Izabela Habur/iStock
READ MORE ABOUT:
In the introduction to Green Kids, Sage Families: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Organic Kids, Lynda Fassa says she hopes to be "...like a soft-voiced GPS, helping you make the moves that get you where you want to go." The book is the culmination of Fassa's knowledge of child rearing (she's got three) and green living. "Where you want to go," and where she hopes to take you, is a healthy, happy, eco-conscious lifestyle.
After publishing Omnivore's Dilemma, Michal Pollan popularized the catchy dictum: "vote with your food." What we buy, says Pollan, tells producers what we want, and our food dollars can be powerful speakers for change, if wielded properly. Fasso tells the same story; she stresses that consumer power is the path to change, and being an informed consumer is an essential step in the direction of a smarter, better, greener life. And a better world, in fact. Over half of Green Kids focuses on products-the dangers lurking in common goods (from cleaning supplies and lawn care to food and toys), and how to avoid them. If people continue buying conventional pesticides, mildew cleaners, fake neon fruit snacks, and slick plastic toys, producers will continue to feed the demand. We need to wise up, says Fassa, and spend our money in smarter way—and her book is a practical first step in that direction.
Fassa is a realist who says she's not especially "crunchy," and readily admits all the mistakes she's made (on putting in linoleum floors after the birth of her first child: "I thought they'd be great because they're so easy to clean, but you know that weird linoleum smell? Yeah, that's chemicals."). Reading Green Kids won't make you feel like a pariah for letting little Timmy eat a bag of Gushers last week. But you will think twice before buying anything else with Red No.3. The changes she suggests (again, from cleaning supplies to food and entertainment-this woman's got every area covered!) are simple but impactful, and, most importantly, quite feasible.
And you don't just have to take her word for it: Fassa has interspersed guidance from a group of "Green Gurus"—experts who she's met along the way, who have opened her eyes to different elements of green living. Their powers combined, they've made a broad, readable, enjoyable book that educates and empowers.
Here are some bits of green action advice, inspired by Green Kids, Sage Families:
-
Home & Garden:
- Use ladybugs instead of poisonous sprays to kill aphids. It's the way nature intended it—and it's fun for the kids, too.
- Choose smart throwaway items: buy recycled, chlorine-free paper products—toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins.
- Clean surfaces (all except marble) with a 1:3 mixture of vinegar and water. It's cheap, natural, and the scent dissipates immediately.
-
Food:
- Have a family dinner at least once a week, and have the kids take part via a pasta bar (pasta with add-your-own topping options) or make-your-own-sandwich dinner party.
- If the color doesn't occur in nature, it probably isn't real-and it may trigger adverse reactions in your child. Three common food dyes to avoid are Blue No.2, Red No.3, and Yellow No.6.
-
Entertainment:
- Instead of throwing a wasteful, bank-busting birthday party, get creative with at-home options. Consider a pirate party with make-your-own eye patches and a treasure hunt, or a kid Olympics, with races, games, and a healthy dose of outdoor competition.
- Make your own valentines and Halloween costumes. They're great opportunities to bond over a creative project with your kids.
-
School:
- Don't let your green lifestyle stop at home. Speak up, and ask your child's school if they can or will use environmentally friendly cleaning products, serve organic snacks and juices, or encourage art projects that use home items-like egg cartons, milk cartons, and cardboard.
Read more:
Interview with Lynda Fassa
Lynda Fassa's Planet Green Posts
Green Guide: Home & Garden
How to Go Green in the Community
-
- {}
