Annette Cable BY MELISSA FLORER-BIXLER here is nothing like welcoming a child into our lives to remind us of our created-ness. Life as a human is sustained with food grown in dirt, and ends with our bodies returning to the dirt. Everything we are made of, down to the very stuff that forms arms, teeth and organs, begins with sun meeting seed meeting soil.As new life initiated into this mystery, children link us back to the messiness and vulnerability of the world God created. With each of us so dependent upon a swiftly decaying planet, children also remind us of the peril we face.As climate change fluctuates, it is our care of God’s creation that will affect how the earth continues to support our progeny when we are no longer here. It is for this reason that welcoming children presents an important opportunity to examine the ways in T which our consumption impacts the health of the earth, and how our use and care of God’s realm can be an opportunity for worship. A New Way In a society defined by excess consumption and instant gratification, children born in the twenty-first century come with the potential to leave a deep ecological footprint. In one year, the average child will go through 2,620 disposable diapers at an average of seven diapers a day. Many families will spend thousands of dollars on highly processed, canned baby food grown on land poisoned by pesticides. Plastic toys will pile up, destined to remain forever in a landfill. Behind the production of all of this are January/February 2010 15 workers who labor in life-threatening conditions for a frighteningly low wage. The good news is that there are creative and exciting ways to grow and nurture children that can also bring health and healing to a broken planet. In the process, these practices present an opportunity to educate our children in simplicity. What many families don’t know is that alternatives to presumably “normal” contemporary parenting practices not only reduce waste but can also significantly trim a budget.These alternatives are opportunities for growth in the lives of our children and our communities.The following are some simple ways families can honor God through honoring God’s creation. Get Right; Get Alternatives Because we live in a culture where the instantaneous drain of resources and over-consumption are considered the norm, it’s hard to adjust to the fact that, for Christians, gluttony is a sin.This can be an even harder lesson when it comes to our children.Too often the insidious voice of success whispers that the newest toy, DVD, preschool or camp is going to make our child the best. 16 It may be time to say no to the temptation for another flashy toy— one that is meant to break after a month of rough play so that we’ll go out and buy another. Instead, we should consider investing in long-lasting toys that will hold our children’s attention over time rather than being discarded after months or sometimes only days. These “heirloom toys”—wooden puzzles, natural fiber dolls, a kitchen set, an easel and other art project supplies—are made and meant to last for generations, or to degrade naturally. Relative Simplicity We also must recognize that keeping toys at bay often is literally out of our control. Grandparents and doting relatives are the kind culprits who add to our clutter. I have a friend who handled giftgiving situations by allowing her children to keep only ten toys at a time. Each birthday and present-giving holiday, her daughters laid out all their toys and were allowed to keep their favorites. Sometimes new presents didn’t make the cut. Her relatives quickly learned that one heirloom gift or much sought-after doll was a better choice than 50 presents that held less interest. Inviting relatives into this way of life can be a great opportunity for growth for everyone.Another approach is to suggest alternatives to material gifts.A trip to the zoo with grandma or a special tea date with daddy is a relational gift that builds memories and encourages bonding. Kindermusik, toddler fitness class, infant swim, teen yoga and summer camp are presents that will provide some much needed respite for parents and create exciting and happy memories for all. Reuse and Resell Toys are not the only products that we tend to amass—clothes also seem to turn up in excess.To a certain extent the ingathering of these items simply can’t be helped.The first two years of a child’s life are a continuous growth spurt and each new season and inch requires a new type of clothing and a new, larger pair of shoes. Before long, it can feel like you have the items to outfit an army of babies. But there is no reason to despair! You can cut down on the cost both financially and ecologically by buying clothing second-hand. One place to find children’s clothes, (and toys), is the local consignment sale.These community events, held in almost every city and suburb, are a place to find exceptionally cheap, often barely used items. Not only can caregivers sell what they no longer use, they can purchase everything for a particular season for a remarkably low price. For each new stage of growth, I can outfit my daughter for around $60.Toys that she liked for a moment or not at all go back to the sale a few months later. Online sites like Freecycle and Craigslist also are treasure troves for inexpensive items for babies.While for safety reasons it’s best to only buy car seats and cribs new, exersaucers, strollers, clothes, bottles, changing tables, dressers, toddler beds and slings are in abundance on these websites. Every time something is reused by another family, the cost of the energy, materials and labor used to make that item is cut in half.You can dramatically reduce your family’s carbon footprint through buying this way. Cloth Diapers Forgoing disposable diapers is one of the best ways to reduce the waste output associated with a new baby. In my experience, two factors usually hold parents back from this choice: the potential inconvenience and a fear that cloth won’t work. Parents today can put those fears to rest. Cloth diapers of our parents’ age, leaky rubber pants and safety pins, are things of the past.Today there are a number of cloth diapering options that are effective and easy to use. One option is the all-in-one, an absorbent layer sewn into a soft shell. Some all-inones have snaps so that the diaper adjusts to the size of your baby.This type of diaper doesn’t require that you buy new sizes as your child grows.Another option is a diaper that has a breathable shell over a soft, fitted cloth diaper. None of these diapers require presoaking; just dump any solids, store the soiled diapers in a plastic pale, and launder them within two days.While start-up costs for cloth diapers, which range from $14 to $20 per diaper may seem exorbitant, keeping a child in cloth for even six months saves $200. Putting two children in cloth diapers, each for one year will keep 10,220 disposable diapers from landfills and will save $800. You can reduce the initial cost by asking for diapers as baby shower Learn More! Wholesomebabyfood.com is a free resource full of ageappropriate baby food recipes. The Simply in Season books and study guide can be found at www.worldcommunity cookbook.org. gifts and birthday presents. Rather than accumulating infant onesies, ask your church or work group to throw a “diaper shower” instead. Most parents try to buy between twelve and twenty cloth diapers. The caveat with cloth diapers goes to people living in desert regions or in areas where energy is expensive or rationed. In these cases, G Diapers—a disposable that biodegrades in the toilet—may be a better option. Priced to cost about the same as a regular disposable diaper, these diapers are a great alternative for those in regions or life situations where cloth diapering simply is not an option. Homemade Baby Food Another easy way to simultaneously trim a budget and take a step toward ecologically-conscious parenting is to make your own baby food. Making baby food is as simple as cooking, mashing and blending. Put the food in ice cube trays.The frozen blocks easily can be reheated. You can extend this practice of creation care by purchasing locally—a practice that supports neighborhood farmers and dramatically reduces the oil expenditure of shipping food from other countries. Farmers markets are excellent places to build your food network, January/February 2010 17 as are community supported agriculture programs. Buyers should be conscientious about food choices based on geography. A new cookbook from the Mennonite Central Committee, Simply in Season, is a helpful guide to recognizing what’s available each season and how to cook with what’s growing now.A young person’s version, Simply in Season for Kids, can help you introduce your little ones to thinking about food seasonally. d Care and Worship At their inception, God called people to care for creation. In many ways, we have lost sight of this first command to “till . . . and keep” the earth (Gen. 2:15).We have drifted further and further from the source of our food, and, as soon as our waste is out of sight, it is out of mind.The evidence of our consumption is tucked Melissa Florer-Bixler lives with her family in Northern Virginia. She is in the home full time with her high-energy toddler and sometimes finds time to edit and write. Resources Living Simply with Children: Voluntary Simplicity Guide for Moms, Dads, and Kids Who Want to Reclaim the Bliss of Childhood and the Joy of Parenting By Maria Sherlock New York: Three Rivers, 2003 Balancing parents’ and children’s need in an over-scheduled world can be next to impossible.This book offers realistic suggestions for how to scale back and/or how to make sure the activities you do choose have the best impact on your family. The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections By Amanda Blake Soule Boston: Shambhala, 2008 Calling for only your creativity, objects from your household and nature, and a few basic art supplies,Amanda Soule offers suggestions on projects that will entertain your children and strengthen 18 neatly away, only to be discovered by future generations. Instead of acquiescing to this trend of neglect and denial, Christians are called to be builders of a kingdom, a kingdom that is coming into being within God’s creation.While diapers and baby food may seem like small acts, this is really the heart of the matter, the righteous quotidian of faith. your relationship with them. Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference: Helping Your Family Live With Integrity, Value Simplicity, and Care for Others By Susan Vogt Chicago: Loyola, 2002 This parenting book addresses not only simple living, but intertwines it with spirituality, diversity, care for the environment, peace and how to care for others. Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids By Kim John Payne New York: Random House, 2009 Kim John Payne offers suggestions for how to scale back busy lives and cluttered houses to aid in raising children who are focused and grateful.