Dealing with Family who don't understand 'the green thing'

[Becky]

In my attempts to be greener I have bumped heads with some relatives who think I'm just being overprotective or jumping on the new 'trendy' green 'thing'. I'm wondering if other people have had similar issues and how you delt with them? I find myself appologizing for the choices I'm making and I really don't feel like I should have to.

[Tami Joyner]

How funny!! Talking with my 80 year old Mother about when we were kids and the "living green" now the other day, we were green cleaning while we were kids. Using corn starch with warm water washed our windows and then newspaper to dry them. See every spring every thing and I mean every thing in our house went to the yard and we cleaned our home from top to bottom using all of the "Poor Peoples" remedies that we now call Green. I just made my own all purpose wipess and cleaner for a spray bottle - just finished up making soap and my own essence oils. I have asked other people my Mom's age what they used to clean with and you just might get surprised when you ask. I find they were green cleaners long before us. And just as a quick comment to the parents were hippies - they couldn't have been the "real" hippies because we still take care of our environment; however, I know what you mean!

[Angela]

Yes! My family looks at me like I am crazy for making green choices. They were just appauled when I told them that I would be using cloth diapers for my son.

I don't get it. The facts are out there and so many people-including my family are just ignoring them.

[Alwaysamom]

I have a local residential cleaning company...it's all natural and has been since my chemical accident over 3 years ago. Out of all of my clients only one has the same mind set as me....the rest use toxic cleaning products when I am not there. My family and friends have gotten used to me and my world through "rose coloured glasses" but they still don't want to know about it.

One thing you have to continue to remember is that you are doing it for you and your loved ones...it doesn't matter what others think and you should never be apologizing for how you choose to live.

I do what I do for me.....I provide a safe environment for my employees at the workplace and a haven for my loved ones at home. That is what is important to me...not what others think.

Be proud...stand tall...you are leading by example and making a difference

[Shauna]

Over the weekend I had my parents & their friends over to say goodbye to our host child from Ireland (she 13, readily embraced our efforts to live a less toxic life, and went home with my copy of The Hundred Year Lie) The "friend" of my parents made several comments regarding meat (I'm a very non-pushy vegetetarian, I simply don't like it) then made some comments asking why our 15 month old baby wasn't eating a hotdog, etc. then made some more comments about the fact we cloth diaper. The baby was playing with a empty water bottle that my mom had handed her and this "friend" made a comment about how she probably didn't understand what this substance was because most of her toys are wood toys or cloth. Made a comment about how he was a child of the 50's and everything was plastic, my mom would make comments like "oh I know" or even a "mmm yum" at the hotdog comment! Now my mom is a smoker and this "friend" just had the stomach stapling procedure, (my mother's sis in law is dying of stage 4 colon cancer, my father had colon cancer 2 years ago from Agent Orange Exposure) so I find the subject of health very relevent and don't think these two should necessarily be touting out advice or critiques regarding how I raise my children but I tried to shrug most of it off, as this is a personal choice. Anyhow at one point my mother asked if she could give the baby a chocolate chip cookie (many, many times before I have said no to the idea of ice cream cones, etc for the baby) my take is she doesn't know she's missing anything and doesn't need this amount of sugar and is a very picky eater and shouldn't be offered unhealthy choices when she doesn't eat much good food yet. So I tried to use the chocolate as an excuse first, then my mother said well what if I just break off this part...and then I said no to the sugar, then the "friend" whispers she probably just wants to give it to her herself so she can be the "good guy" and I said firmly, No, she is not having a cookie period, she can have these cheerios and be perfectly happy. The rest of the party seemed fine and my mom seemed fine, then the next day my dad called and said your mother was up crying all night, you embarassed her yesterday! I said is this about the "damn cookie?" I feel like my views are not respected and put it to my father like this-if a child knows the answer will be no sometimes, they will ask in front of guests to try and get a different answer, backing the parent into a wall, and thats how I felt, under attack and left to either stand ground or back down, I backed down too much with our older child who is now obsessed with junk food and my mom's only form of recreation with the older child is ice cream after any event or visit and brings piles of candybars often (she's a soda/candy vendor) My sis-in-law acts the same as my mother and her children drank soda and ate candy under 2! They all act like I'm some controlling crazy mom and I'm not sure what the etiquette is? I don't really need to push my beliefs but do feel like they're under attack alot and unsure how to handle that. And don't even get me started on the plastic toys :) Sorry to be so long winded!