I recently had the pleasure of reading The Green Parent by Jenn Savedge. This is one of the few books out there aimed directly at parents and how to raise kids that appreciate and understand eco friendly living. The size of the book is small but it is jammed packed with good information and tips of greener living for families.
I really like the format. It would briefly explain why we need to be concerned about various environmental threats and then it was long on suggestions for what you can do in your home and there were quite a few ideas I had never thought of. I have read MANY green theme books and this one kept my interest and was enjoyable to read.
It really takes you on a home and life tour and goes over all the ways you can make changes from water usage to home renovation materials and eco vacations. It really covered a large number of topics all the while showing how we can gets kids enthusiastic about these practices too. Fun activities such as how to start a “light patrol,” how to make a “waste-free” school lunch, and how to build a “green” bird house will help kids start to understand how important a green lifestyle is. The charts in the book where also very helpful for quick reference. I also loved the interviews with various green living experts.
For families looking for a good introduction and a clear idea of how to “go green” this is your best bet…very easy to read and very motivating. It is short on long and windy speeches and long on good and useful tips. Green parents want to raise green kids…
I am going to have to check this book out of my library. I hadn’t heard of it before reading your review, but it sounds interesting. From your description, it sounds like it might be similar to Marie Sherlock’s Living Simply with Children. I enjoyed that book, too!
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Thnaks for the post…I will have to check this book out!
Thanks for the recommendation I will definitely look in to it. I have been trying to teach the kiddos but so far nothing has stuck I hope this will help :)
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Sounds like a great book!!! What a great way to help teach the younger or older ones about awareness all around us!!
Sounds great! definitely going to be putting this on my amazon list!
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I think the best way to teach children is to lead by example. I have mine empty the greens into the compost and turn it once a week. Same with the recylcables. This year they will learn how to grow a garden (organic one) I will check the book out b/c I “heart” bird house and “bird feeders” That sounds like a craft I can get into!
I’ve definitely got to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog!! I am a first time mom of a 5 month old daughter and you offer so many wonderful, natural and healthy tips and ideas. I have you linked on my blog…as it is one that I definitely wanted to share with others and visit often.
I thoroughly enjoy your blog,and appreciate your help in getting my own going!I am just beginning my journey in natural living,I look forward to reading “The Green Parent”,and making positive changes.You are a brave soul posting your before pics! I will do the same.Good Luck!
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I’m curious – were a lot of the tips simple to implement, or was it the kind of book where the tips were fairly extreme and not terribly efficient (in terms of time spent). I’ve seen books that go both ways, and I always feel a little cheated when I get one where the tips are so impractical that you can’t really benefit from the ideas.
I’d love for you to share a link to this post or your blog on my blog (http://www.goodiesformom.com) under my post “Share Your Thoughts for a Greener World”. We are having an Earth Day Celebration through 4/22 trying to help bring green to everyday people. This would be a great addition.
Lois
Earth Day is a pagan holiday. I have taught my four kids to ignore the green propaganda that they are fed in school.