by Tonya Grell Sakowicz
Green is the new black—or so it would seem. Everywhere you turn, companies are touting that they are ‘green’, are using green products, are ‘eco-friendly’, etc… It seems everyone wants on the bandwagon. And it is hitting the nanny industry big, mostly in the newborn care specialty, but more and more families, moms in particular, are wanting to ‘go green’ and nannies in every specialty need to know at least a little bit about this hot topic.
So what exactly is a green nursery? What does this ‘green’ term mean and how can you help the parent(s) you are working for to go green?
A green nursery is one where each aspect of what goes into the nursery is investigated and then the most green (i.e., healthy and safe to be around OR least damaging to the earth to produce) is chosen to decorate and stock the nursery. I personally have found that with the majority of the potential clients I talk with, their overwhelming concern is the health and safety of their child with a concern for the earth coming in after that, so most of the time, we focus on what is healthy and safe for their new baby. Everything is specially catered to where they are in the process of creating the nursery. For some, it is literally a blank canvas. For others, they might have a hand-me-down rocking chair that grandpa made and a favorite quilt that they want in the nursery and love the traditional smell of Johnson’s Baby Lotion (like me), so we discuss where they are at and where they want to be and work to get them there as easily and inexpensively as possible.
The things I can/do address with them include: Flooring (tile, linoleum, wood, carpeting—if they need new, what is it made of, what chemicals are used on it and how is it applied to the floor, as one example), air circulation, lighting, wall coverings (paint, wallpaper, fabrics—what is in them and how they are all made and applied), room décor, furniture (crib, rocker, dresser, changing table, toy box, mattress, shelving, etc…), bedding, toys, clothing, and personal care products for the baby. This last one is a biggie, and one we will explore in a future article, but the reality is most of us assume if it is allowed to be sold on the shelf in Babies R Us, it must be safe, right? Wrong. A great many of the personal care products sold and marketed for babies in this country are loaded with chemicals known to cause problems with the endocrine system, are directly linked to cancer, have suspected links to autism and other neurological issues and much, much more. Many of these chemicals are flat-out banned in other countries, but the US in particular seems to be slow to acknowledge the risks associated with using them and so they continue to thrive.
This whole green thing is already a big topic in the world of babies and children—I hope this gives you a start on learning what it is all about.
Next Month: My employer wants ME to help put together the green nursery—help! Where do I find all this information and all these products?
About Tonya Grell Sakowicz:
Tonya has spent the last 25 years dedicating her life to the health and welfare of new moms and babies, as well as older children. As a professional, credentialed nanny, she learned early-on that what children ate made a difference in their behavior and their overall ability to learn and play, but it was in the last 10 years that she really began to focus on working with new moms and newborns, helping them get off to the best start possible. And in 2004, when she became pregnant with her first child, she really began to focus more on what she was putting into, on, and around her body. Subsequent difficulty getting and staying pregnant and finally another child in 2008 really made her begin to research this, and when the opportunity to become a Certified Eco-consultant, Greenproofer and Green Birth Educator came along, it was a natural fit and the idea for Baby Go Green was born!