Natural Alternatives - Eco Friendly Tips with Children

As the credit crunch bites, we are all looking for ways to save money, and perhaps trying to bring up a newborn in an eco friendly way may feel too costly. But it doesn’t have to be - there are lots of ways to be eco without it breaking the bank.

As a mother of three, here are my top ten tips (in reverse order) on how to be an eco friendly family for little or no expense:

10. Walk as much as possible instead of using the car – not only will it mean you get more exercise but it’s great for the environment – not to mention easing the morning school run traffic congestion too!

9. Buy good quality clothes and toys for children that have great second hand value and then sell on auction websites or at NCT nearly new sales once you no longer need them, or you can pass them on to friends and family for a few more uses before they are sold.

8. Make food from scratch and use your leftovers – avoiding ready prepared options can save you a small fortune, lets you create other meals (so bubble and squeak looks like making a come back), and means you can still afford to buy organic. That goes for home made picnics versus buying ready made solutions too! Freeze mini portions of food for quick solutions when feeding babies & toddlers.

7. Power down! Train your family to switch off the lights or TV when they leave a room – get them into good habits early!

6. Be creative – have a go at making your own greetings cards – not only a fun thing to do but provides a truly personal touch too. This is a great way to occupy children on a rainy day too.

5. Shop online – you can compare prices and save money and also means you don’t have to use the car.

4. Cut out and actually use the money off coupons on products and in magazines. Lots of supermarkets use the vouchers whether you buy the items or not.

3. Save wrapping paper, ribbons, magazines, milk bottle tops and cardboard boxes for fun creative days.

2. Make your own toys such as play dough or share toys between friends to stop kids getting bored.

1. Enjoy all the free things in life like going for walks, museums, kite flying and making things with the children.

So go out there and enjoy the eco life the credit crunch way!

Jess Hyde is one of the co-founders of online and telephone retailer Naturebotts (www.naturebotts.co.uk). The website is packed full of fabulous, eco-friendly products for baby’s every need, including homeopathic remedies for a gentler approach to first aid, baby clothes, bath-time essentials, changing bags and lots more…