I have always been, shall we say, on the liberal side of life. At 18 I became a vegetarian to save animals while I was in Americorps doing a 10 month community service term. I ended up being a strict vegetarian, not touching a bite of meat for 6 years. For 3 months of it I was even a Vegan. In my classroom I try to instill in my students a respect for our environment and show them ways that their decisions in life can have a major impact on our world. I do this through instruction but also through example. Even to this day I only eat meat a few times a week. By that I mean 3 to 4 meals for the whole week if that.
So it is no shock that as a parent I am a little in "Left" field. On my online mommy group for August moms we have mom who calls herself "crunchy". She is the supreme "green" mom. While I am not quite at that level I do have to say I am pretty crunchy when I think about it. What is crunchy you say? Check out this website for more information: Crunchy Parenting.
According to this I am pretty up there in my parenting decisions. It actually made me feel better about myself today, when I feel so tired and like I am doing nothing to help our planet, to know that I am parenting in a way that is at least better than the norm when it comes to being environmentally friendly. Not perfect but better than average. Here are some of the things that make me somewhat crunchy:
-I had a natural childbirth with no interventions in a birthing center. I guess I did what nature intended and went natural thus that makes me crunchy. I am even contemplating having a homebirth next time with my same doula and midwife as I found the drive to and from the center unnecessary.
-I am breastfeeding my baby and exclusively breastfed him for 6 months. Again, I guess it is because it is as nature intended and I guess without all the trash from formula containers. I plan to do so until Jaxon is 11-12 months old per the AAP recommendation. I would like to do the WHO recommendation of 2 years minimum but I don't think I have it in me even though I know, as an educated mother, that it is what is best for my baby and the environment.
-I selectively vaccinate according to a more spread out schedule that better fits our family. Not sure what makes this crunchy except that it is outside the norm and those who do these other things tend to do this.
-I practice attachment parenting including babywearing (until he became too heavy), on demand breastfeeding, responding to baby's cries (no cry it out), co-sleeping when he is in need of comfort, bonding, and boundary building. Many of these things are just the "natural" way mothers anthropologically interact with their young. Natural is usually Earth friendly and also baby friendly.
-I choose a Naturopathic Pediatrician so that Jaxon will get as much Homeopathic remedies as possible. I did not want him pumped full of antibiotics and I wanted to try natural methods for relieving illnesses before we go for the medicine. Jaxon hasn't really been sick yet so it hasn't even been an issue yet. We have used some of her remedies for teething, colic, rashes, and problems associated with breastfeeding. All have worked awesome!
-I feed Jaxon only fresh, organic baby food. This obviously is outside the norm and is very green. I make about half of it myself and the other half I buy from two different companies that I just love. Happy Baby and Tasty Baby. I am really proud of this one since I work full time but I actually like making his food.
-Jaxon was not circumcised. After long discussions and introspection it just was not something we could do. We did a lot of current research on pain in newborns and the effects of it in the future. Drew had to let go of his son looking like him but ultimately I left it up to him. In the end, after informing himself on the decision, he decided not to go through with it. This makes us crunchy though not environmentally friendly.
-I drive a compact car that I bought for its MPG rating. 33 miles per gallon. I eventually would like a hybrid but they are outside our price range right now.
So there are areas that I am not so crunchy in. Jaxon wears Pampers. Drew and I considered the cloth diaper (or I did) when I was pregnant, but we ultimately decided to go with disposables as first time parents. Cloth Diapers are so much easier to use now and have cute styles. I am going to try to talk Drew into it with the next baby now that we know what we are doing somewhat. We will see how this goes. ;)
I use plastic bottles (that are BPA free) but glass would be better I guess. I am a public school teacher so he will attend school obviously (not sure why this is crunchy). I would like, when I have a yard, to grow some of our food and compost. I do recycle but we could do it better. I could buy organic clothing and stuff all the time but I don't. I am planning on buying green cleaners in the future after my current stash runs out. These are the areas I can make gains in for the environment and my family.
After taking inventory...this does not shock me about myself and probably those who know me aren't shocked either. I live my life the way I think best without regard for what others think about me. Those who love me, respect that I educate myself about my decisions and trust me to what is best for my family. That is why I love my friends and family. No pressure to conform. In return I respect their decisions as best for their family. What a great support system I have.
I guess my post is reflective and at the same time meant to bring to light the day. I am a firm believer that Earth Day shouldn't be celebrated on just one day. We should live it every day in whatever way we can. :)
P.S.
Great Books I Love on Being Green:
Food Revolution
In Defense of Food
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