These books to help greener parents are not preachy at all. They are all real-world, packed with advice that any busy parent can take on board, whether in small doses or a complete life makeover. There’s nothing worse than a preachy environmentalist, but let these fun books inspire you to do your bit for the planet, as you raise your little ones.
Avoid nuts, seeds and nut/seed butters for young children. Cut carrot sticks & veggie hot dogs lengthwise then again, to avoid choking. Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and near pets/children. For recipes, see foods to avoid near pets. For beauty/cleaning recipes, avoid essential oils near pets or children, pregnancy/breastfeeding. See make your garden safe for pets to know toxic plants & other items to avoid near animals.
- The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting is by Jen Gale, who says as a parent, getting out of the house with everyone wearing shoes (on a good day) feels like winning, so ‘being green’ can be never-ending-to-do list to bring all spinning gates crashing to the ground. This book has easy ideas to pick and choose from, to try out and adapt, plus buckets of encouragement, as you explore what works for you and your family.
- The New Parents’ Survival Guide is not green per-se, but a good little book packed with easy advice for raising new children. By taking some of the stress out of conventional parenting, leaves you time and energy to look into more sustainable ways of living. Includes tips on breastfeeding, soothing crying babies, baby sleep tips, managing minor ailments and self-care for mums and dads.
- The No-Nonsense Guide to Green Parenting is dedicating to free-range children, getting them outdoors to forage for dinner, learn about plants and make eco-decisions around the home. For 0 to 10 year olds.
Growing Sustainable Together shows how to teach children kindness, compassion, resilience and grit, with tips on how to raise children in a zero waste household, using green energy, better transport, and developing a lifelong love for environmental activism and volunteering.