Manda Aufochs Gillespie - Green Mama: What Parents Need to Know to Give Their Children a Healthy Start and a Greener Future

Acknowledgements

A book like this is a community effort. It draws upon the tireless work of scientists, researchers, writers, activists, and parents. In addition to those I mention in the book, I would also like to acknowledge the help of Sarah Newstok, Roxanne Engstrom, Cecelia Ungari, Nora Gainer, Bridget Felix, Maureen Gainer Reilly, Glenys Webster, and Betty Krawczyk. I would also like to thank the many parents who have allowed me a glimpse into their lives through my Green Mama work and the Green Mama helpers past, present, and (I hope) future. It is hard to express just how much you have all inspired me. Despite what might seem like depressing work at times, I am more hopeful than I have ever been. Thank you for your support, time, and love.

A few friends stand out particularly for their efforts to support this book project. Deena Chochinov sat me down and explained just how I was going to negotiate getting the time to write this book amongst the craziness of family life, other jobs, and while my husband was simultaneously writing a book. Linda Solomon Wood insisted I send my manuscript to an agent and Tzeporah Berman introduced me to the amazing agents who took it. Jill Riddell, Lynn Powell, and Jennifer Block provided early guidance. Carrie Saxifrage read every chapter, sometimes multiple times, even while she was working on her own book. Some days, after reading chapters and chapters, she would then take my eldest for a hike in the woods or force me onto my bicycle and off to Boing!

The photographs in the book are the generous gift of a talented artist, Vanessa Zises Filley. Not only did she coax her children, my children, and many other peoples children into posing, she took this project into her heart to create photos that tell a story of love. To follow Vanessas work, visit her at vanessafilley.com .

My agents, Westwood Creative Artists, have been amazing to work with. I owe gratitude in particular to Chris Casuccio for his unrelenting belief in this book and his willingness to be both friend and guide on the journey and to Hilary McMahon for sharing her extensive contacts and knowledge of publishing. I am also thankful for the entire team at Dundurn, with the faithful and talented Diane Young at the lead, the editorial support of Allison Hirst, and the numerous other creative talents who worked hard to make this book especially beautiful, accessible, and available. Thank you for believing, as I do, that parents do still read books.

This book also belongs to my family, who, knowingly or not, got me into the green mama line of work: my grandmothers, Rose Marie and Ethel Mae, the latter of whom shared some of her parenting stories and knowledge for this book; my grandfather, who would walk with me in the woods until my own love for nature was found; my mother, who planted our childhood garden in the burnt-out remains of the house next door; my father, who taught me the power of a smile; my beloved siblings, all of whom provide me with a much needed reality check while never belittling my green-craziness. And most especially I want to thank my husband, Sadhu Aufochs Johnston that I ended up with someone as loving, inspiring, and eco-conscious as he is suggests that we do, sometimes, get more than we deserve and my children, who have taught me to love at new depths, laugh more, and hope.

The Meaning of Green

By way of introduction, let me tell you that green wasn t the first thing on my mothers mind when she was raising me. She was single with three kids, no money, and little support. Her worries were immediate: How would she feed us three meals a day? Who would care for the baby while she went to school to finish her degree? How could she save enough money to move her family to a safer neighbourhood? But her parenting was green: She planted a garden in the burnt-out lot next door and grew fresh vegetables. Our clothes were handed down. And we never wasted anything.

Similarly, my grandmother had no concept of green other than as a colour but she made her familys food from scratch, cleaned the house with baking soda, vinegar, and a bit of lemon, and breastfed her babies. She rarely flew on airplanes or ate out. She prided herself on reusing, recycling, and simply using less.

The point is that what we call green today used to be the norm. Both my grandmother s and my mother s parenting choices were simplified by the absence of things that our generation is expected to accept as a matter of course: industrial chemicals in consumer products; computer and TV screens to pacify children; marketing aimed at kids. Back in the day, screens still hung on doors, no one had heard of climate destabilization, and, some researchers believe, the parent-child attachment was stronger, so kids were easier to parent.