Now I will be grossing people out shortly... actually I should say person because I know of only one person who actually reads this thread (HI!!!!!). A while ago, after I had Daniel, as I was contemplating how to reduce the throwing away of things in my life... I discovered... MOONCUPS. Mooncups are receptacles for catching menstrual flow that are resuable. They are easy to use. Nicer to use. Comfortable. Not nearly as scary as they look ;). And then I discovered cloth pads as well. Now most women I have spoken to IRL are completely and utterly grossed out by the idea... but trust me on this one, once you try a cloth pad, with a nice soft lining on it (not unlike the cloth nappies, check out our other blogs) you will never want to go back to horrible, sticky, chaffing, bleurgh disposables. Trust me.
My friend Lou sells mooncups... www.bellybeyond.co.nz She is lovely so check out her site.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Hope
I had an interesting discussion with someone I know the other day. We were discussing some of the issues that come up at local schools, the problem children, their parents, violence, crime and all of that. I'd been reading some information that has indicated that researchers have found that antisocial behaviour and those sort of tendencies are coming through from age 3. The solution would be to intervene in the home, preschool, and school and see if therapy and help then would prevent the children going off the rails later in life. So I said as much, suggesting that parenting courses, equipping schools and teachers, getting families into supportive and proactive system with social workers and other support networks might actually help some people to get a handle on their parenting, to make life changes that would benefit their families... and the response I got back was that it wouldn't work. That people don't think they have a problem so it wouldn't help. Why bother.
I got thinking later and while some of that is probably true, I still believe that if you treat people like they are worth something, support them where they are at and help them to carve a life out for their children regardless of where they have come from, then maybe there is the chance that things will change. And maybe not everyone would change, but lets think. Say you support 5 families with parenting support, school stuff etc. One of the families implements the strategies and they turn things around and start changing. They had three children, who go on to have three children each... suddenly you have 12 children who have benefited from that input at an early age. And the cycle is broken and reborn. Support 100 families with the same uptake and you have 20 familes who change... 60 children... 180 children... there is so much potential in even the smallest numbers!
I refuse to think that change isn't possible. I have to believe that there is hope for those children who get sent to school with no food. I have to believe that someone cares enough to do something about it rather than just shake heads and talk about how terrible it is. I have hope that change will happen. And lets not forget the God factor. Maybe people can't change on their own, but throw God in the mix and amazing things can happen. The Spirit of God can be found anywhere and everywhere. We should not be arrogant enough to think that the Spirit only resides within us or within our church building. And rather than shaking our heads at our terrible the world is, we need to move from our comfortable (yeah right) pew/home/situation and start working in the real world and living the gospel. There is a reason why Jesus said "Blessed are the poor..."
I got thinking later and while some of that is probably true, I still believe that if you treat people like they are worth something, support them where they are at and help them to carve a life out for their children regardless of where they have come from, then maybe there is the chance that things will change. And maybe not everyone would change, but lets think. Say you support 5 families with parenting support, school stuff etc. One of the families implements the strategies and they turn things around and start changing. They had three children, who go on to have three children each... suddenly you have 12 children who have benefited from that input at an early age. And the cycle is broken and reborn. Support 100 families with the same uptake and you have 20 familes who change... 60 children... 180 children... there is so much potential in even the smallest numbers!
I refuse to think that change isn't possible. I have to believe that there is hope for those children who get sent to school with no food. I have to believe that someone cares enough to do something about it rather than just shake heads and talk about how terrible it is. I have hope that change will happen. And lets not forget the God factor. Maybe people can't change on their own, but throw God in the mix and amazing things can happen. The Spirit of God can be found anywhere and everywhere. We should not be arrogant enough to think that the Spirit only resides within us or within our church building. And rather than shaking our heads at our terrible the world is, we need to move from our comfortable (yeah right) pew/home/situation and start working in the real world and living the gospel. There is a reason why Jesus said "Blessed are the poor..."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Parenting
I admit I didn’t know much about parenting when I had Daniel. And all I knew was what I had been raised with (and lets face it, I don’t remember a lot of it although its probably in there somewhere). And I approached parenting the way I have approached everything else in my life… by reading a book! In this case I firstly read Babywise, having been told by well meaning Christian friends that it was very good. Having read it with no experience of having children I thought it was great, I would be raising children on a schedule and they will know who’s in charge…
The reality of parenting is quite different. Two weeks into mummy-hood I was sitting there on the couch crying because my son would not fit into the schedule written in the book. He cried in his cot, he never woke up at the same time. He would be hungry before the magic three hour mark… I read a few other books that were more gentle (and respectful) in their approach and realised that I had to get to know my baby. So I did. I fed him when he wanted to be fed (did a dream feed cos that helped me), I cuddled him and rocked him in his cot if he didn’t settle. I stopped freaking out if he fell asleep at my breast. My husband suggested I throw away the book cos it wasn’t being a mummy that was causing the problem… it was the book!
I discovered that some parenting philosophies don’t work for me. And that the gift of parenting is that we have been given an instinct and need to trust it. Even now, when my son cries we go to him because we know that he is crying for a reason… is he teething, hot, cold or just awake. More often than not he doesn’t even need me but I can give him a back rub and he rolls over, cuddles into his dog and settles. And luckily for Caitlin she can reap the benefit from my experience too. They always say the first child is the practice one lol. I won't leave Caitlin to 'cry-it-out'. When she is crying she is telling me something, and at the moment, with no grown up person language skills, its the best she's got so I should really listen.
A lot of the parenting advice kind of pits the parents against their children. Like we are in some sort of struggle. And to tell the truth some things are a struggle as you try and guide your little person through life and teach them the ways of the world. But children are not here to be controlled or managed, but grown and loved. I would like to have control some days, to have things happen as I want them to but I am kidding myself that it will work. What I can do is hope that the way we are raising our children will give them the necessary skills to live in the world and as they move further away from us that they know that they are always loved.
I've since read books called “The No Cry Sleep Solution” and “Grace based Parenting”. The great thing about living in todays world is that there IS a book for everything!
The reality of parenting is quite different. Two weeks into mummy-hood I was sitting there on the couch crying because my son would not fit into the schedule written in the book. He cried in his cot, he never woke up at the same time. He would be hungry before the magic three hour mark… I read a few other books that were more gentle (and respectful) in their approach and realised that I had to get to know my baby. So I did. I fed him when he wanted to be fed (did a dream feed cos that helped me), I cuddled him and rocked him in his cot if he didn’t settle. I stopped freaking out if he fell asleep at my breast. My husband suggested I throw away the book cos it wasn’t being a mummy that was causing the problem… it was the book!
I discovered that some parenting philosophies don’t work for me. And that the gift of parenting is that we have been given an instinct and need to trust it. Even now, when my son cries we go to him because we know that he is crying for a reason… is he teething, hot, cold or just awake. More often than not he doesn’t even need me but I can give him a back rub and he rolls over, cuddles into his dog and settles. And luckily for Caitlin she can reap the benefit from my experience too. They always say the first child is the practice one lol. I won't leave Caitlin to 'cry-it-out'. When she is crying she is telling me something, and at the moment, with no grown up person language skills, its the best she's got so I should really listen.
A lot of the parenting advice kind of pits the parents against their children. Like we are in some sort of struggle. And to tell the truth some things are a struggle as you try and guide your little person through life and teach them the ways of the world. But children are not here to be controlled or managed, but grown and loved. I would like to have control some days, to have things happen as I want them to but I am kidding myself that it will work. What I can do is hope that the way we are raising our children will give them the necessary skills to live in the world and as they move further away from us that they know that they are always loved.
I've since read books called “The No Cry Sleep Solution” and “Grace based Parenting”. The great thing about living in todays world is that there IS a book for everything!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Nappies
Its ironic that in the last sentence I was writing about how much I had and then I start to write about buying more things. However in my defence, and in protection of my carpet, I would say that nappies are essential when raising a child (unless you do elimination communication and I am not even going to go there). And although it involved getting more things, using cloth eliminates the throw away part of the whole deal.
We are a disposable generation. We think nothing of the packaging, the chocolate biscuits lying in plastic casing encased in plastic wrap. We think nothing of throwing out our old appliance when it stops working and buying a new one at half price at Briscoes in the “our owners MIL’s dogs birthday sale”.
My foray (well addiction if I am to be perfectly honest) into cloth nappies opened up a world for me. I have found people who run their business from home, who make their own nappies, who have the same concerns I do regarding living sustainably. Daniel and now Caitlin's little bottom now wiggles its way in the world covered in lime green or red nappies. He carries his wet nappies to the laundry and pops them into the nappy basket and he flings the clean ones off the sofa when I am folding the washing. He takes the nappy off his teddy and tries to put it on again. There is soft material against his skin. They look gorgeous on the line. Caitlin will soon be sporting her own set of brand new cloth nappies as she outgrows the small ones.
I am sure many people are rolling their eyes at the moment as they read this. Maybe its because life as a SAHM can sometimes get a bit monotonous so I have to find something that is fun? I don’t know. I know when I wanted to use nappies, it was years before we had Daniel and I was talking to a woman I vaguely knew from work, on the train, and she was pregnant and telling me that you could get cloth nappies at this shop in town that were just as good as disposables but reusable. When I got pregnant I did some internet searching (some, hehehehe, I spent hours) and found a whole new world. It took some sorting to find what I thought would work for us. Dion, being a good and loyal husband gave me leave to choose what I like because I knew more about the baby thing than he did. I should add that I didn’t really know anymore than him, except what I had read. I changed my mind several times but now, 30 months on and about 900 washes later, my nappies are still going strong and so am I.
So cloth nappies kind of started it.
Even before nappies though things happened that kind of forced us to take a look at how we lived. I mean, you can’t go spending several hundred dollars at the supermarket when you only get several hundred dollars a week. As my working hours declined, my cooking from scratch hours increased. We don’t buy biscuits, cakes, chips (well rarely) or fresh pasta. We don’t buy as many luxuries because I can make them and they taste good. Fruit bread or buns? Breadmaker. Cheap but really flash pasta meal – make the pasta. Need to bring something… banana cake or chocolate brownie. Need to stretch the meal? Breadmaker again. And with the cost of living increasing then it makes even more sense.
I recently read a post about a woman who spent $85 a week on her child at the supermarket. Her child is about 8 months old. When Daniel was that old he went through a “only eat canned cereal phase” which cost us $7 a week, plus maybe another $7 for the custard he loved. That is all. Cloth nappies are already there, cloth wipes, breastfeeding, all of that reduced our costs in having a child. If I had to buy nappies over and over again I would spend a minimum of $20, which makes about $2500 for the same length of time… even if the net result on the earth is the same I am still saving money… that has got to be a good thing.
We are a disposable generation. We think nothing of the packaging, the chocolate biscuits lying in plastic casing encased in plastic wrap. We think nothing of throwing out our old appliance when it stops working and buying a new one at half price at Briscoes in the “our owners MIL’s dogs birthday sale”.
My foray (well addiction if I am to be perfectly honest) into cloth nappies opened up a world for me. I have found people who run their business from home, who make their own nappies, who have the same concerns I do regarding living sustainably. Daniel and now Caitlin's little bottom now wiggles its way in the world covered in lime green or red nappies. He carries his wet nappies to the laundry and pops them into the nappy basket and he flings the clean ones off the sofa when I am folding the washing. He takes the nappy off his teddy and tries to put it on again. There is soft material against his skin. They look gorgeous on the line. Caitlin will soon be sporting her own set of brand new cloth nappies as she outgrows the small ones.
I am sure many people are rolling their eyes at the moment as they read this. Maybe its because life as a SAHM can sometimes get a bit monotonous so I have to find something that is fun? I don’t know. I know when I wanted to use nappies, it was years before we had Daniel and I was talking to a woman I vaguely knew from work, on the train, and she was pregnant and telling me that you could get cloth nappies at this shop in town that were just as good as disposables but reusable. When I got pregnant I did some internet searching (some, hehehehe, I spent hours) and found a whole new world. It took some sorting to find what I thought would work for us. Dion, being a good and loyal husband gave me leave to choose what I like because I knew more about the baby thing than he did. I should add that I didn’t really know anymore than him, except what I had read. I changed my mind several times but now, 30 months on and about 900 washes later, my nappies are still going strong and so am I.
So cloth nappies kind of started it.
Even before nappies though things happened that kind of forced us to take a look at how we lived. I mean, you can’t go spending several hundred dollars at the supermarket when you only get several hundred dollars a week. As my working hours declined, my cooking from scratch hours increased. We don’t buy biscuits, cakes, chips (well rarely) or fresh pasta. We don’t buy as many luxuries because I can make them and they taste good. Fruit bread or buns? Breadmaker. Cheap but really flash pasta meal – make the pasta. Need to bring something… banana cake or chocolate brownie. Need to stretch the meal? Breadmaker again. And with the cost of living increasing then it makes even more sense.
I recently read a post about a woman who spent $85 a week on her child at the supermarket. Her child is about 8 months old. When Daniel was that old he went through a “only eat canned cereal phase” which cost us $7 a week, plus maybe another $7 for the custard he loved. That is all. Cloth nappies are already there, cloth wipes, breastfeeding, all of that reduced our costs in having a child. If I had to buy nappies over and over again I would spend a minimum of $20, which makes about $2500 for the same length of time… even if the net result on the earth is the same I am still saving money… that has got to be a good thing.
Monday, April 7, 2008
So much for action ;)
I can’t pinpoint the exact time I decided I wanted to try and live a sustainable lifestyle and I am certainly not now but the pattern of my life has changed over the past few years and there is a clear theme emerging.
Of course I should be concerned about the world, it is after all God’s creation but in reality I am probably not that good at caring for it. And its funny the little things that make a difference to your perspective.
Maybe I should start with the concept of wholeness… we did a course a few years ago while Dion was at College. It was run by Tom and Christine Sine, a couple who live in the US and who have written a number of books and run courses on whole life discipleship. A lot of their work was ditching a consumerist lifestyle and focusing on living the gospel out in practical ways. They had ideas about living communally, about minimising the things that you use, the money you spent. Now some of it sounds wonderful in theory but not so cool in reality. Would I really want to live communally? How communal would it have to be? A lot of the communities were built together to share some resources but still having their own space, houses etc and all done co-operatively with loans etc given my weathy people to enable others to own their own property within a collective. I am not explaining it very well…
Of course as these things do, my enthusiasm for such a lifestyle waned as real life took over and I set about earning a living, driving my car and doing all the things that I usually did. But wholeness still resonates as it challenges me to think about the whole part of my life as a sum total of different parts. I can’t just have my Christian part that goes to church without it having an influence on all the choices I make. And I don’t mean choices like sex or drugs or alcohol, I mean what I spend my money on, what food I buy, what gifts I give, what I create versus what someone else has made.
I read a book Seeking an Earth Centred Spirituality by Neil Darragh. He is a Roman Catholic priest and theologian and his book, although a little heavy in places for me, opened my eyes and struck deeply into the core of my being. I have always felt a connectedness with the land. I have always appreciated and envied Maori links with Aotearoa, the land. In his book we are challenged to care for creation, the creation that was redeemed at the cross. We are challenged to live a lifestyle that rejects excess.
The basic fact is that I have all that I need. I have shelter, food, love. I have books and music and movies and a computer. I have friends and family. I have things that hold special memories or thoughts, I have freedom to be or do anything I want. I have so much. I feel like I am being called to reduce what I have. To firstly eliminate what I don’t need already… I have too much.
Of course I should be concerned about the world, it is after all God’s creation but in reality I am probably not that good at caring for it. And its funny the little things that make a difference to your perspective.
Maybe I should start with the concept of wholeness… we did a course a few years ago while Dion was at College. It was run by Tom and Christine Sine, a couple who live in the US and who have written a number of books and run courses on whole life discipleship. A lot of their work was ditching a consumerist lifestyle and focusing on living the gospel out in practical ways. They had ideas about living communally, about minimising the things that you use, the money you spent. Now some of it sounds wonderful in theory but not so cool in reality. Would I really want to live communally? How communal would it have to be? A lot of the communities were built together to share some resources but still having their own space, houses etc and all done co-operatively with loans etc given my weathy people to enable others to own their own property within a collective. I am not explaining it very well…
Of course as these things do, my enthusiasm for such a lifestyle waned as real life took over and I set about earning a living, driving my car and doing all the things that I usually did. But wholeness still resonates as it challenges me to think about the whole part of my life as a sum total of different parts. I can’t just have my Christian part that goes to church without it having an influence on all the choices I make. And I don’t mean choices like sex or drugs or alcohol, I mean what I spend my money on, what food I buy, what gifts I give, what I create versus what someone else has made.
I read a book Seeking an Earth Centred Spirituality by Neil Darragh. He is a Roman Catholic priest and theologian and his book, although a little heavy in places for me, opened my eyes and struck deeply into the core of my being. I have always felt a connectedness with the land. I have always appreciated and envied Maori links with Aotearoa, the land. In his book we are challenged to care for creation, the creation that was redeemed at the cross. We are challenged to live a lifestyle that rejects excess.
The basic fact is that I have all that I need. I have shelter, food, love. I have books and music and movies and a computer. I have friends and family. I have things that hold special memories or thoughts, I have freedom to be or do anything I want. I have so much. I feel like I am being called to reduce what I have. To firstly eliminate what I don’t need already… I have too much.
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