Blog Carnival of Natural Parenting

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Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Vintage green!

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month we're writing about being green — both how green we were when we were young and how green our kids are today. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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We Walked Softly

Will you remember to tread softly little one? When your feet are bigger and your mind is more cluttered? Perhaps you will remember if the lessons we share with you are real and sincere; like the lessons passed down to us by your grandparents, the same ones they learned when they were young. Maybe we really can build a chain of love; love for each other and love for the ground upon which we trod...

I don’t remember learning to respect my space on this planet but neither do I remember learning to walk, talk or breathe for the very first time. Walking harmoniously on the earth is something that shares space in even my earliest childhood memories. It wasn’t forced or contrived, it was simple, easy and something we did every day. We learned to love and respect our world through caring for animals, frolicking outdoors, understanding nature’s cycles and her strengths and most importantly loving each other. Loving our earth is really just an extension of loving our families so building a strong family bond is the starting point and the foundation of a life spent walking gently and living carefully.

My childhood was filled with love and bonding. We learned together at home, worked together at home and grew up together at home. Our parents took time to teach us to take care and waste not. We were surrounded by pets that we nurtured, taught and loved. We lived surrounded by nature, away from busy metropolises, where we could run barefoot, sit amongst the trees and observe wildlife in its natural environment. We learned to read the seasons and the elements and to live in harmony with them. We were as close to the earth as possible and it was a beautiful way to grow up.

Our summers were spent growing what we could and our winters were spent enjoying what we had preserved and stored. What a sweet way to learn to walk gently on our planet; growing and harvesting and then living from our stores. Even our healing cupboard was filled with herbs and roots that we had harvested and preserved so that our very health depended on our relationship with this planet. We grew up feeling that the earth was as close to us as a beloved family member.

Our family was enriched by nature and her treasures. Even our pets taught us to walk softly. Caring for a creature of the earth teaches lessons that extend far beyond lessons learned though words and instructions. They teach us to understand life cycles and teach us that we are completely connected to this planet both through life and death. A family pet, a flock of chickens or simply an adopted baby bird all belong entirely to nature. Growing up surrounded by animals allowed us to also grow up belonging to nature. Treading softly was such a natural part of our lives. It was a part of who we were and it is a part of who we are still.

My siblings and I have grown and found spaces of our own all around the world but we still carry with us our love for this planet. We love a day spent amongst the trees, we love fresh food and we love the endearing companionship of an animal friend. We still take care, try not to waste and are striving to pass along these same idealisms to our children. My wish is for my children to grow up with the same sense of belonging to nature as we did. I hope that the lifestyle we build for them gives them the same love and understanding for this planet as we felt.

With this in mind, we love pets and spend as much time as possible close to nature. We grow as much food as we can and try to eat fresh and in season. Every day we try to add more ways of taking care and wasting not but most importantly we love each other. We are aspiring to gift our children with love and respect for our beautiful earth through living gently and loving fully. Perhaps if we continue in this way we will continue the chain of love and our little ones will remember to tread softly, even when their feet are bigger and their minds are more cluttered.

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants.

(This list will be updated March 9 with all the carnival links.)

• My Momma Was a Hippie — Jessica at This is Worthwhile is continuing her Earth Momma mother's way of honoring nature by taking her child outside every day. (@tisworthwhile)


• Mom Did Know Best, About Diapers at Least — Guavalicious at They Are So Cute When They Are Sleeping has a dirty secret about cloth diapers: They're easy. (@guavalicious)


• The Force that Drives the Water Through the Rocks — Shana at Tales of Minor Interest remembers her first spiritual connection with nature, granted to her through her father's care for the spirits of the earth.


• Confessions of a Cabbage Patch Kid — Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch Momma learned about landfills and recycling through gardening. (@kitchenwitch)


• Seeing My Grandmother Through Green Colored Lenses — Michelle at Seeking Mother was raised by a grandmother who wouldn't let anyone throw out used clothing — ever — and who believed baths were water enough for two or more people at least. (@seekingmother)


• Through Green Tinted Glasses — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis realized her family didn't so much choose green as it chose them, since not being green would have cost a lot more.


• Green or Die! — NavelgazingBajan at Navelgazing remembers berating her family for not turning off the faucets — and notes that her efforts to save the planet for another 20 years must have worked.


• Natural Parenting Carnival: Green Living — Sarah at Natural Parenting is doing more to make her children's generation green than what she had as a child.


• Natural Parenting Carnival: Vintage Green — pchanner at A Mom's Fresh Start used to fill her own water bottles from a spring — before doing so was cool. (@pchanner)


• Getting Dirty — Molly at Molly's Place is inspired by her mother's camaraderie with nature. She's going to get back in touch with the real food cycle, as opposed to the "shrink-wrapped nutrition" you can buy. (@KPMolly)


• My Vintage Green Raincoat — Mama at Maman A Droit is wearing her brother's bright green raincoat — 16 years later! (@MamanADroit)


• Vintage Green — Darcel at Mahogany Way hasn't realized it yet, but she is slowly turning into her parents. ;) (@MahoganyWayMama)


• Vintage Green — mrs green at littlegreenblog reminds us that children can be green simply by being kids. (@myzerowaste)


• March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Vintage Green — Lauren at Hobo Mama was eco-chic before it was en vogue. (@Hobo_Mama)


• Growing Up Green — Chrystal at Happy Mothering honed her green instinct from an early age. (@HappyMothering)


• greener pastures — The Grumbles at Grumbles and Grunts has a list of ways she's transitioning from green living as a novelty to green living as a lifestyle. (@thegrumbles)


• Vintage Green: The Hot Water Tank Is Not Sexy — Zoey at Good Goog had to go green when moss started growing around her feet. (@zoeyspeak)


• We Walked Softly — Starr at Earth Mama wrote a beautiful post about how her parents instilled a love of and respect for Earth and nature in her, and how she is passing that gift on to her own children.


• Save the Mermaids! — CurlyMonkey is learning from her daughter how to keep the mermaids happy. (@curlymonkey_)


• March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Vintage Green — Dionna at Code Name: Mama sees glimpses of her mother's greenness frugality in her own life - but she draws the line at pantyhose soap. (@CodeNameMama)


• I Thought I Made Them Green, But Really They Made Me — Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! thought she made her parents green — until she took a closer look. (@bfmom)


• A Culture of Less — Alison at BluebirdMama explained why homebirth is the green childbirth choice. I love this thought! (@childbearing)


• 5 Ways to Embarrass Your Children While Going Green — Acacia at Be Present Mama shares some of the embarrassing things her parents did to her in the name of being eco-conscious.


• Ending Is Better than Mending? — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries is teaching us how to darn socks armed only with a light bulb. (@babydust)


• There and Back Again: A Green Girl's Tale — Lactating Girl offers a gentle reminder that certain eco-conscious practices shouldn't be "ideals," but realities. (@LactatingGirl)