will hopefully sleep) a minimum of 10-14 hours a day on the mattress, it might be best to forgo the fancy bedding and super duper changing table for something that could potentially affect their sleep patterns and their overall health.

I realize that with baby-having becoming a business of sorts and companies purporting the dire need for all parents to have a wipes warmer and a stroller that can almost walk itself, the idea of an organic, natural mattress might seem like another gimmick. But if you look carefully at the products and chemicals that are used to make and treat the bulk of crib mattresses, you might just change your mind.