5 Green Parenting Tips

There are many reasons for adopting a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle, not the least of which is that it is usually healthier for you and your family . On a larger scale, "going green" can have a significant impact on the well-being of the Earth as a whole.

With limited resources available on Earth, we need to watch our usage. We must become more ecologically-minded and preserve precious resources in order to leave the world in a state that can sustain our grandchildren, which is probably why “Green Parenting” has become such a hot trend.

Going green doesn't have to be a major ordeal. In fact, it is best to take baby steps- one or two steps at a time. The deeper you get into green living the more you will see that there are infinite things that we can do, both big and small, to improve our environment.

That being said, it is easy to become overwhelmed, but don't worry - just do as much as you can, and remember that every little bit helps!

Here are five small steps that you can take right now to raise a healthy Ecobaby:

1. Organic Foods: Thanks to the growing popularity of organic foods, it is increasingly easy to find organic options for your baby. In many supermarkets you can find organic fruits and vegetables, organic cereals, and other baby staples. Or, if you are adventurous enough, you could opt to grow your own!

2. Household Cleaners: Having a baby makes you realize how many chemicals there are in the home. Chemical-laded cleaners can easily be replaced by environmentally-friendly cleaners that are better for the world and your baby's skin- a few notable products being Simple Green and Borax. GreenerChoices.Org even provides some great recipes for making your own cleaning products.

3. Diapers: There are two green options in diapers: cloth and organic/unbleached. Cloth diapers work really well but they can be too much of a mess or too complicated for many people. Luckily, you can now get affordable organic diapers that require fewer chemicals to produce, thus reducing overall stress on the Earth.

4. Milk: If you can, breast feed your child for as long as possible. Your milk is the best source of nutrients and anti-bodies for your child and in terms of environmentalism and your wallet, is the ultimate way to go. Of course, if you cannot breast feed for any reason, then you can still purchase organic baby formula, which will cut down on the chemicals and hormones in your baby's milk while reducing the impact on the environment.

5. Recycle Gift Packaging: Chances are, as the parent of a new baby, you and your baby wil receive a lot of gifts. These gifts will probably comes wrapped in cardboard, paper and plastic materials that can all be recycled. You should consider saving the nice gift bags and ribbons to wrap future presents, and recycle everything else.

As more people adopt a greener lifestyle, we are seeing more and more organic and environmentally-sound products in local supermarkets and even stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Keep your eyes open, and you'll realize that raising a green baby doesn't have to be a struggle.