All About Parenting Blog Carnival: Going Green

By Heather Corley, About.com Guide April 1, 2009

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Green is everywhere in April, from the springtime landscape to Earth Day on April 22. When you're a parent, going green with parts of your lifestyle takes on a whole new significance, as you consider what the world will be like for your little one as he or she grows. Teaching our kids to make eco-friendly decisions also becomes important, both by letting them watch us choosing products and activities carefully or by simply showing them what the planet has to offer and why we need to protect it. This month's All About Parenting Blog Carnival is about going green with your family, whether your children are very small or ready to move off on their own.

It's easy to forget about environmentally friendly choices when you're very busy, which is why Katherine Lewis, About.com Working Moms Guide, rounded up some great time-saving websites that can help busy working moms find ways to go green in different areas of your life. Katherine also mentions a fast and fun way to pass the "go green" message on to your kids - reading to them.
It's not too early to start teaching preschoolers the old "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra! Parenting Preschoolers Guide Amanda Rock shares that her daughter heard the recycling message loud and clear at age three, and is still a strong proponent for eco-friendly behavior in their household three years later. Amanda also shares plenty of tips for how to go green with your preschooler.

Recycling doesn't just mean taking your cans to the curbside. Creative recycling is the theme of About.com Special Children Guide Terri Mauro's post. From using old cereal boxes and grocery bags for a pretend store to using torn clothes to for muscle effort or sensory stimulation, Terri's ideas may help you think differently about items you'd otherwise throw away.
Crafting can be a great way to use household items again before they are recycled or thrown away. About.com Family Crafts Guide Sherri Osborn shares lots of creative recycling craft ideas that use really common household items. If your house is anything like mine, you can probably find an old light bulb, a check box or an un-needed CD-ROM lurking around every corner. Sherri has simple and fun craft ideas that use all of those items!
Have you considered ways to go green with your workout? Even your family's fitness habits may have room for green improvement. Catherine Holecko, About.com Family Fitness Guide, suggests outdoor activities vs. using electricity for things like treadmills and using household items as fitness or play equipment as ways to make your family's fitness routines more eco-friendly.
Sometimes we get wrapped up in the idea that our efforts to go green have to be huge to really impact our kids. Erika Jones of Organic Baby Resource says that's just not so. She suggests five Earth Day activities for tots that are simple, Earth-friendly and will start teaching your little one about green habits right now.
Disposable diapers are one of the most common trash items, and they don't readily break down once they're in the landfill, which leads many families to look for more eco-friendly diapering options. Disposable vs. cloth diapers isn't the only choice, though. If you're looking for an alternative to disposable diapers for your little one, I've got some suggestions, along with pros, cons and costs of each, to help you make a more eco-friendly diapering decision.
Remember all of the still-useful furniture that was tossed into the dumpsters on dorm move-out day? About.com Young Adults Guide Jackie Burrell does, too, and she says the problem certainly hasn't gone away since my college years. Jackie advises parents to help their college students start preparing for the move now, so they're not stuck with things they must move or throw away come the last day of school. If you're just preparing to send a child off to college, you'll find tips for starting a green dorm life, too.
Going green takes on a different meaning as About.com Work-At-Home Moms Guide Laureen Miles Brunelli expresses her jealousy over Michelle Obama's glorious White House garden. Envious green-ness aside, Laureen also points out that a veggie garden is a great way for busy parents to teach kids about the planet while adding very locally grown, healthy foods into the family's diet.
Elementary school-age kids are at the prime time for making good habits when it comes to the environment. About.com K-6 Children Guide Katherine Lee suggests planning an Earth Day celebration for kids of this age, since they're old enough to begin understanding wildlife conservation, things that negatively impact the environment, and their own effects on the planet.
Books can provide a relaxed, fun way to introduce eco-friendly ideas to your kids, plus reading together adds valuable snuggle time to your day. About.com Children's Books Guide Elizabeth Kennedy recommends a book from the popular Charlie and Lola series, called We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers. Not only will this book give kids information on recycling basics, it includes a poster to track their own recycling efforts.