• Created on 1/3/13 by Keya Chatterjee

We made it through the twelve days of overconsumption!  We received no gifts for ourselves and only two gifts for our two year old our son--  both beautiful books that he will keep and cherish for a long time.  I feel like a Scrooge, but I am always relieved to get through the holiday without a pile of packaging to recycle and another pile of stuff that I know will end up in a landfill within the year.     We didn’t do as well in other areas as we did on reducing our consumption, though, so that means we have lots of room for resolutions and improvements.  I’m... read more

• Created on 3/5/10 by Mothering Editorial

by Sarah J Buckley MD Web Exclusive Excerpted from Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: The wisdom and science of gentle choices in pregnancy, birth, and parenting by Sarah J Buckley MD www.sarahjbuckley.com Is it really possible to raise a baby without diapers? Can our babies actually communicate their elimination needs? Well, how do you know when your baby needs to breastfeed? Perhaps you recognise a certain gesture or cry. Perhaps your baby is restless, fist or finger sucking, or has a newborn's blind rooting behaviour. Maybe you also consider when your baby last fed,... read more

• Created on 4/17/11 by Melanie Mayo

By Heather Cori Rader "Mom, why don't people love the Earf?" asks my son, Jamin. He holds a bag bulging with the trash that he and his dad have picked up from our street. "Because we don't teach our children about reverence," I reply. I smile as he tries the word out for the first time, forming his mouth carefully around the sounds. Reverence doesn't just roll off his tongue - it sounds more like wevewence - but the meaning holds true. I respect Jamin's questions by answering with genuine explanations, even if they are difficult to comprehend or pronounce. In... read more

• Created on 1/26/10 by AdinaL

Years ago before I had kids I was in Boston taking the T with my brother and the turnstile was broken. There was a long line to buy tokens and I didn’t feel like waiting. “Let’s just jump it,” I said impatiently. “Absolutely not,” my brother answered. “If everyone went through a busted turnstile, where would that leave the public transit system? You have to think about the Categorical Imperative.” That was the first time I was introduced to Kant’s concept of the Categorical Imperative. The way my brother explained it, Immanuel Kant believed... read more

• Created on 9/23/10 by Mothering Editorial

By Rob WilliamsIssue 127, November/December 2004You and your children can become more critical media observers (and have fun!) by learning to spot these 11 persuasive techniques commonly used by our media culture's most powerful players.      1. Symbols Persuading through the use of idea-conveyances (such as an American flag on a lapel pin) that associate one thing (a politician) with another (support for his speeches or policies). Symbols are often phrases (“Just Do It”), images (the famous “Earth seen from space” photo), graphic brands (McDonald’s golden arches), or... read more

• Created on 4/5/09 by Mothering Editorial

By Jane McConnell Issue 88, May/June 1998 I have three children in diapers--a nine month old, a two year old, and a four year old who wets at night. In rough numbers, this means our household has changed more than 20,000 dirty diapers in four years. Now, I'm not a glutton for punishment, and like all working mothers I don't have a lot of spare time. But I've chosen cloth diapers over disposables from the beginning. Like breastfeeding and drug-free childbirth, cloth diapering has always seemed to me to be the most "natural" approach. Yet, even in an environmentally... read more

• Created on 3/21/12 by Mothering Editorial

Corey from Celebrate Green! shows which foods make ideal dye for Easter eggs. Click here for step-by-step instructions on the Celebrate Green! blog.  Also check out Fun Upcycled Easter Baskets from the Celebrate Green! team. Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are the mother-daughter co-authors of the book, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. Visit Corey & Lynn at www.CelebrateGreen.net.       read more

• Created on 4/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

I wanted to take some time this week to fill you on the information I have about bamboo! We see this fabric everywhere, but many of you wonder what the rage is? And is it founded? Here are some basic bamboo facts! • Bamboo is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers • Bamboo requires no irrigation • Bamboo rarely needs replanting • Bamboo grows rapidly and can be harvested in 3-5 years • Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen that an equivalent stand of trees • Bamboo is a critical element in the balance of oxygen and... read more

• Created on 4/17/13 by Monica S

I have a 2 yr old. I want solar and wind energy now because I need the 'mid century' climate in 2050 to be to stable enough for him to thrive. That's why this Earth Day, I'm asking everyone to show mamma earth your love by going solar. There's enough sun and wind in the US everyday to power everything we do, and yet special interests try to prevent us from using these renewable sources of energy by painting them as unworkable. The good news is that the special interests are losing. Family by family, community by community, and country by country we have proven... read more

• Created on 2/13/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Elli VillegasIssue 127, November/December 2004 When her daughter, Veronica, was three years old, Margarita Maria Mesa Leal became pregnant with her son, David. She wanted to explain the arrival of a new family member to her little girl and felt the process would be easier with visual aids. Using a plastic doll, she proceeded to explain some of the basics of conception, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. Veronica grew more enthusiastic about being a big sister and one day asked, "Mom, can you make me a little brother for my mother doll?" Margarita, who is from... read more