where to begin?

I am not sure where to begin with this blog. Struggling with perfection and wanting to say everything all at once. It feels a lot like when I first leaned into the zero waste lifestyle – wanting everything to be perfect and beautiful for Instagram, and fit all our waste into a mason jar right away. That did not work for our family. We needed to take a few steps back, go slowly, and address things one a time. We needed to realize that how things work for others may not be appropriate for us, and vice versa. I will endeavour to do that here too.

Being mindful about our consumption and waste is something that our family values. Connecting with nature and environmental stewardship are part of our core values and this lifestyle reflects these deeply held beliefs. I plan to use this space to peel back what that actually means and how it translates into what a zero waste family might look like. What it means for us is constantly evolving as the kids get older and we all learn more. New challenges present themselves, but we look at it as an opportunity to reassess how we live and why. Our kids will find their own path in life and we hope they carry these values (and the habits we teach to reflect them) along their way.

Life with kids is messy and imperfect, but it doesn’t have to be wasteful if you can avoid it. On this blog I also plan to get into strategies and “simple swaps” for living low waste with kids, with suggestions that work for different circumstances and access. Waste is not a foregone conclusion, but rather an opportunity to be mindful about what we are actively and passively teaching the next generation. It is not always easy, but it is always important.

If you have children in your care and are interested in learning how to reduce your impact on the planet, I hope you find useful information here at Sustainable in the Suburbs! Not only are your kids watching and learning, but so are other caregivers. This is how real change happens.