Green Baby

Green Baby-- Susannah Marriott

I recently read this book Green Baby that I got for Christmas.

This book was much better than the last one I read about being green with McCoy. I love the way it was laid out, the facts about being green, the way it was written and of course, the book is made out of recyclable materials!

The book has six sections: Caring For Your New Baby, Feeding Your Baby, The Green, Clean Baby, Green Nursery, Play Green, and Out and About. Most of the sections contained information I already knew, but included some very intersting facts. Here are a few of my favorite:

"Between 1970 and 2004, CO2 emissions increased by 80%" (pg. 9)
"Rest is a seriously undervalued healer in our super-speedy culture." (pg. 25)
"Greenpeace estimates that your body may contain up to 200 synthetic chemicals." (pg. 47)
"An Italian study showed that 88% of newborn babies tested postive for plasticizers in their bodies." (pg. 53)
"Every $10 you spend in a local shop invests $25 in your community. But for every $10 you spend in a supermarket, only an extra $4 stays in your community." (pg. 56)
"By 4-10 weeks, 75% of mothers either use infant formula entirely or combine it with breastfeeding." (pg.74)
"Children playing or crawling on carpets may ingest 5 times more dust than adults." (pg. 93)
"Research shows that children as young as 18 months old can recognize brands." (pg. 137)--- hmmm?
"We waste an estimated one billion dollars' worth of electricity each year by leaving the TV and electronic gadgets on standby." (pg. 156)
"Babies who are carried seem to cry and fuss less in the first 3 months of life." (pg. 164)
"NHTSA studies suggest that 82% of car seats are installed and used incorrectly." (pg. 169)--- WOW! Hope ours is installed correctly!

I would like to copy this entire section about "Making a Treasure Basket" because I think it is a wonderful idea and I plan on doing it when McCoy gets a little bit older. (This can be found on page 144).

"Natural and household objects are an easy way to encourage your baby's sensory exploration when she can sit steadily. Fill a basket with object of varying texture, color, size and shape.
1. First, look for hard objects. They must be large enough to handle and such without risk of swallowing. Try smooth pebbles, shells, and twigs; shing surfaces, such as metal cups; objects for threading (like wooden curtain rings), or that stack inside each other (like Russian dolls).
2. Now find soft objects: long, clean feathers, a leather key fob, sheep's wool, leaves; fabrics such as velvet, silk, linen, and felt (make them into bags to put objects into and take out); small wicker baskets for sorting like with like.
3. Add some natural sccents: a lavender bag or pine cones; or put cinnamon sticks or vanilla pods into a spice-shaker. Create noise with cocnut shells, jingling metal bangles, a bunch of keys, or hand bells.
4. Stay with your baby while he explores his treasures, ask what happens if he shakes or smells them, and add new items regularly to keep his interst alive."

What a faboulous idea!

The author makes suggestions on how to change your life to make it greener. The tips are practical and helpful. The way the book was organized, it makes it easy to make one change at a time. Again, the tips and facts were very intersting to me and they have made an impression on my life.

I would highly recommend this book to those looking to green up their life a bit. Especially for babies.