My favorite baby is now half-way through his second year, and as his needs change so does my awareness of ways in which parenting and grandparenting can help repair the damage we do to the planet - and ourselves in the process.
His mother has adopted a minimalist approach that emphasizes the important elements of childcare (responsive attention, good nutrition, not sweating the small stuff, not collecting more plain old stuff than is necessary) and already values about how people and the world should be treated are being conveyed to him.
As much as possible Mom chooses organic foods, especially dairy products and apples, bananas, green beans, and meat from local organic producers. She makes sure his diet is balanced by making sure her own is good, and so he already eats the table foods he will grow up with: already, he loves ratatouille, tomatoes, fresh berries, broccoli, potatoes, cheeses of several varieties and spicy chicken as much as lean chopped meats. As the season changes, he tries cucumbers, radishes, parsnips and smoked fish. This variety of flavors and textures is more interesting than the bland stodge of fast-food, with its standardized range of flavors that emphasize fat, salt, and sugar, and makes it likely that he will eat healthfully and sustainably as he grows old enough to make his own food choices. In addition, it's easier and more fun to travel and dine out with a child whose needs can be accommodated alongside those of the rest of the family. On recent trip, he snacked on cherries beside Lake Superior, noshed whole wheat crackers and cereals in the car, and drank water and organic milk instead of roadside sodas.
Toys include a bucket and pail for working in the garden, and a special hat for working in the yard beside Mom. One of his first words is "flower" and he already collects sticks, seed pods, and small hand tools. Children love to have meaningful work, and he already knows that in his family this includes gardens, trees, birds and water. Books and puzzles figure largely in his play, and nature themes are one of the family's first choices.
Mom buys many of his clothes secondhand, recycling with an emphasis on natural fibers and, where possible, organically produced ones. When buying new, we like to support local vendors that share our values about stuff -- like Peapods on Saint Paul's Snelling Avenue (online, go to http://www.peapods.com/ ) as well as better-known larger retailers, like Patagonia.
Childrearing has become a huge commercial sector, and the amount of quickly obsolescent stuff is overwhelming. By being discerning in her choices, Baby's mother is teaching him to get what he needs, not what is shiny, new, and temporary. I see habits and values of sustainability that will become part of this child's adult life -- I wish we had been more mindful earlier in my own generation.
For ideas about keeping your baby green as she grows, visit http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/green_kids_online