Green parenting — Even busiest moms, dads can make eco-friendly changes in households

Ah, the joys of being a parent: work, kids, laundry, cooking. ...

The list goes on.

And with all that responsibility, who has time this Earth Day to think about the health of our planet, let alone the rest of the year? Today marks the 38th anniversary of this global observance.

But parents are going green. Around the nation and here in Utah, more moms and dads are looking to things such as recycling, energy conservation and waste reduction as ways to protect the planet, improve their health and save cash.

They're also buying organic, building with recycled and reclaimed materials, shopping with reusable bags instead of plastic, and being ultraconscious of how chemicals can affect their families.

While scientists and environmentalists admit the benefits of these eco-friendly choices can't always be measured, these parental activists believe they are making a difference. It just takes time and a desire to truly change, said Shelley Marshall, founder of the local nonprofit, Mom-Ease, and the mother of nearly 3-year-old Ava Cruz.

And even the busiest parents can take action.

"You have to make a decision to get the ball rolling in your own life for bigger things to happen," Marshall said. "If you never get started, you'll never see change."

Marshall has done things such as work organic foods into her household budget. She buys gently used, wooden toys for her daughter and even began making her own chemical-free laundry detergent. The ingredients include Borax, washing soap and water, and the cost is significantly cheaper than regular detergent, she said.

Inside her home, Marshall and her family have also made eco-friendly changes to their flooring and fixtures, including the use of recycled and reclaimed materials. Other changes include the use of "reusables." Marshall carries a kit in her car that includes a reusable grocery bag, reusable water bottle and reusable container to carry leftovers from lunch.

"All the habits I grew up with aren't the habits I have now," she said. "I had to do a whole paradigm shift."

Jenn Savedge, the author of a new book about green parenting, said she believes any person — no matter their schedule or budget — can make the environment a part of daily decisions. Her book, titled "The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth-Friendly Living" (Kedzie Press, $11.30), is broken into sections that offer simple tips for things such as green cleaning, shopping and reduction of waste.