Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Shefali Tsabary’s voice to Green Child, as she shares her perspective on mindful parenting and releasing the expectations we have on our children. To learn more about parenting from a place of peace, presence, and connectedness, check out her new book, The Awakened Family. What is Mindful Parenting? Mindful parenting is the…
Toddler
Top Tips for Green Travel with Kids
Summer is the official kick-off for family road trips, travel, camping, and family fun. We’re sharing our top tips for green travel with kids. The world is a book, and those who don’t travel only read one page. ~ Augustine of Hippo Travel is an ever-changing, exciting way to spend time with your family. It’s…
Are We Sharing Too Much About Our Kids Online?
It’s no secret that many parents overshare stories and photos about their children online. After all, many of us have all been guilty of this. It’s easy to post updates when a child takes their first steps, learns how to blow bubbles in the pool, wins another dance competition, masters the uneven bars at a…
The Surprising Dangers Of Children’s Jewelry (and how you can avoid them)
When it comes to toy jewelry for your little one, you probably wouldn’t think to be concerned about lead and toxic metals. These dangers of children’s jewelry aren’t as immediate a threat as choking, but over the long-term they can be extremely harmful. As parents, we put our child’s safety above all. We try to…
Guided Relaxation: Happy Heart
Helping your child cultivate happiness and gratitude is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Not only does it set him or her up for a more content life, it can physically be a good thing for the heart! In this guided relaxation, we’ll replace worries and sadness with a gentle light, centered in…
Green Child’s 6th Annual Eco Baby Gear Guide Spring 2016
Looking for the best eco baby gear guide? From the moment we know a new little one is on the way, we plan and prepare for his or her arrival. While “things” may not be our niche, a few useful and sustainable tools can certainly help you along your parenting journey. We hope you enjoy…
A curious nature detective finds inspiration everywhere
Imagine that you are crawling in a tight space. I am sure you agree that it is rather difficult and tricky to move around. What if you were a caterpillar? Caterpillars have soft and flexible bodies and they move in a wavelike motion. Learning from caterpillars’ bodies have helped to design flexible robots that imitate…
How to Find Your Child’s Dosha + Why it Matters
Which dosha is my child? It’s a question worth asking because the answer can help you with everything from understanding their personality to keeping them healthy. Growing up in Romania, my grandmother used to say I would get sick if I played outside without a hat or a scarf. For many years, after going to medical…
How to Choose Age-Appropriate Toys
When searching for age-appropriate toys, it’s important to consider your child’s developmental level, interests, and age (for safety reasons). This guide also focuses on natural and battery-free toys so you can feel good about not exposing your child to lead or other toxins and limiting screen time. As a mother of three, I struggle to…
Portrait of a Babywearing Addict
“Could you email Kokoro at exactly 12:15 the capitalized words ‘BAUHAUS PERISCOPE’ and make certain that they’re hash tagged along with my @LynnyMae account? They’re selling a unicorn hand-dyed hand woven that Coconut Robot wants and will trade the…” I have NO idea what my wife is talking about. After I reach in my pocket…
Potty Training at Your Child’s Pace
Let’s get straight to the point. Potty training is nothing to stress over. If you’ve practiced attachment parenting, you know how successful and worthwhile it is to watch your child’s cues for readiness in every area of development. Toilet training is no different. “From baby’s viewpoint, toileting is his initiation into ‘bigness’ – a rite of…
Natural Lice Prevention & Treatment (Even for Super Lice)
It seems we don’t have a “normal” anything anymore. We don’t just have viruses, we have “super bugs”… You don’t get a large fast food meal, you “super-size” it… And, yes, now we have “super lice”. Research presented at an American Chemical Society meeting in August, 2015, showed lice populations in at least 25 states…
Easing Empty Nest Transitions
“Are you OK?” my husband asked me. “You seem kind of quiet tonight.” “Yes, I’m OK. I just…Well, you know JJ started kindergarten this week,” I felt a lump in my throat. “And he’s been in school for 3 days now…” Tears came to my eyes. “And I guess…it turns out…I’m not handling it so…
Stretch into the Sun: Celebrating the Summer Solstice with Kids
Celebrating the Summer Solstice is a tradition your children will remember all their lives. Hot afternoons, wild thunderstorms, and nights filled with fireflies! The summer solstice, or midsummer, is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and learn about the warmest season with our families. At the Peak of the Light The word “solstice” brings together…
How to Help Your Child Develop Critical Thinking Skills
Being able to think critically about any given problem is a skill most parents want their children to have. Creative problem solving is a coveted skill not only in all lines of work, but life in general. Critical thinking skills start with being able to be curious, flexible, and open-minded. And while many kids learn…
Small Person, Big Changes: Introducing a New Baby
Introducing a new baby can be a challenge for your older child or children. Positive Parenting expert Kelly Bartlett shares strategies to make the transition smooth. Adding a new baby to the family is an exciting time for families. Children especially feel that eagerness as they hold their new baby brother or sister for the…
The 2015 Pregnancy & Birth Issue of Green Child Magazine
Find everything you need for a healthy pregnancy, natural birth, and fourth trimester in our annual Pregnancy & Birth issue. Your favorite, trusted contributors are sharing advice on everything from encouraging your child through a new sibling transition and reading to your unborn baby to breastfeeding myths and avoiding anxiety during pregnancy. In our pregnancy…
Logical Consequences: How to Set Limits & Follow Through on Discipline
As any parent who wants to raise a well-disciplined child knows, setting limits is important. However, sometimes it’s easy to set limits in the moment and have difficulty following through later.
Play Up Your Child’s Imagination and Creativity with No Battery Toys
No battery toys like wooden shape sorters and puzzles help boost critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They foster a sense of satisfaction when your child can do things “all by myself”. Remember that thing you played with all the time when you were a kid? It was with you from sun up till sun down….
The Art of Toy Rotation: Cycle them in and out for fresh fun!
Toy rotation helps keep the toys available to your child at a manageable level. Kids are free to flex their imaginations when given fewer toy choices. We’re learning Einstein was right when he said, “the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Despite the notion that lots of toys brings hours and hours of…
Gentle Parenting: Age Appropriate Chores for Kids
Whether they’re assigned in the form of a chart, a wheel, or a jar… age appropriate chores play an important role among families. Not only do regular household jobs teach kids responsibility and prevent a sense of entitlement, they instill in children a vital sense of importance in the family. When kids are able to…
Grace and Courtesy: Helping children learn self-discipline
The theme of Grace and Courtesy is the oil that keeps a group of people functioning smoothly. It is the ambiance parents can create in the home and the teacher can create in the classroom. It is a general attitude of graciousness and respect. We can only create it when first we model it with our…
Giving Thanks Together: Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox with Kids
Fall officially begins September 23rd. Here are some fun and meaningful ways to observe and celebrate the autumnal equinox with kids. I find myself ever more deeply aware of and affected by seasonal changes. Light and darkness. Heat and—especially in my adopted state of Minnesota—cold. Living farther north than ever before, I feel the changing…
Rethinking “Sink or Swim” – The Gentle Parenting Approach to Swimming Lessons
Kaitlin Gardner’s advice on the gentle parenting approach to swimming lessons will have you questioning your beliefs about the old sink or swim method. If you practice gentle parenting or attachment parenting, you know the importance of the bond you’ve developed with your little one. The “sink or swim” method doesn’t align with the principles…
