Eco Child’s Play

Kids are fatter than ever, watch more TV than ever before, and play and use their imagination increasingly less.

This does not bode well for them or our planet.

As Senegalese poet and naturalist Baba Dioum said,

We will protect only what we love, we will love only what we understand, we will understand only what we are taught.

If today’s children do not get outside to play in nature, with nature, they will have little reason or desire to protect the environment when they are adults.

Parents have the power to change this! Inspire play. Make active choices. Make TV the dessert of your child’s at home time, not the main dish.

Children will fight this (especially if they are use to spending the majority of the day in front of the TV).

Fight back!

Fight with patience. Fight with opportunity. Fight with love, knowing that what you are doing is for the good of your child and the planet.

TURN OFF THE TV!

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Sometimes it is hard to get children to do anything more than sitting around watching TV or playing video games. I like to see my kids go outside and play or use their minds for something creative. Derek’s post about wood working projects is great, a fabulous way to inspire a child’s creativity.  In his post Derek said kids love to make things. That is so true and definitely something that can be encouraged easily, even with the little ones. Read the rest of this entry »

Kids love to make things.

My daughter is always asking me “Papa, what can we make? Let’s do a project together.”

Messing about with wood is one of my favorite hobbies. I learned the basics by working with and watching other men build, but even if you’ve never built anything in your life, you can do homeschool woodworking projects together. Here’s a list of online resources to get you started. Read the rest of this entry »

“Oooh… Another floral print diaper bag… with matching pastel changing pad. Just what I wanted!”

Parents need gear.

Diapers, food, toys, changes of clothing, water, wipes - it’s all got to go with you.

Everywhere.

Most baby gear and diaper bags are styled with a mom’s taste in mind, not a dad’s. After recently witnessing some new dads sheepishly carrying cutesy baby bags, I thought I’d share a selection of cool green bags with you. Every one of these is stylish and eco-friendly, made from either repurposed or recycled materials.

Alchemy Goods messenger bag, at right, is made from recycled inner tubes, and features a heavy-duty strap made from recycled seatbelts. Internal pockets abound, and a key clip and zippered pocket keep your valuables safe. Did I mention it’s waterproof as well? An awesome bag from a conscious company. Priced at $168.

The Fellini Pannolini messenger bag is produced in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in a fair-trade partnership with Three Stone Steps. They are made from repurposed outdoor mosquito netting, and are lined with repurposed industrial waterproof tarp. Pannolini means diaper, and this earth-friendly satchel could be your next hip diaper bag for only $75.

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License?

We don’t need no stinking license!

One of the most liberating experiences of homeschooling is the realization that you have the freedom to teach your children according to their own interests, needs, and maturity. It’s way different than a modern cookie-cutter educational style that assumes that physical, emotional, and psychological development are exactly the same for every kid of the same age. As homeschoolers, we can also tailor their education to be in tune with our values and morals, not society’s. That reason is a huge part of why we homeschool.

One of the things I hear from dads that don’t homeschool is while they have an interest in teaching their kids, they feel that because they work outside the home, they don’t have the time for it.

Fathers that work outside the home can still be active participants in their children’s education, even if their time for “homeschool” is limited.

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You know those moments:  your child is on the verge of a meltdown, you’re away from home, out of food, running late, and you’re tired and cranky as well?

They suck, right?

Even seasoned parents get caught off-guard, and we still have moments, but we’re getting better at dealing with it. Beyond bringing water and food with us (plus numerous washcloths and clothes), we try to also have little extras to engage the youngest. Paper and pen, little toys, her doll… But all of those things are familiar to her.

So I have the “papa bag”. Actually the “special papa bag”.

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There are many challenges that stay-at-home dads face. It should go without saying that one of the major battles is keeping one’s self-esteem and confidence high when societal norms have typically only allowed for women to be the primary caretakers of children. Many people still feel that this is the case.

As one father told me just weeks after my own daughter was born, “You have to realize, Levi, you really aren’t that important in the first year. It’s all about mom.” Of course, it makes sense that the bond between mother and baby should be stronger initially than that between the father and baby. As a father, you have not had your child growing inside you and using your body as his or her source of nourishment and as his or her protective home. But I still wonder, is it really fair to say that the first year is all about mom? And what does this mean for stay-at-home dads? Read the rest of this entry »

When decorating or remodeling any room of your home, “green” means using products and materials that include the following characteristics:

1. Are locally manufactured. Buying products manufactured nearby cuts down on the waste of fuel and the emissions that result from transporting goods long distances, and also supports your local economy.

2. Conserve natural resources. These include products that are made from rapidly renewable materials generally produced from agricultural crops, such as organic cotton, wool, sisal, cork, and bamboo, and products made from wood derived from certified well-managed forests. Examples include cork and bamboo flooring.

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A comedian said “It used to be an entertainment center. Now it’s a juice bar.” Boobies and babies and breastmilk will take over your life, so make it fun and enjoyable for all of you. Just don’t ask for cream for your coffee…

Making the change from just the two of you to a threesome can be challenging, but when you see your partner contentedly nursing, and your child peacefully sleeping on her lap, it’s fulfilling as well.

Breastfeeding is an integral part of natural or attachment parenting. Fathers can support their partners and babies by being in touch with their needs and meeting them in a mindful way. Read the rest of this entry »

Home school is always in.

When we first began our oldest daughter’s homeschool education, we thought that we needed to have a full curriculum and study guides and other “teaching” materials before we could really “teach” her at home.

We borrowed a friend’s homeschool curriculum and started exploring what that meant. The materials consisted of teaching guides for different subjects (math, english, science, history), instructions for games that inspired cooperation, materials lists, workbooks, and so on. School stuff, right? You need school stuff to teach, right?

To a non-teacher like myself, it was daunting to look at this pile of material and think that we would need to read ahead, prepare every lesson, and to have to actually know all of this stuff. And only then we could we teach it to our kids.

I was way off base. Read the rest of this entry »