Green Parenting: Back to Basics

I live in a very old house (almost 100 years old). During this whole mess, I kept saying how fine we were and how this house was built back when people didn’t have heat and electricity (or indoor plumbing) and those people lived. So why, when we are stuck without power/heat for a couple of days, do we freak out and think life must stop?

My husband and I built fires in our fireplaces. We bundled up our kids and ourselves in multiple layers and blankets. We cooked over our fire & via our gas stove. We had snow so we stuck our milk, eggs, etc in coolers filled with snow (and a thermometer to make sure it didn’t get below 40 degrees). We drank hot tea and chocolate. All in all, we were fine. It was cold; it wasn’t fun getting out of the hot-watered tub; it was an adjustment to not have our gadgets. But we were fine.

So it stands to reason, all of the extras we have come to enjoy today are not necessary to our survival. They are conveniences which I am very grateful to have but in the end they are not needed to live. It all goes back to the Story of Stuff and how we are programmed to consume and buy (the holidays are coming, have you bought anything yet???).

So by that token, I started to make a list. A list of all of the things I can do without or reduce in my regular day-to-day life. Things I don’t need to buy and just find a way to use what I have and/or buy “vintage”.

 

• electricity (fire & candle light is beautiful)
• microwave
• computer
• iPad, iPhone, iTouch, iAnything
• clothes (repurpose old items in new ways)
• TV
• furniture

More of what I want to add back into my life.

• books (library or borrowed, or course)
• walking & talking with my children
• observing nature
• writing
• lunch with friends

What would you add to my list?