Ever wondered how the products you buy ended up in the store you bought them from? Or did you ever think about how a T-shirt can cost less than $2 or a radio less than $5 when it should only be enough to cover the cost of its transportation from Asia?
The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute look at the supply chain, especially the parts that are hidden away from the consumers. It reveals the connections between a large number of environmental and social issues, and calls on us to create a more sustainable and fair world.
If you want to know what you can do to address the problems that are discussed in the film, check out Another Way; a list of 10 little and big things you can do.
I came across a documentary last week named Consuming Kids and I have to say that it is absolutely a must see for every parent and every human being for that matter. The documentary talks about how marketing for children has gone way out of hand since the early 80’s and is now affecting their physical and mental health in negative ways.
I was amazed to see how this intense advertising has not only taken over t.v. and other media but has now managed to squeeze itself into schools around the US. Children are even taking field trips to the mall where they are greeted by a sales person who introduces the newest product!
It’s very sad that children no longer get to experience things for what they are and use their imagination to the fullest since toys today are practically doing all the work for them and are being literally fed to them.
Again, every parent should watch this movie!
Link to the movie on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCT7h-jwCWA
Throughout the years, I have bought a lot of clothes, never wondering about the effect my purchasing had on the world or the environment. It wasn´t until I started working for fafu that I started reading up on organic materials and more importantly, what effect non-organic materials can have on me, the person manufacturing the product, and the environment.
One of the most polluting industries in the world is the conventional cotton industry. Conventionally grown cotton uses huge quantities of chemicals and fertilizers. As an example, it is estimated that 50% of all pesticide used in India is sprayed on the cotton fields. This has a dramatic negative effect on the environment and to the health of farm labourers who are exposed to the chemicals.
Cotton can however be successfully grown without pesticides by enrolling the help of insects and fungi that attack the cotton pests. That´s how organic cotton is made.
So why doesn´t everybody use organic cotton? I´m not really sure, but my guess is that the main reason is higher cost, less production capacity and slower growing.
But if you think about the real cost of non-organic cotton, I think it will turn out to be much higher than the cost of organically grown cotton, given the effect the chemicals and pesticides have on the environment, consumers, and farm labour. Furthermore, child labor is often associated with the traditional production of cotton.
So what can we as consumers do? Look for environmental, organic or fair trade labels on the clothing we are thinking to purchase. It used to be that only small, specialized stores carried clothing made from organic cotton, but today you should be able to find them in many mainstream clothing stores. Here you can find a list of the most common eco-labels on textiles: Eco Labelling.Org
I will leave you with a short documentary on organic cotton. I hope you find it as informative as I did.
One of my favorite green websites/blog Treehugger has put up a great Christmas gift guide. They have divided the guide into categories to fit different personalities and interests so it’s easy to find something that fits your style. Many have begun to buy Christmas gifts so now is the perfect opportunity go see what’s available in green products. Not only is a green Christmas gift safer for the environment but it also lasts longer.
I’ve noticed more and more people deciding to make their own gifts this year and you don’t necessarily need to use all new material for your DIY gifts. Go to a thrift shop and use old clothes or products for their material. Re-using is the new Re-cycling!
Around a week and a half ago, when I was sitting with my son Adel where he was showing me his newest drawings, he asked me if he could have an exhibition – an art exhibition. The first answer that came to my mind was: „Sorry son, but that is a crazy idea. Maybe some other time“. But before I managed to get the words out of my mouth I thought again and said to myself: „Why not now?“. It´s really not that complicated. My son does all the artwork and installations and all I have to do is invite people (talk), clean the house, and make some tea (all of which I do several times a week anyway). So I smiled to him and said: „That´s a great idea, let´s do it!“.
So the following days went to planning the event. My son used all his spare time making new artwork and hung each finished piece on the wall as he went on making new creations. When he had piled up a sufficient amount of artwork, I asked him how he wanted the exhibition to carry out. Then I posted an event on Facebook where I invited selected friends and family members. I also stressed that according to the artist´s orders, none of the artwork would be for sale, but that he would be more than happy to discuss his work, how it came about and what it meant to him. The few family members who do not use Facebook I called by phone and invited to come. Needless to say, everyone was super excited and honored to be invited to Adel´s first art exhibition.
For Adel, it has been like waiting for Christmas. Almost every night before he goes to bed he tells me how happy and excited he is to be having the exhibition and he´s putting even more ambition into his work now. It doesn´t take much effort to make a 5 year old believe in his worth and talent! Plus it´s a great venue to get together with friends and family, which in our busy society happens too rarely.
So my advice: Whatever crazy idea your kids come up with, think about all the reasons why you should say yes before you start thinking about the reasons for saying no. Then give your answer. Who knows, you might surprise yourself (and your kids)!
We all have our special ways of going trough live and any changes we make in our routine can be hard. I myself am a child of the 80’s and growing up in Iceland at that time, sustainability was almost an unknown term. It wasn’t until I moved to the USA at the age of thirteen when I got to know recycling better and got interested in making a difference.
I still feel sustainability is not taken seriously enough in Iceland and I’ve thought about why that is. Countries in Scandinavia are way ahead of us and sometimes I think we are being too careless since we have all this clean air and water and unspoiled nature. Nonetheless, we need to start preparing for the future and take care of our surroundings, regardless of where we live.
You may ask yourself “where do I begin?” and there are endless books and websites that can tell you how to start. My favorite so far is National Geographic’s The Green Guide where you can find hundreds of answers to questions on everything having to do with green living. Cooking, buying, cleaning, traveling, raising your kids, recycling, gardening, home improvement… this site has it all.
Fafu has a clear focus on development of mind when designing our toys. Now we are working on some ideas with a wider focus on development.
Childrens development is so much more than just of mind. To learn skills and build up confidence children should develop all aspects of their mind, body and spirit. Our best qualities can only shine when we are confident enough to let them.
Children are often burdened by a lack of physical or social development which can have a dramatic affect on self worth. What can we as parents do to help our children balance their development?
One way is to evaluate how our children are doing. For that you can consider Howard Gardners theory of multiple intelligence http://www.howardgardner.com/MI/mi.html. You can also discuss the matter with the child’s teacher to learn more about how it is doing outside of the home. It is important to consider possible weaknesses that the child is facing and find ways to challenge it in new ways. I think we tend to grab on to talent and nurture it – without realizing that other things are also important so that our children can grow and master living and being happy.
Recently I read a few pages in a book called The Future of Play Theory, and there was one sentence that caught my attention. It said that an object a child plays with should not limit its imagination but that the imagination should direct how a child plays with the object.
When I came home from work yesterday, my son was lying on the living room floor with a big blank sheet of paper, and a lot of different types of coloured pens and pencils. He was drawing a picture, or more like a whole new world of creation he had pulled from his imagination. When I asked him to tell me the story behind his creation, his face lid up and he told me a long story about what was what, who did what, and why. This is not the first time my son uses these huge (well, they´re only A1 in size, but for a 5 year old that is quite big!) sheets of paper as a canvas for his imagination and sometimes it can keep him occupied for a couple of hours. Sometimes he even takes a break from it for a few days and than comes back later to add the final touches. He has also been known to cut his creations into smaller pieces and glue them back together to change the scenarios.
Blank sheets of paper give a child freedom for to explore, to let the mind wander free, and to create. In my opinion, the bigger the sheet the better, (and less chance of the child continuing its creation on your nice living room floor). A lot of colored pens and pencils, small child proof scissors and glue give added possibilities, but are not necessary. A sheet of paper and one pencil or pen can work wonders for young creative minds.
If you want to use the colouring books your child already owns, why not encourage him/her to colour outside the lines? Let him experience the great liberating feeling of not being stuck within a predecided form and see how he reacts when the power shifts from the creator of the drawing in the colouring book to the child. The child could even use its imagination to draw new pictures or forms from the existing ones and thereby giving the picture its own creative touch. Why not sit down with your child and colour outside the lines yourself? It is a surprisingly good feeling and after a few times of re-programming our behavior, it will feel like the only right thing to do!
Have fun!
What are your thoughts? Got any good tips on creative play?
Inhabitots is the kiddy-version of the designblog Inhabitat. Inhabitots focuses on green design for children and talks about everything from clothes to furniture. Check out the blog and their awesome web shop.
Their mission:
Inhabitots is a weblog devoted to sustainable design for the next generation. Our mission is to provide parents and others with babies and young children a resource for exploring and researching modern, sustainable, healthy design for kids. Inhabitots covers interior design, furniture, clothes, toys, and green lifestyle choices to help benefit the little ones in our lives.
The mission of our parent site Inhabitat.com is:
GREEN DESIGN IS GOOD DESIGN
GOOD DESIGN IS GREEN DESIGN
Inhabitots aspires to the same. Becoming a parent does not mean having to sacrifice style or true sustainability, and Inhabitots is here to prove it!
We went to TEDx Reykjavik today. A fantastic way to recharge your mental battery and get yourself out of your newest box (yes they tend to reappear). www.tedxreykjavik.com
One of my favorite speakers had the answer to the meaning of life! And here you have it:
“The meaning of life is never to grow up and become an adult”
I think he is on to something. I am at least happy to stop trying to become a normal and serious adult.
The most important aspect of thinking like a child is their blind believe on what is possible. My oldest son was a really pure toddler with great simple answers to everything. He ones told me when he was 3 that he could do anything! Of course I should have told him yes you’re right! But being my imperfect self I said “can you drive a car?” His answer was priceless “No silly! I can do anything I can do!!” Of course he was absolutely right.
You can also do anything you can do! Even many things that you have yet to try.
Throughout the years, I have bought a lot of clothes, never wondering about the effect my purchasing had on the world or the environment. It wasn´t until I started working for fafu that I started reading up on organic materials and more importantly, what effect non-organic materials can have on me, the person manufacturing the product, and the environment.
Around a week and a half ago, when I was sitting with my son Adel where he was showing me his newest drawings, he asked me if he could have an exhibition – an art exhibition. The first answer that came to my mind was: „Sorry son, but that is a crazy idea. Maybe some other time“. But before I managed to get the words out of my mouth I thought again and said to myself: „Why not now?“. It´s really not that complicated. My son does all the artwork and installations and all I have to do is invite people (talk), clean the house, and make some tea (all of which I do several times a week anyway). So I smiled to him and said: „That´s a great idea, let´s do it!“.
Fafu has a clear focus on development of mind when designing our toys. Now we are working on some ideas with a wider focus on development.
Recently I read a few pages in a book called 