When you were in school, how many times did you end the year with no paper left in your notebook, no pencil left to your pencil, and no ink left in your pens and markers?  How many times did you chuck half-used erasers, and slightly nubby pencils in favor of shiny new ones when it was time to go back to school?

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There has to be a middle ground.

Waste-free lunches are a great way to be green, but what if you don’t have the time or kitchen skills to put together a completely waste-free, homemade lunch for your kids?  Or what if your kids are picky eaters, or are just begging for additions to their lunch that are more like what their friends are eating.

As someone who brought some pretty weird natural foods to school in her lunch box, and was ridiculed for them (In second grade, a kid in my class told the teacher I was eating puke at snack time.  It was hummus.), I can certainly appreciate that a little conventional looking pre-packaged food can go a long way in boosting a kid’s ego at lunch.  But it doesn’t have to be make-you-own or just cave in and send your kids to school with snack cakes full of partially hydrogenated oils and “fruit” snacks in neon colors.  There’s a good middle ground.

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Packing school lunches can be a mess of foil, baggies, and plastic wrap. When lunch is over, there’s a small mountain of garbage left behind. Read more…

iwalk, is an International Walk to School to raise awareness for safer and improved streets, healthier habits and cleaner air. It started in 1994 in Hertfordshire County in Great Britain with just a few schools. Last year, millions of children, parents, and community leaders walked to school in 42 different countries. Read more…

A backpack or schoolbag is another common item on the back to school list.

Look for hand-me-downs and thrift store finds.  Don’t be afraid to give the backpack a good wash.  Give new life to an old backpack with iron on patches, ribbon and cord, or fabric paints.

If you need to purchase a new bag, look for a sturdy bag that isn’t too trendy.  Explain to your child that you’re buying the bag to last for several years, not just one.  Choose neutral colors.  I still have and use the sage green canvas messenger bag I used for all four years of high school and through college.  It’s classic and neutral, and it’s still in once piece, so I never felt the need to get rid of it.

If you need ideas for a new bag, check out these eco-friendly options. Read more…

Shopping for back to school clothes can be a major event. Here are a few tips to green your child’s wardrobe and your own: Read more…

It’s that time of year again.  I have to admit that even though I’m not going back to school, I get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see the school supply display at the grocery store. Maybe it’s because summer is flying by too fast.  Maybe it’s an enduring traumatic response to even the idea of multiplication tables.  Maybe it’s a reaction to all that virgin paper and all those plastic coated binders and folders, that will end up in a landfill next year when new teachers mean new school supply lists, and Strawberry Shortcake is no longer as cool as The Smurfs (totally dating myself here).

I did a Back to School Series around this time last year, and I figured I’d bring some of the posts to the forefront, updated for this year, and throw some new stuff into the mix.  If you’re not headed back to school, and don’t know anyone who is, don’t worry.  There will be lots of tips and tricks that will be applicable to packing lunches for work, chosing home office supplies, and shopping for fall.

Enjoy!

iwalk, is an International Walk to School to raise awareness for safer and improved streets, healthier habits and cleaner air. It started in 1994 in Hertfordshire County in Great Britain with just a few schools. Last year, millions of children, parents, and community leaders walked to school in 40 different countries.

Read more…

I remember typing a report on a typewriter. I was probably in third grade, and I used so much whiteout that it pretty much covered the entire page. Having a computer has gone from being a luxury to a necessity. How else will you be able to help your child research a paper on the Revolutionary war at ten PM on a Sunday night? Read more…

For a lot of kids, going back to school means riding the bus. In some neighborhoods, the school bus stops at every single child’s house, where it idles and waits for the child to collect her things, say goodbye to mom, pet the dog, smell some flowers, and skip (at a leisurely pace) over to get on the bus. Not only is the bus idling the entire time, but so is every car behind the bus.

If this happens in your neighborhood, talk to the bus company and to other parents in the neighborhood. Set up a common school bus pick up spot at the end of your street or someone’s driveway. A little conversation can make a big difference.