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Having kids makes it harder to love Mother Earth
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Published: April 30, 2009
Mother's Day is still over a week away. But last Wednesday, Earth Day, we paid tribute to the biggest mother of them all: Mother Earth.
Being nice to our mama planet is cool now, thanks to global warming. Did you notice the "eco-friendly" items for sale in the Sunday Target ad printed on recycled paper? I like Earth Day because in my heart I'm a planet hugging, animal loving person. But Earth Day frustrates me because of reminders of how "un-eco-friendly" I am in other areas of my life.
My fellow mortal mothers, I ask you: Is it not next-to-impossible to reduce your carbon footprint when you are following — or being followed — by tiny sets of footprints belonging to your children?
Washing your hands after every bathroom visit is required. But let's try and establish a method that doesn't involve letting the faucet run while we push up our sleeves, squirt five tons of soap into our hands and rub it into a foamy froth.
My son's teacher taught him to sing the alphabet while scrubbing, an amount of time guaranteed to kill every germ hiding under every fingernail. Do you know how many gallons of water wash down the drain before arriving at letter Z?
My daughter enjoys tea parties in her room at least once a week. Usually, it's just the two of us, her and a friend, or her and the dog. Yet two tea pots and eight tea cups get filled with water — just to be spilled, and refilled again.
My son has discovered his love of writing. He enjoys writing notes to everyone in the family. I've lost track of how many "I love you Mommy" notes I've received. Very sweet. But each note — four words written on a new sheet of paper — represents another tree that literally just got the ax.
And why do kids need every hall light, room light, closet light and nightlight flipped on while playing?
I'm convinced the Space Station residents see my home clearly and mistake it for a lighthouse.
Mother Earth, I'm trying my best. I'm recycling cans, bottles and paper, and planting flowers with my kids. And I took them to Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's last week. Does visiting an earth-friendly eatery count?
Can you please just ignore the 30 napkins I used to wipe the Chocolate Chunk off my daughter's face, and we'll call it even.
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