Comments on: Pink & Green Parenting: How to REALLY Reduce the Expense and Environmental Impact of Parenting http://queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/ We're here, We're queer, and We're not going Shopping without Coupons Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:23:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Aundi http://queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/comment-page-1/#comment-95633 Aundi Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:32:09 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/#comment-95633 Freecycle is the greatest! My best friend and I used it to furnish our first apartment in LA (which is a great city to use it in, by the way). But, um, the dumpster diving part...didn't know about that...<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-95633">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Freecycle is the greatest! My best friend and I used it to furnish our first apartment in LA (which is a great city to use it in, by the way). But, um, the dumpster diving part…didn’t know about that…

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]]> By: Jennifer http://queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/comment-page-1/#comment-94906 Jennifer Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:48:26 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/#comment-94906 Those are all terrific suggestions. I like the idea of _including_ the kids in volunteer activities, and of a swap that benefits a non-profit. Great ideas! And libraries are a fantastic way to save money on books and connect kids to a whole world of reading. You make a good point about the pre-school co-op's limitations, Dana. One thing, though, is that the duties rotate in most, so the kids still get some experience of separation (the one I participated in as a kid was only held at our house once a month; the rest of the time, my mom wasn't present). But I agree that some kids are ready for more socialization/independence/separation than a co-op allows. And you're right about the literal expenditures of money and resources, but I am of the 'be the change you want to see in the world' school, and think it's still worth it to try to economize as an individual, even if it doesn't alter the larger world directly, at least not yet. But there are many ways to do so--co-ops are just one possibility.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-94906">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Those are all terrific suggestions. I like the idea of _including_ the kids in volunteer activities, and of a swap that benefits a non-profit. Great ideas! And libraries are a fantastic way to save money on books and connect kids to a whole world of reading.

You make a good point about the pre-school co-op’s limitations, Dana. One thing, though, is that the duties rotate in most, so the kids still get some experience of separation (the one I participated in as a kid was only held at our house once a month; the rest of the time, my mom wasn’t present). But I agree that some kids are ready for more socialization/independence/separation than a co-op allows. And you’re right about the literal expenditures of money and resources, but I am of the ‘be the change you want to see in the world’ school, and think it’s still worth it to try to economize as an individual, even if it doesn’t alter the larger world directly, at least not yet. But there are many ways to do so–co-ops are just one possibility.

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]]> By: Nina http://queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/comment-page-1/#comment-94835 Nina Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:37:02 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/#comment-94835 <strong>Volunteer!</strong> I plan to volunteer with our kids. A lot. If we're spending two hours picking up trash in the Back Bay, then we can't be spending money at the mall. Plus it teaches them to give back, appreciate nature and understand that beautiful public spaces need to be nurtured and preserved.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-94835">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Volunteer! I plan to volunteer with our kids. A lot. If we’re spending two hours picking up trash in the Back Bay, then we can’t be spending money at the mall. Plus it teaches them to give back, appreciate nature and understand that beautiful public spaces need to be nurtured and preserved.

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]]> By: Dana http://queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/comment-page-1/#comment-94746 Dana Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:22:00 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/#comment-94746 Jennifer: I think your ideas are great! I'd add toy and book swaps, too, although I've found that they both have longer lifecycles than clothes. My son played with some of his very early toys for several years (in more advanced ways) until we were able to pass them on. (Part of this was his emotional connection to them.) Likewise with the books: His infant/toddler boardbacks are finding new life as early readers as he enters the preschool age. At some point, though, I imagine we'll find some of them a second home. Libraries, of course, are another great way to save money on books. (And book swaps, where you trade books but then give them back, have the benefit of keeping your collection fresh while not abandoning old favorites.) I do have to offer some additional things to think about re: preschool co-ops. In general, I like the idea--but it seems to me that the school is still paying for electricity and heating, and the teachers are still paying for gas, whether or not my child is there. There would be an environmental impact once there were so many families doing co-ops that existing schools closed or potential ones were never built. On a more emotional level, one thing my son is learning from preschool is how to spend time away from me. Let me quickly say that different children are ready to learn this at different ages. We started him in preschool at age four, not three, because we <em>did</em> see the importance of his time home with me, and didn't want to rush him away. For those children ready to transition, though, a preschool without parents may help them better deal with being sans parent in kindergarten. Of course, it doesn't have to be either-or. I could see doing a preschool away from home two or three days a week, and a co-op the other days, or some such. If you do a paid preschool, however, carpooling is an easy way to reduce environmental impact. This also gets easier as the kids transition to booster seats, which are lighter and easier to move from vehicle to vehicle than car seats.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-94746">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Jennifer: I think your ideas are great! I’d add toy and book swaps, too, although I’ve found that they both have longer lifecycles than clothes. My son played with some of his very early toys for several years (in more advanced ways) until we were able to pass them on. (Part of this was his emotional connection to them.) Likewise with the books: His infant/toddler boardbacks are finding new life as early readers as he enters the preschool age. At some point, though, I imagine we’ll find some of them a second home. Libraries, of course, are another great way to save money on books. (And book swaps, where you trade books but then give them back, have the benefit of keeping your collection fresh while not abandoning old favorites.)

I do have to offer some additional things to think about re: preschool co-ops. In general, I like the idea–but it seems to me that the school is still paying for electricity and heating, and the teachers are still paying for gas, whether or not my child is there. There would be an environmental impact once there were so many families doing co-ops that existing schools closed or potential ones were never built.

On a more emotional level, one thing my son is learning from preschool is how to spend time away from me. Let me quickly say that different children are ready to learn this at different ages. We started him in preschool at age four, not three, because we did see the importance of his time home with me, and didn’t want to rush him away. For those children ready to transition, though, a preschool without parents may help them better deal with being sans parent in kindergarten.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be either-or. I could see doing a preschool away from home two or three days a week, and a co-op the other days, or some such.

If you do a paid preschool, however, carpooling is an easy way to reduce environmental impact. This also gets easier as the kids transition to booster seats, which are lighter and easier to move from vehicle to vehicle than car seats.

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]]> By: Mrs. Micah http://queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/comment-page-1/#comment-94605 Mrs. Micah Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:17:57 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/01/08/pink-and-green-parenting-how-to-really-reduce-the-expense-and-environmental-impact-of-parenting/#comment-94605 I've gotten some great clothes at my college's clothing swaps. I was part of the group that ran it and we actually charged a tiny bit for the clothes ($1-3 $3 being for a suit, for instance) which was then given to a group that helped girls rescued from forced prostitution. While a free clothing swap is even more frugal, I think one advantage of ours was that it limited what people ended up getting (so the first few didn't clear the place out) and it raised money for a good place.<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-94605">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> I’ve gotten some great clothes at my college’s clothing swaps. I was part of the group that ran it and we actually charged a tiny bit for the clothes ($1-3 $3 being for a suit, for instance) which was then given to a group that helped girls rescued from forced prostitution.

While a free clothing swap is even more frugal, I think one advantage of ours was that it limited what people ended up getting (so the first few didn’t clear the place out) and it raised money for a good place.

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