I am interested in hearing the answers to this. In my house it sure seems like a one woman show! My husband loves using cloth diapers and hates using disposables on the rare occasion we have to. However, I often find #5 recyclables in with the 1's and 2's out of sheer laziness. Also, I found Pringles in our compost pile the other day... I think maybe re-education needs to be the first step in my house :)

I am writing a book 'How to Raise a Sustainable Child' that I think fits well with your topic today. It should be out this fall. If you are interested in the topic you can check on its progress at the FB page I just started: 'How to Raise a Sustainable Child' My intention is that I inspire families to raise sustainable children through making simple changes, one step at a time.

Cheers,
Alix
www.AlexandraGnoske.com

As a teacher, mother and spouse, I have found that the best way to promote earth-friendly behavior is to explain the rationale behind each act. For example, when my children were young, I told them why it is important to recycle plastic--explaining that these are made of substances that can harm humans and animals. It is also a good idea to acknowledge with family members that there can be sacrifices involved, such as an untidy looking flowerbed. Most importantly, families should validate the satisfaction that is felt from knowing they are doing what is right.

I highly recommend the book Above All Be Kind by Zoe Weil. It goes beyond just green living and into kindness and compassion, but has wonderful ideas and suggestions for explaining the importance of green living to children. http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/above_all_be_kind

As a mother of newborn, I am considering switching to cloth diapers. Does anyone have a recommended brand and tips for doing so? My husband is against this idea but in the end I think it is a smart decision for the environment and the wallet.
I think we all need to do our part and can do better at it. At least, we can in our houshold!

Emily-we used Fuzzi Bunz when we cloth diapered 3 yrs ago. I'd highly recommend going to The Breastfeeding Center in Massillon and looking at the selection there. SO much easier to decide when you can actually see and touch the diapers. www.thebreastfeedingcenter.com

I agree with Christina. Different diapers work differently on different babies... does that make sense? We have used FuzziBunz, BumGenius, prefolds, and Kawaii baby. The Kawaii being our favorite (mostly because they are very inexpensive!) Most cloth diapers are just as easy as disposables... only much cheaper and way better for the environment. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Thank you both for this helpful information...You gave me a lot to look into!