The Pandas' Top Ten Crunch-osophies

Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Having a six month old is an exciting time.

Between deciding on which vaccinations he’ll receive, what foods I should be investigating, whose diapers are the best for his growing bum, and what’s for dinner, I am placed with an integral set of tasks ahead. I have been charged with an increasingly-cognizant being, absorbing information, yet unable to recount. Kola has been unresponsive until this point to my talking, reading, noise-making, singing. I can, however, tell he’s been listening. He smacks his lips and clicks his tongue when he wants something, staring it down and clicking more fervently until I figure it out (usually he wants in his Johnny-Jump-Up… crazy kid).

But now that I know that he’s listening… what should I say? We read books. He loves his bright board books, especially in his mouth. He doesn’t seem to mind as I ramble through short stories and novels by some of my favorites. I think he has “read” more Vonnegut than a typical college graduate. I feel that we need to start moving to relevant information, not just recreational speaking and reading. I know he is listening, and I want something good to say. I’m slightly more crunchy than many of my friends (although am considered somewhat soggy to some of the other crunchmasters I am fortunate enough to know). I think it’s best to start these lessons early in life, and with spring shyly peaking around the corner, what better time is there to reflect on the lessons I’d like to impart…

1. We Will (Eventually) Be Successful Gardeners

This June marks my one year anniversary in my home. Prior to the purchase, I was an apartment hopper, occasionally dabbling in the world of houseplants, once or twice known to have harvested a small amount of tomatoes and peppers from a pot in my stairwell. Last summer, I had a cute little suburban vegetable garden and a collection of pots on my porch growing some potted vegetable plants. I collected a decent haul for most of the summer. Then the 8th month of pregnancy hit. I let my beans and peas dry and shrivel. I picked them seldom. I let my tomatoes ripen and fall. My zucchini rotted until some animal felt pity and ate the poor thing. I relished my peppers and ate those straight from the garden, dried and froze a few, and cooked my baked beans with turkey weiners with extra kicks of baby thais.

This year, we will do better. Kola will come outside with me while we double the garden plot. Crawl in the unfertilized grass as I transplant my herbs from my living room to their rightful place underneath my porch and sow my seeds in my piles of Amish-cured cow manure. Join me in the mornings and afternoons to water and coddle the plants. Harvest with me when the fruits of our labors are ripe. Cook, juice, eat, dry, can, and freeze the organic goodness that we helped to produce through our care and tending. And we’ll do it the next year when he can help sow; the next year, when he can help water; the next year when he can tend independently and care for his own herb boxes… I hope.

2. Green Can Be Synonymous with Thrifty

I hear people ALL THE TIME… “I can’t afford the organic, chlorine free, sustainably produced, vegan paper towels and [insert].” Neither can I. But I can afford to cut my costs where possible. It’s duly advantageous that a lot of cost-cutting measures help reduce waste. We recently made the switch to reusable cloth diaper wipes, complete with home-made wipes sauce (I don’t know why I keep calling it sauce… solution just sounds so… eh). We use cloth diapers when Mommy’s home (because I can’t get the babysitters on board with cloth diapering… half the time is better than no time…) This coming summer, we’ll be bicycling wherever we can instead of driving (one advantage of living in the city… lots of good stores close by). We’ll eat as much as possible from our garden instead of buying produce. Our compost pile will transform from a bucket of plant and food waste to a… compost pile. All of these things are better for the environment – lower gas emissions by bicycling and growing at home; less waste in dumps by using reusable cloth and composting organic material; a smaller carbon footprint by lowering the impact we’re having on the environment – all while saving money! Sure, there are initial investment costs, but in the end, I like having fewer things on my list of wallet-drainers.

3. Nature is Always Available

It can be difficult to find time to pack up a child, let alone multiple children, and take a drive to the nearest Metropark for a hike. So long as you have a backyard, you have a nature sanctuary at your disposal. All it takes is a moment to slow down and take notice of your surroundings. We are blessed with a moderately sized yard. I have flower beds in the front, summer sweet lining my front patio, a draping umbrella tree, a modest vegetable garden in the back with an expanding herb garden, a few tall trees, and a good amount of foliage. There are animals that live there. Squirrels building nests. Birds everywhere. Occasionally, a bunny or deer (or a dreaded skunk) appear for a visit (or to eat my bean sprouts…). There are bugs and creepy-crawlies lurking under leaves and rocks. There is an abundant and plentiful variety of life that has taken residence on our little plot in a suburb, and where better to learn to appreciate nature than to begin with that nature that surrounds us every day!

4. A Healthy Diet Makes a Happy Body

Advertisers constantly bombard the American consumer with claims of “New & Improved;” “More Fiber;” “Healthier!” Many of these products fall short of a healthy food, although they may, in fact, be “healthier” than an alternative (Believe me, I have an ongoing affair with Cheetos, Doritos, the Keebler Elves, and Oreos, but I do try to buy the baked chips instead of how-ever the others are made and have been seeking out “healthier” alternatives for junk food – like Snikkidy Snacks! Love them!), but that still doesn’t make them healthy. Or near healthy. Or sometimes even “consumable.” A junky snack is okay, occasionally, like once a week or less. After you start eating healthy, though, you can feel the effect that the junk has and understand why it’s called junk.

For the most part I eat well – a variety of foods, lots of vegetables, a moderate amount of fruit, and a good variety of proteins, although we do not eat non-poultry meats in my house, especially pork. Kola, at 6 months now, eats some jarred baby foods from Earth’s Best and a lot of whatever I’m having so it’s even more important for me now to have healthy options on my plate. I want him to be a good eater and to appreciate a divine bulb of fennel and the way it sculpts a meal; appreciate the subtle flavors of fresh thyme and rosemary; appreciate the time it takes to sow and harvest a vegetable, clean and cook a meal. I want him to feel well. A balanced diet, full of fiber, can make all the difference in the way one feels. A gut full of junk food makes one lethargic, heavy, down, stoppered, ever-nauseous.  A finely tuned, smoothly running digestive tract expels waste efficiently after extracting all of the nutrients available, makes one’s step lighter, skin brighter, and mood grander. The effects of a good diet go far beyond a matter of weight management and can be an integral part of one’s psyche.

5. Learn How to Cook at least One Meal… Well

Not everyone needs to be able to cook a meal that would pass in a five star restaurant, but… everyone should be able to cook something or another and cook it well. Cooking is an invaluable skill, that not only impresses friends (especially if you carry a reputation of lacking kitchen know-how) but also allows one to eat well. Tying into No. 4, a body that’s fed good food (ie. something fresh! something cooked instead of microwaved! something hand prepared instead of purchased in a wrapper and bag!) feels better, works better, and is more willing to cooperate and run efficiently. There are many easy recipes that anyone with a cook-top can prepare, even with minimal skill. In our household growing up, we cooked… a lot. We seldom ate purchased, prepared meals (although we did go out to dinner at least once a month, usually to Pizza Hut, and occasionally got McDonald’s while out on a busy day) and both my mother and father cooked.

We all learned our ways around the kitchen early, baking along with mom with playdough and even helping cut cookies, stir the pot, and mix the flour into the batter (then lick the spoon/mixer/bowl). We cooked dinner – rice with beef and peas, pork chops, barbeque chicken, schnitzel, mashed potatoes… you name it, we probably made it. We baked at least once a week – a batch of cookies, a cake, cinnamon rolls. I love being able to cook and bake; knowing that I can put together a meal for under $15 for 4+ people; knowing exactly what’s going into what’s going into me. My friends generally appreciate my ability to cook and bake and enjoy testing my recipes for me. I’m thankful I learned so young and grew up with it, and I cannot wait to share these skills and develop them in my son.

6. Knowledge is your Most Valuable Asset

As humans, we are curious, and curiosity is born out of our desire to know. Epistemology, or the science of knowledge and how it is acquired, is a diverse and colorful school of thought, but there is no denying that knowledge and its application is critical to life and innate to that which is “human” (yes, yes, we are not the only animals with knowledge, but we are defined by our quest for knowledge and the way we apply it). The more one knows, the better one’s quality of life is. A combination of “book smarts” and practical knowledge makes life easier, helping one to be prepared for not only new and foreign experiences, but also aid in socialization. What else is there to converse about than what one knows? I feel that I have a very commendable base of knowledge and know that my never-sated curiosity will constantly expand that.

I can already see in Kola that he is an inquisitive and curious creature, and I will do everything in my power to foster that. We read together already (hopefully his vocabulary develops, as well as a commanding grasp on grammar and syntax), looking at small picture books, driving home colors, shapes, opposites, and animals; reciting poetry; reading aloud literary classics, both publicly recognized and from my personal “classics” collection (Vonnegut!). I am waiting with bated breath for his first words; first questions; first answers. I cannot wait to lead him on his inquisitive journey to knowledge!

7. Variety Satisfies

A daily routine or schedule is very nice – one knows when work begins, when play begins, when rest is expected, when coddling can commence (which is really any time). How those pockets are filled, though, should be variably, even if it’s just cooking with a new spice for dinner, investigating a new author, walking a different block with the dog, or introducing a new game. Variety satiates our need for knowledge and new experience from which to learn. Variety keeps us interested. Variety makes us anticipate the next change, no matter how subtle. I’m excited when I feed Kola a new food, introduce a new spice, find a new book series or toy. Variety stimulates us, motivates us, and makes life more full. A small amount of variety can have a large impact, which generally ends quite positively.

8. Maintain Your Convictions

One must have at least one passion in life. Some of us consider ourselves lactivists; intactivists; animal rights activists; environmentalists; leftists; centrists; right-ists. Whatever it is we believe in, we must stand up for and stand by, no matter how difficult. While maintaining respect for others’ views (we must always, always, always be respectful, even when we disagree), we must be capable of articulating what we believe in and standing firm next to it. Not everyone will agree, but it’s no reason to sway and deny our own beliefs. I hope that Kola will one day have something to believe in. Something that makes his heart melt; something that makes his blood boil; something that he can stand up for. Without passion, social justice is unattainable. We may never agree, but without dissent, there will be nothing to fight for.

9. Patience is a Gift

I am learning as a mother to a six month old, that patience, which I once thought I had a decent supply of, can become quite a scarce commodity. Fortunately, it is a renewable resource of which we will never run out. Patience is a virtue, as they say, but really it’s much more. It is a necessity. There will always come a time that our patience will seemingly run out and you may be running on patience fumes, almost on E. It is at this point, that one needs to stop. Stop. Think. Take a breath. Think. Does this matter? Will this matter in 10 minutes? Usually the answer is no. Patience is just that. The ability to stop. To let it go. I do my best to remain patient. I catch myself occasionally wanting to scream. I stop, take a breath, physically force myself to smile, find a kind word, and proceed.

People, including very small people who lack the ability to speak, can be quite frustrating, but it is everyone’s duty to handle each other with patience and to instill in others the ability to be patient. I hope that I will be able to instruct my son in the art of patience – I’m sure he’ll need just as much of it with me as I will with him.

10. Love is All You Need

To quote the Beatles, “Love is all you need.” I went through a mean phase. I was worse than mean. I was nasty, irreverent, disrespectful, spiteful, resentful, angsty, and just down-right really really mean. There’s no good excuse for it. I was bullied a lot in grade school for being the fat kid. I got thin, and I got mean. I’ve thickened up again, which may or may not have a bearing on my current outlook on providing niceties. You get so much more accomplished by being nice. I catch myself and others being mean sometimes now. I can’t help but think about how hurtful it must be to the butt of the jokes, whether they hear them or not, and always stop myself and attempt to stop others. This must be what growing up feels like. I love my son like crazy. I think he probably loves me, even though  I cannot get a confirmatory comment on that just yet. It’s this bond that makes us great for each other. It makes life easier, despite it not always being easy. It motivates me to be a better person, to work more efficiently, to be home more, to explore myself as he explores his world. It makes me excited that I am such an integral influencer in the creation of another Da-Sein to populate the world, a unique individual now forever entangled in the power struggle of life. With love for oneself and love for all others, that struggle becomes less of a task, less of a struggle, and much more manageable.

♥

There you have it. My Top Ten Crunchy Philosophies; My Top Ten Guiding Principles. I can only hope to impart at least some of these philosophies on my son and others I come to know. So far, this is working okay for me. A Top Ten next year may look a little different, but for now, it’s perfect just the way it is. All we need is love, patience, a mildly green thumb, a love of knowledge, and motivation. The world would be such a different place if everyone would accept and display all of the above.

♥

I said good bye to my friend, hung up the phone, sat down and wrote this epitaph: “The good Earth – we could have saved it, but we were too damn cheap and lazy.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

♥

What are the guiding principles you live by? Share it or a link to it in the comments or on the FaceBook.

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon March 8 with all the carnival links.)

• Attachment Parenting in the NICU — Erica at ChildOrganics shares some strategies to help you parent naturally in some unnatural circumstances.
• 10 Reasons to Choose Baby Led Weaning — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares ten reasons to choose Baby Led Weaning when it comes to solids.
• Choosing to Breastfeed — From selfishness to self-giving, CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy lists reasons why breast is best for her and her family.
• Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Before Little Man — In this reflective post, The ArstyMama discusses ten things she wishes she knew more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
• 10 Things That Helped Me Become a Natural Mama — The Accidental Natural Mama counts down ten things that helped her find her moderately crunchy inner mama self.
• Top 10 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler — Extended breast-feeder Kate Wicker of Momopoly makes her own top 10 list for why she loves nursing her 2-year-old.
• Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting — Mamapoekie of Authentic Parenting offers a list of tips to make the grandparent-parent-child relationship flow smoothly.
• Top Ten “Dad” Things — Liam at In The Now talks about his favourite ways to spend time with his children.
• Top 10 Natural Strategies for Conception (aka How to Get Pregnant!) — Despite facing plenty of health issues, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama found her way to two first-try pregnancies thanks to these natural strategies.
• Top Ten Reasons Why Home Birth Rocks — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud shares her passion for birthing at home – the natural place for natural birth.
• Top 10 reasons why cloth nappies are fun — Tat at Cloth Nappies Are Fun shows how using cloth nappies can brighten up your day.
• Top Ten Ways to Be Present With Family — Amy at Innate Wholeness shares how to make the most of parenting and family life through being present.
• Top 10 Things In My Arsenal of Kitchen Witchy Mama Tricks. — Joni Rae at Tales of A Kitchen Witch shares with us the simple things she would never want to be missing from her cupboards.
• Top 10 ways I’m not very good at natural parenting (and why I keep trying anyway) — Jenny at Babyfingers shares the ways she is imperfect as a natural parent, and why she embraces natural parenting anyway.
• Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent — So what makes us “natural parents,” anyway? A lighthearted look at the Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent by the editors and readers of Natural Parents Network.
• The Top 10 Things Every Natural Household (with children) Should Have — Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro shares a list of the most common natural products and remedies she uses for health and cleaning.
• Top 10 books for raising loving, spiritual children — In her ‘food for the soul’ post, Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her favourite spiritual books. No matter what religion you practise, there’s something for everyone!
• Top 10 Things No One Told Me About Natural Parenting — Adrienne at Mommying My Way explains that the best things about natural parenting are things she never expected.
• Top 10 Flower Essences for Families — Kim of Nature Baby Bloggings lists her pick of the top ten flower essence which can help ease families through the ups and downs of life.
• My Top Ten Parenting Tools — Amyables at Toddler In Tow names the top ten tools that have been helpful to her while learning to parent respectfully and successfully.
• Ten Ways Families Can Enjoy Nature (for free!) — Spring is nearly in the air, and Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction is dreaming of the fun and frugal ways that her family is going to get out and enjoy nature this summer.
• 10 Reasons We Unschool — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains why unschooling is the right choice for her family.
• Must Read: Natural Parenting Top Ten — Amy at Anktangle wants you to do a little reading! She shares her top ten favorite books to help parents prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
• Top 10 Breastfeeding Misconceptions — Sheila at A Gift Universe examines ten reasons women give for why they didn’t breastfeed as long as they wanted, and shows how these obstacles can be overcome.
• Ten Reasons to Plan a Home Birth — Since a home birth can be an incredibly empowering experience, Leslie at Lights and Letters outlines ten reasons why you should plan to have your baby at home.
• Top Ten Books for Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting — Megan at Just Me(gan) writes about the ten books that have helped her the most in her natural parenting journey.
• A Top Ten Letter To Me… — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment writes herself a letter of reflections and bits of wisdom she would have liked to know as a new mama.
• Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can’t Buy — Buying baby gear is fun, but Emily at Crunchy(ish) Mama knows real parenting must-haves can’t be bought in stores (or even on Amazon).
• Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine talks about her Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum.
• Ten Great Spring Activities To Do With Preschoolers — Kellie at Our Mindful Life and her family have come up with a great list of activities to do together this spring.
• 10 Ways to Reuse Yogurt Containers — Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes keeps the stacks of yogurt containers out of her recycling bin by reusing them in both practical and creative ways.
• Top Ten Ways To Have a Harmonious Home — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her natural parenting-inspired methods for maintaining a harmonious daily life with her toddler.
• 10 Natural Baby Items I Love — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares product ideas to support your natural parenting.
• The Pandas’ Top Five Crunch-osophies — Top five crunchy philosophies, as employed at the Panda Residence by Ana at Pandamoly.
• Top 10 Reasons to Leave Your Son Intact — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children has shared 10 reasons why you should leave your newborn son intact.
• Ten things everyone should know about unassisted homebirth — Olivia at Write About Birth shares practical tips for women considering an unassisted homebirth and debunks some common myths
• 10 Most Popular Ways To Treat Cloth Diaper Stains — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey gives ten easy tips to make your diapers like new.
• 10 Lessons in 1 Year — Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter shares 10 parenting lessons that she has learned throughout her first year of motherhood.
• Top 10 Ways to Get Breastfeeding Off To a Good Start — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes shares 10 effective ways to ensure breastfeeding gets off to a good start.
• Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out — If you are uncomfortable using time-outs in an attempt to control your child’s behavior, try one of these gentler alternatives. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares her Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out.
• My Top 10 Parenting Scriptures — Dulce de leche is learning to integrate faith and parenting. Whether it is breastfeeding, babywearing, comforting her children, or gentle discipline, she finds that the Bible has beautiful passages to encourage her on her journey.
• Natural Cleaning Ideas – Top 10 — Laura at Laura’s Blog lists the ways she keeps her house clean and clear of chemicals.
• My Top Ten (plus two) Life Altering and Growth Inspiring Books — A top ten list of books from MJ at Wander Wonder Discover that changed her life as an individual, a parent, and an earth dweller.
• Top 10 Ways to Use Natural Parenting for Children with Special Needs — Danielle at Mommy Makes Cents feeds the needs of her family and special needs child through the use of Natural Parenting.
• Ten Fundamentals — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante gets philosophical with a list of the fundamentals that drive her natural parenting.
• 10 reasons why I chose breast over bottles — Becky at Old New Legacy writes a quick list of why she chose breast over bottles.
• Top Ten Natural Tools for the Work of Play — Lori at Beneath the Rowan Tree offers insight into 10 natural toys that will span the early years (and save you money).
• 10 differences between pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US — Megan at Ichigo Means Strawberry gives her impressions about differences in pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US.
• Natural Parenting Benny & Bex Style — Pecky at Benny and Bex explains why Natural Parenting principles work best for her boys.
• Top 10 Reasons to Co-Sleep — 10 practical, emotional, and completely selfish reasons to co-sleep and share a family bed from Lily, aka Witch Mom.
• My Top Ten New Mommy Moments — Melissa at The New Mommy Files recounts the ten most memorable moments of her daughter’s first year.
• Top Ten Things Every Breastfeeding Mother Needs to Know — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood believes knowledge is power and wants all moms to be well informed.
• Top 10 Nursing Positions / Situations — Momma Jorje uses her 5½ years of nursing experience to share her Top 10 Nursing Positions/Situations. She includes some adorable photos of her youngest daughter at the breast.
• Ten Top Ways to Connect Kids with Nature — Terri from Child at the Nature Isle offers 10 ways to immerse ourselves in the natural world and develop a love affair with the Earth.
• Top 10 Slacker Ways to Natural Parent — Guavalicious is happy to show you how to parent naturally the slacker way.
• Simply what it looks like — Andrea!!! from Ella-Bean & Co. offers a glimpse into natural parenting through the eyes of mama and babe.
• Top Ten Reasons Why Natural Parenting Dads Are So Attractive — Nada at miniMOMist sure digs her husband, but it’s not just his good looks — it’s his parenting!
• 10 Family Systems and Routines That Work for Us — See what routines, organizational systems, and parenting approaches work for Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings to help avoid conflict and maintain sanity in a family with three young children.
• Top 10 reasons to choose midwifery care — Lauren at Hobo Mama lists the features that drew her to midwives’ care for pregnancy and birth.
• 10 Ways to Cloth Diaper on a Budget — Michelle at The Parent Vortex shares her best thrifty cloth diapering tips.
• Ten Reasons it Felt Sew Good To Make My Own Play Food — Brittany at Mama’s Felt Cafe lists her 10 (OK, 11) favorite reasons to grab a needle and start sewing your own felt play toys.
• Top10 Ways to Spark Interest, Learn, and Have Fun With Everyday Tasks! — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon gives you her top 10 ways of incorporating fun and lessons into everyday tasks and chores.
• Postpartum Gift Ideas — Alicia at I Found My Feet suggests a top 10 list of gifts for mother’s after giving birth.
• My Top Ten Shows Worthy Of Screen Time — Tree at Mom Grooves shares her top ten list of shows that she believes are positive, educational, kind, joyful, and a nice way to share some downtime with your children.
• The Top 10 Ways to Succeed as an Working Attachment Parent — That Mama Gretchen shares tried and true ways to succeed with attachment parenting even when working away from home during the day.
• Top Ten Books for Natural Parenting — Pregnancy, herbs, cooking, and healthcare the ten books Asha at Meta Mom the most.
• Preparing for a Hospital VBAC: My Top 10 — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis shares 10 ways she’s preparing for her upcoming hospital VBAC.
• Top Ten New Mom Survival Tools — Wolfmother shares her most beloved motherhood survival tools at Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
• Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives her top 10 list of Montessori principles parents can use to encourage their children s natural learning.
• Going Granola — Tashmica from The Mother Flippin’ Blog describes the 10 ways that natural parenting sneaked up on her. She never expected to go all granola on the world.
• Step Away From the Amazon List — Stefanie at Very, Very Fine wishes she hadn’t bought so much useless stuff.

Tags: Carnival of Natural Parenting, Family, Green, Month 6