You don’t have to live in a fairytale castle to provide your impending knight or princess with a baby’s nursery that is a bastion of green features.
First-time parents always seem to feel a different kind of stress. It’s like they have so much to live up to, which is silly because they’ve never been parents before now.
Another reason for stress is because as the deadline looms a little more each day, the new mom’s belly will grow and grow, a tangible reminder that time waits for no man – regardless of how tiny and pink he is upon his birth.
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Make Use of a Nursery To-Do List
One of the biggest jobs parents face is baby-proofing the house, and then keeping it in that state.
When my children were born I became meticulous about cleaning. I couldn’t imagine putting them on the floor to play if the carpet hadn’t been vacuumed immediately beforehand, even if it had been cleaned earlier in the same day.
Now that they’re teenagers, it’s not as much of an issue but when they were babies, I wanted to protect them from everything – and I did for as long as I logically could.
But then they started to crawl, climb, and run and taught me that no matter what eco-friendly measures I took, they would still find a way to outsmart my best efforts.
It didn’t stop me from trying and I learned that my kids wanted to do things like me. So the more eco-friendly my lifestyle was, the better theirs was as well. Unfortunately, it’s not feasible to put our children in a plastic bubble to keep them safe, so it’s up to us parents to take those measures.
While creating an eco-friendly space for your new baby seems like a huge task overall, breaking it down into a checklist will help a lot. After you make some initial changes to the nursery, it will be that much easier to transition those traits to the rest of your home.
Floors
Hardwood floors are a better choice than carpets because the latter hold in dust, pet dander, and other allergens. If your pet ever gets fleas you may have to bomb the carpeting with pesticide to get rid of the critters, which means leaking the chemicals onto everything else in the room as well.
Walls
Eco-friendly paint is on the rise. These clever products offer the same dynamic colors to brighten the walls inside your home as other brands but without harmful chemicals, odors, or any kind of added solvent.
Look for a paint that’s has a low or zero amount of chemicals in both the paint as well as the colorant used in the paint.
Furnishing
While it may be tempting to use the same crib that your family has used for generations, the latest cribs follow a standard measure of safety guidelines for a reason.
While it seems on the surface like refurbishing old furniture would be an eco-friendly option, if you’re looking for options created without chemicals, shop for something brand new.
Linens
What is your baby sleeping on? Organic mattresses as well as organic bedding are an eco-friendly option, and earth friendly laundry detergent helps to keep them that way.
Standard bedding is treated with chemicals linked to cancer and other potential dangers. Who wants to swaddle their baby in those kinds of linens? Nobody does!
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Eco-Friendly Tips for the Whole House
For instance, using your heat or air conditioning doesn’t just strain your wallet. Running these appliances is not healthy for the environment either. Having a room that is not the proper temperature, however, is harmful for your precious bundle of joy.
High efficiency windows are a good investment that have a strong seal and don’t allow in any air, or let any out. Some heaters run on solar power if you are concerned that the nursery is too cold for your new baby.
And window shades are now not only eco-friendly, but also child-safe – to prevent tragic accidents from occurring with long cords.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining an eco-friendly nursery not only helps create a healthy environment now, but it also teaches your little one during his or her tender infant and toddler years the importance of growing up with habits to create an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Green baby toys, clothes, and an air purifier system can go a long way in creating a better world not only for your little one, but for many generations of little ones to come.
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