It can be hard to balance a certain lifestyle with being a parent. On the one hand, your main priority is to ensure they are safe, comfortable, and grow up into healthy adults, while on the other hand, you have a burning desire to ensure that your life remains as eco-friendly as possible. The truth is that having a baby typically consumes significant natural resources, and even if you try to minimize your impact on the planet, modern society's consumer-driven sentiment often makes it challenging. Nevertheless, with a bit of reason and the will to ensure you stay on the right path, it is absolutely possible to raise a child in the manner that you expect them to be raised while staying true to your beliefs.
The Diapering Debate
Perhaps the most obvious issue that initially presents itself is how to ensure that your little bundle of joy remains comfortable while still in the stages of requiring a diaper. Most modern diapers developed by the usual players in the market do a perfectly good job at maintaining comfort even when full of the typical bodily fluids produced, but they also tend to be awful for the environment and play a huge role in not only clogging up drains but also adding to the seemingly never-ending landfill problem. Of course, you have the option of eschewing traditional options and harking back to cloth diapers similar to those used by your great-grandparents, but for many of us living normal, busy lives, the thought of throwing a soiled piece of cloth into the washing machine every hour isn’t something even worth considering. Instead, you can look for options that utilize sustainable, biodegradable materials, meaning that even if you throw them away, they are less likely to have a significant impact on the planet than options from the major manufacturers. But there is another, lesser thought of issue that is closely related to diapers, and can cause similar amounts of environmental degradation: the baby wipe.
These are usually a non-negotiable part of caring for your baby’s hygiene, but as is the case with most brands, they are terrible for the earth and end up lingering for decades in the landfill. The great thing is that, according to the folks over at https://manukind.com/, you needn’t have to sacrifice all the benefits that baby wipes offer just to meet your eco-obligations. By choosing the right brand, you’re still able to reap the rewards of antibacterial and hydrating properties offered by the big brands, but all while safe in the knowledge that they’re free of the chemicals that cause the sort of environmental degradation we’re all trying to avoid.
The Foundation: Sustainable Sleep
Sleep is vital for all living beings, and none moreso than for the youngest and most delicate of us all. In almost all instances where a baby isn’t sleeping well, it’s due to discomfort. So how can we ensure that they sleep well without resorting to materials and devices that use up enormous amounts of precious resources?
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Bedding & sleepwear: In most cases, opting for natural, sustainable materials will be your best bet. They have been used for centuries and still outperform most modern, synthetic alternatives. When on the search for the best fabrics for the job, it tends to be cotton, and the less common, but incredibly impressive, bamboo.
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The mattress: For best results, avoid VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and polyurethane foam. These are not just bad for the environment, but can also affect your baby’s health.
Dressing Sustainably
When your beautiful, bouncy baby isn't sleeping or soiling itself, it will need to be dressed. After all, you can’t keep it swaddled forever, and when the mercury begins to rise or fall, you really need to consider how to keep them happy. There are several ways you can go about this task, but for the maximum eco-credentials, you might consider the latest craze of slow fashion. Yes, fashion and babies aren’t usually connected (unless you’re the sort of celebrity to name your kid Apple or Grapefruit or something), but we aren’t discussing looking good per se. Instead, slew fashion is related to choosing only a few items of clothing instead of buying an enormous wardrobe and using them sparingly.
The eco side of this is that you’re not wasting money and resources on buying things that you will hardly use, and possibly only use once or twice before giving it away. The same mindset can also apply to babywearing. Instead of relying on bulky strollers for short outings, many parents choose thoughtfully designed carriers like the Hope&Plum Baby Carrier. A well-made carrier supports daily routines while encouraging closeness and reducing the need for extra gear. When selecting fabrics, opt for natural ones like cotton and linen for warmer temperatures, and wool when winter rolls around.
It’s never easy balancing a desire to remain as carbon neutral as possible with ensuring your child is safe and happy. But you don't need to choose between the two, and as we’ve noted throughout this post, all it takes is a bit of forward thought before investing in the various things needed to raise your baby.
