As a mom of three girls, 11, 9 and 6, I think a lot about
parenting mindfully on a
finite planet. I think about what we engage in and what it conveys to my girls
about the earth’s resources. And as we seek summertime adventures, I think
about what we leave in our wake.
I’m also really, really cheap.
Thankfully, being environmentally conscious and cheap go
hand in hand. There’s plenty for families to do that’s inexpensive or free
even, and easy on the planet.
From early June well into fall, we visit area U-pick farms
for strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines and apples. We
pack lunches (in reusable containers) and picnic blankets, intent on spending
the day at whatever farm we’re visiting.
I love this excursion for many reasons. One, I want my girls
to understand food is seasonal and to be inquisitive as to how it appears year
round in grocery stores. Two, it’s important to develop gratitude for what we
have easy access to. When we see piles of fruit stacked in grocery stores, we
can recall how we picked our bucketfulls one berry at a time. Three, we’re
outside and active. Four, it’s purposeful activity. We’re taking home pounds of
fruit that we will later can, freeze, share and cook with. Five, it’s less
expensive than store bought fruit. Six, I’m supporting local farmers which
helps the local economy. Seven, we’re reducing our family’s carbon footprint by
noshing all year long on fruit we’ve picked in the summer.
We also participate in the public library summer reading program, which offers
incentives to get kids into books during the summer. They can even earn Royals’
tickets. Since we’re already readers, this is an easy sell to my girls. It
helps structure our day when we have a set reading time, although we often linger
on in our respective books.
Nothing beats munching on fruit we’ve picked while reading
on a blanket outside under a shady tree.
We also take advantage of the free family friendly
activities the Missouri Department of Conservation offers. Ranging from
guided hikes and fishing to Hunger Games
like pursuits, kids can build birdhouses develop basic camping skills and learn
about this amazing planet that sustains us. What’s most enjoyable about these
excursions is discovering area parks and conservation sites. It was at one of
these events we learned how to make seed bombs. A
year later, we made our own seed bombs with friends to give as birthday party
favors.
As you may have picked up, we spend a lot of time outside in
the summer. Even when we’re home I’m pushing my kids out the door. Outside
there are bikes, skateboards and scooters to ride. There are forts and fairy
houses to build, dance routines to create, soccer to be played, secret
passageways through backyards to find. There’s even a neighbor with ducks to
feed or just observe. Outside there are porches and decks to scale, a swing to
practice aerial arts skills on. There are fireflies, grasshoppers and rolly
pollies to catch. And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the vegetable garden
for weeding and nibbling from.
The cost to your pocketbook and the planet? Minimal. The
benefit? Your children develop their creativity, resourcefulness and
negotiation skills.
Spending all this time outside requires a little protection
from creepy crawlies. After a bit of research and experimenting, I started
making our own bug spray:
These essential oils are known to repel mosquitoes, fleas,
chiggers, ticks and other biting insects:
Catnip
Cedar
Cinnamon leaf
Citronella
Eucalyptus
Lavender
Lemongrass
Neem
Peppermint
Tea tree
Vanilla
Put 7-10 drops of each* in a reusable spray bottle. It’s
best to use a glass bottle since plastic leeches and can compromise the oils. Add
about 2 cups of witch hazel, rubbing alcohol or vodka. Shake well. I recommend spraying this wonderful smelling
solution directly on skin, avoiding contact with clothing because the oils may
stain. Reapply every 2-3 hours, shaking first before each use.
* This is an ever-growing list of oils. Don’t feel like you
have to include every single one; I just wanted to provide options. A
combination of several will do the trick.
Another benefit of having these ingredients around is that
they remedy bug bites and sunburns. It’s also useful to stock up on aloe vera, honey,
apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Any of those applied topically alleviate
skin irritation from burns and bites.
I love experimenting with the above. As I apply honey on my
daughter’s sunburn, we can talk about where honey comes from. That leads to
exploring what we ought to plant to help bees or what we ought to avoid
purchasing to protect bees. It’s also empowering to my daughters because they
can apply the bug spray and home remedies themselves since they are nontoxic to
people and the planet.
That may be the biggest adventure of all: how to summer with
kids while being light on the planet. It’s what we’re leaving in our wake.
