It's a balance. Just like life and realizing that there is a season for everything. A time for the tide to rise while it's simultaneously preparing to flow back out.
I want my kids to understand the need to be cautious in this world and with the people that they meet, to trust their instincts and their gut, to know that it's okay to say "no" or to stand up for what they believe in or what they know to be right, there is also the other side of it. The ebb to this flow is that I don't want them to be so cautious that they don't treat people kindly, or too scared of life that they don't embrace it and live, really live it to the fullest in on their journey through this world. Balance.
Our family has adopted this same structure as we approach concepts of green and eco-friendly living. Are we a crunchy family? Not so much. Are we doing something? Absolutely. To me, it's still all about that one little word: balance.
I'll never forget the words a wise friend quoted once, a long time ago, while talking about this and other places where we try to strike a balance... between work and family life, "Sometimes it's not a problem we can solve, but a tension we can manage."
I want to teach my kids, even as I learn myself, how to take care of our world. I want them to be responsible about the choices they make while at the same time not living in anxiety about our future. I want our family to be healthy and to eat, breathe and drink the best, but I don't want to raise a family in fear of what we consume... because fear itself breeds a whole lot of unhealthy in our lives.
That's why my kids wore cloth diapers when younger, that's why we buy organic when we can, that's why we use essential oils to help keep our bodies healthy... and why Brayden runs in asking me to rub it on his feet whenever he finds a bottle of some oil around the house. Simply put, we do what we can, and try not to stress about the rest.
We can't do everything. Sometimes I find myself struggling, with too much pressure on myself to do better, to do more, to somehow reach perfection in raising my children. And the fact is, that will never happen. But I'm walking the tightrope. I'm using the tension like a friggin' balance beam and making the most out of it.
It reminds me of the scared giraffe on one of my kids' favorite new movies, who didn't want to step foot on the tiny little rope, but in the end? Giraffe has some moves and didn't even know he could dance. This mama doesn't have it all figured out, not even close, but I'm learning, I'm taking a step on that line and teetering before I can dance.
Take for instance this balance during the holidays when I just want to ride Santa's sleigh while singing carols and flinging home baked goods to everyone I know, and yet I want my kids to see the importance of giving, that it's not just about what makes us happy, that there's so much more to it than that. We all feel the struggle between the rush of a schedule filled with too much and the hope for a simple Christmas season, and so somewhere in there we look for the balance of it.
It can be a merry little tightrope too.
We take care of ourselves and try to make the world a better, cleaner, healthier place while we're at it. But we don't stress, we can't. No single person, or one family, can save the world. But just like any revolution, like any change in culture, it just starts with one idea. It begins with one step.
Imagine what it would look like if every person decided to take the time to share something they have to give this Christmas season... even if all that they have is themselves and a great smile. If everyone decided to make one healthier choice for their family. If everyone took one small step in the direction of cleaner living. What would the world we live in begin to look like?
One of the ways we're making a stride for the better is with The Honest Company products. We were recently introduced to their fashion forward diapers that don't have any nasty chemicals in them. Brayden loves the fit and feel... and the fun patterns. And even though he's on the verge of potty training, it's a way to go out of diapers in style. We've been using their laundry detergent for awhile now, as well as their bath products on the kids (which smell incredible, by the way), and so diapers were just the next step for us.
What could your next step be this season? We'd love to for you to share!
The Honest Company was started by a mom and a dad who, like many modern parents, were increasingly worried about products made with questionable chemical ingredients. But the alternatives they found were often expensive, inaccessible, bland, or ineffective. In response to this clear need for something better, they created The Honest Company to ensure that parents (or anyone for that matter!) could easily find natural and non-toxic eco-friendly products that are beautiful, effective, and affordable. From customized product bundles to diapers and wipes to an ever-expanding line of cleaning and personal care products, you can find everything you need at Honest.com and have it delivered directly to your front door.
Give it a try! Click here to become a member of The Honest Company community and start your free trial today.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Honest Company. The opinions and text are all mine.
