She Said It First (formerly know as Blogmania)

Sometimes I feel like I am the only one in my house that believes that going green should be a lifestyle change. I really despise the terms “getting on the bandwagon” because I feel that simple steps can be taken and formed into lifelong habits.

I was surprised when talking to my husband about global warming the other day and how many people don’t believe in it (about 1/5). I was taken aback that actually agreed with me. We usually do NOT agree on major issues so it was refreshing to see that we are on the same page. In retrospect I realized that he is not as ambitious or vocal as I am about some of our at-home green “initiatives”, but that he has always eagerly agreed to most of my suggestions.

Several people do not believe in global warming. I am not going to go into that too much now. I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and agree to disagree. I would really need to dedicate a separate post to address that topic and support my stance. I am not as concerned about trying to sell my opinion if in 2007 “in a poll of 2,000 people in 21 countries an average of eight in ten (79%) said {say} that “human activity, including industry and transportation, is a significant cause of climate change.” Obviously I am on the same platform as most other individuals. This post is is about OWNERSHIP – we do NOT own the earth but how we do need to own the responsibility to change what we can and ensure that our individual carbon footprints are minimized.

Back to the topic at hand – So my kids are not the most eager or willing to change. I have tried to explain the importance of recycling and reusing, conserving water, electricity, and wasting less.

Areas of Success:

Recycling – We recycle a large amount of our “trash”. We still discard more than I would like, but are continuously improving.

Using green products to clean the home - I have now totally converted to Green cleaners or make my own. (We won’t count my husband’s one purchase of bathroom cleaner). Outside of that we have not had a non-green household cleanser grace my home in more than a year.

Using green products in the laundry room – Much easier now that so many companies are offering greener laundry products.

Waste not want not – We unplug electrical items not in use, are better about wearing some things twice and we have changed our spending habits. I really consider our need vs. desire when making purchases (this is also better for the budget!).

Areas for improvement:

Reducing water usage – This is the area in my home that needs the most work. I am known for taking very long, very hot showers. 3 kids means a lot of dishwashing, laundry, baths, etc.

Buying local - We need to focus more on buying local – local means less transportation converting to lower emissions IN transport AND fresher products (less time spent sitting on a truck). It also supports the local community.
* Your local farmer’s market is a great source for local, AND organic foods. CSAs – Community Supported Agriculture- are another option that may work for you and your family.

Buy Natural / Organic – I am starting to change my spending habits and grocery shopping is not excluded. In addition to groceries, I am starting to look at other natural and organic products (clothing,

Composting – I try to avoid using the garbage disposal. I would like learn how to effectively compost instead of throwing waste into the trash bin.

Making my own… - I make my own household cleansers. Now I need to start with my own laundry detergents, bath and body products, natural remedies and more. I recently bought a great book on how to do all this but I really need to sit down and read it.

Growing our own… - One of my goals is to dedicate a good portion of our yard to a vegatable garden next year. I am always jealous when my co-workers bring in their goodies to share – I want to have veggies to share too!

So back to the original topic – how do you get the kids involved?
1) Research what is age appropriate, keeping your goal and your child’s interests in mind
2) Once you find out what is realistic and attainable, involve your child in the project and set a good example by showing enthusiasm.
– Research together and the importance of the change you are making. Look up information on the internet or go to the library.
– Determine what works for your family
– Determine “roles”
3) Talk to other parents / read blogs – find out what works for others.
4) If something doesn’t work, do not give up. Give it more time or make changes to your original plan.
5) Have fun!

Attached are some great resources for involving your child in your efforts to go green at home:
GREENLIVING

If you have a sucessful story to share, please feel free to post. I would love to hear your ideas and experiences.