I’m sure you’ve noticed. Becoming a mom seems to make you the world’s biggest magnet for advice. From what to feed the kids, to how to get them to sleep, to where they should go to school - it seems like everyone has a lot of ideas, and usually conflicting ones, on what you should do and how you should do it.

You may also have noticed that remarkably little of this advice has anything to do with your impact on the planet. Much of it is routed in traditions that formed long before we calculated our carbon footprints and fretted about the recycled content of our baby wipes. If you had asked my Mom about what it meant to be a Green Mom, she would have assumed that you got too close to a dirty diaper and weren’t feeling so well.

The funny thing is that the green answers also seem to be routed in tradition. Looking back to simpler times, we’re choosing things with fewer, more natural ingredients, from around the corner not across the globe. Right now, manufacturers are struggling with how to provide the conveniences that we’ve become accustomed to, without the nasty impacts that they’re having on the planet.

When you embark on parenthood, I don’t think you ever really know what you’re getting yourself in for. But now the world’s toughest job just got a little tougher. Not only am I elbow-deep in dirty diapers and fretting about whether I’m doing the important mom stuff right, I’m worried about the impact that it’s having on the planet.

When I first started thinking about this, the options were few and far between, REALLY expensive, and many of them were pretty disappointing. I can’t tell you how many green products I have bought that cost twice what the regular version did, and either didn’t work or smelled like…. well, not so good.

But the job is getting easier on all fronts. Not only am I officially done with diapers as of last month (YAY!), but more and more options and information are coming our way every day. I even noticed huge changes in the marketplace from my first child to my second, in terms of product selection, availability and price.

Over the years, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time researching what’s green, what’s safe and what works. I’m hardly perfect, but I’ve tried to strike a balance between what’s healthy, what’s good for the planet, and what’s doable in our crazy, hectic schedule.

Looking forward, we’ll explore all aspects of Green Mom-dom, from food, to clothes, to travel and beyond. And how to do this without breaking the bank or adding three more hours to your day (although if anyone knows how to do this, I’m ALL ears). I hope this blog will make your life a little easier and a little greener. I look forward to your questions and ideas.

(Check out the Green Cricket.ca Baby page)

- Katie Altoft

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