Fighting the Tide

I had no idea that having kids would equate to a house full of so much stuff. Even with good intentions and honest efforts, it comes through our doors like a pink plastic wave. I sort through the playroom almost once a month and take at least one trash bag of toys, stuffed animals, and figurines to Salvation Army. The kids never even realize the stuff is gone. This is still no match for the Grandparents, and let’s be honest, even my own penchant for the newer and the brighter. As the holidays approach, I’m taking a serious look at myself and the choices I make.

But if there is anything I have learned so far, it is that you can’t tell kids much. You must must must show them. Whether it is hosting clothing swaps, visiting second hand stores, or actively committing to less plastic (it finally hit home that none of this stuff was going to disintegrate in a landfill), children will only understand important decisions about using resources by example. When we take cloth grocery bags to the store and my GladRags soak in their pot in the bathroom where my kids see them, I am proud to model joyful, responsible choices. I’m not perfect but I feel solid about the message my GladRags give and grateful for all the things my cloth pads represent, without saying a word, to my kids.