As moms, we are so busy that we often miss opportunities to make the informed choices that have the power to change the world in small ways. Every day, we make decisions that impact our families and the world around us. Stop and think about the decisions you made today. How did you interact with your children? How did they see you interacting with others? What did they see you buy? What kind of meal did your family eat? These are just a few of the many decisions you make every day.
Our children watch and learn from everything we do and say, but they also receive influential messages from peers, web sites, newspapers, and television. Moms need to be aware of these strong outside influences, so that they can use them as powerful teaching tools. For example, let's say your child sees a commercial for a food product and begs you to buy it. You have two choices:
- You can buy the product the next time you go shopping, without involving your child.
- You can bring your child with you to the store, read the food label together, and decide if it's a healthy choice for your family. If not, you can discuss why, and look for an alternative together. You should begin or end this process with a discussion of the commercial and the power of marketing in general.
Which is the better choice? The second option may take more time, and you may not have time to handle every purchase like that, but you can start a little bit at a time. Small steps can make a big difference.
If you'd like to learn more about how to help your child to become a critical thinker, I highly recommend Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times, by Zoe Weil. This author gives specific examples of how parents can provide their children with the love and guidance they need in order
to make positive decisions in an often negative world.
The way moms spend money sends a powerful message to their children, and to the world. The one complete resource for moms who want to make their homes greener, and make our world a little bit cleaner, is Big Green Purse: Using your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, by Diane MacEachern. This book will change the way you think about shopping, and is quite a bargain today at Amazon. There is also a wonderful Big Green Purse web site, if you prefer. This web site will keep you updated about the most environmentally friendly products out there.
Whether or not you decide to read these particular books, it is important for children to see parents reading to themselves on a regular basis. You don't have to read a novel for two hours a day. Reading about current events in a newspaper or magazine may even be better, since you can discuss relevant articles with your children. When you don't have a lot of time to read, it becomes even more important for you to be selective when you do.
What informed choices did you make today?
