Green Baby
The new color when talking about baby registries is not pink or blue-- it's green! Green refers to not a color, but an environmental movement that sparking new parents to look at every item on their registry in terms of its environmental impact and safety.
Many factors contribute to this green parenting philosophy. Today's new parents grew up with a substantial amount of environmental education in school and are now turning it into a lifestyle. They learned about the impact of disposable diapers in landfills and how long it may take for them to decompose. They recently heard the news stories of the problems with plastics, from baby bottles to baby toys. And in most cases, being green can also save you some green. First and foremost, going completely green is a huge undertaking. With a few baby steps and a green–stocked registry, you and your baby will be ready for a green life.
Clothe Baby’s Bottom in Cloth
One way to save money and make a huge impact on the environment when caring for baby is using cloth diapers instead of disposables. There are many different kinds and brands that, amazingly, are not difficult to use or wash. The average family spends $3,000-$4,000 on disposable diapers in their child's diapering years. Environmentally speaking, these diapers will take an estimated 500 years to decompose. Additionally, it takes huge amounts of resources to produce disposable diapers, including wood pulp and plastic during their manufacturing, not to mention the chemicals used in bleaching and creating the absorbency. Cloth diapering can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of diapering dollars, help save the planet, and keep your baby's bum away from potentially harmful chemicals.
Go All-Natural
Non-toxic, organic and eco-friendly are keywords parents look for in specific green baby items. These terms mean the item is in its natural state, does not have a negative impact on the environment, and is grown or manufactured free of toxic chemicals. Baby clothing, bedding, mattresses, toys and bottles are important items to consider when looking for the safest, most natural products for baby. All plastic toys and bottles should be PBA (Bisphenol-A), Phthalate and PVC-free, as well as lead free. These chemicals and metals are harmful to babies and children developmentally, cognitively and hormonally. Wooden, cloth and knit toys are a great alternative to plastic toys. Wood toys stained with a natural vegetable or fruit dye pose no danger when put into a teething tot’s mouth.
Bath washes, lotions and potions should all be made with organic ingredients, be paraben and sulfate free, have no artificial colors, and have no synthetic fragrances. Baby's skin is sensitive, so following these guidelines when purchasing your baby skin care and bath products will reduce the risk of rashes and skin outbreaks.
Time to Shop!
Okay, so now you know the basics of creating your green registry. Next step: what to register for, and what to dismiss. Now the fun begins; choosing among the millions of available products you want on your registry. Before you just run out and start to register, you should really do some homework on different products. Talk to friends, go on-line, and even look in magazines.
One place to start a possible registry is at one of your local box chain stores. They now have many of the standard baby necessities in a limited organic version. Other places to go to create a registry are a local natural baby boutique near you, or on-line at many great stores that offer your entire organic and eco-friendly baby needs in one place. Most on-line stores will help you register, keep track of your registry, ship your gifts and even personally assist your guests with selecting their purchases.
Your personal choices in baby necessities have never been easier to register for. Do your homework, make your selections and then find a store that can meet all your organic, eco-friendly needs. A green registry is something you and your baby can really feel good about.