Motherhood and the Importance of Sustainable Parenting

By Claudia Simone Ene

Even though we live in different places all around the world, motherhood is unique and is experienced from within by every woman, but more than this, it is about raising a happy and responsible child who can make a difference to the world.

There is no definition which can describe motherhood in the best approach because this term must be felt before it can be explained.

When a woman becomes a mother, she has the power to change all her old habits and to grow into a new person, because motherhood marks a new level of existence. It gives you strength in yourself and it offers you a new purpose in life, changing the way you act and follow your objectives, but also the way you feel about yourself and mostly about the new soul that you need to take care of more than anything until that moment. Motherhood is unique and it must be experienced from within.

Whilst motherhood is now perceived as the most sensitive and powerful feeling for a woman, back in time, the term and the attitude regarding being a mother has evolved and it has flourished.

During the time, it was thought that giving birth to a new life is the woman’s essential calling and basic occupation and it was perceived as being part of every woman’s nature to become a mother and educate her children in the best way possible. Motherhood was associated with femininity and it was identified as a natural profession for every woman, even if women were stricter and were listening too much to outside voices. As for today’s world, I believe that there is no voice telling mothers how to raise their children and so there is more freedom in everything that mothers and children are learning, exploring and developing.

Nowadays, motherhood is based on feelings and different values that we discover in our communities. Children and parents find role models everywhere in society, in family, school or tv. And even though it looks easier to raise children nowadays, it is still demanding to teach them how to become happy people and good citizens. I believe that motherhood is an important not only for the family, but also for the entire world. By raising a good and happy child, the woman has the power to offer a responsible person to the society and this can change the world in better.

Is adding sustainable practises in a child's lifestyle since the early days a good idea to raise responsible and happy children?

Encouraged and implemented by the United Nations, sustainable practices are a considerable idea for mothers to implement in their children lifestyle. Through such actions, children can learn more about world, environment, animals, diversity and people, and they can develop a special relationship with everything around them by direct observation and participation. By exercising sustainability with children, they can add knowledge, values and develop appreciation, building a strong foundation for a responsible, but happy child. As a mother, every woman wants the best for her child. More than anything, a mother will always take the best decisions for a healthy growth of her child. So, in the latest years, more and more parents have become aware of the impact of sustainable development in children’s lives and have started to introduce such practices at home through a diversity of activities.

What kind of sustainable practices can be added in your early child’s development at home so they can make a difference in the future?

1. Teach your child about the existence of diversity and the importance of accepting each other without judging and marginalizing, by supporting the idea of reducing inequality within and among countries

I believe that one of the more precious lessons a child must learn since early years is the importance of accepting those who may be different because of sex, age, disability, race, ethnicity or religions. As children are the future of the planet, by teaching them how to accept each other we can contribute to a better world and influence not only lives, but also the economical and environmental degradation.

2. Explain and teach children how to help others by donating their toys, clothes or food to those in need, encouraging No poverty and Zero Hunger goals everywhere in the world.

I think it is very important for every child to learn since early ages how kindness and responsibility can change not only their lives, but also lives of those living in hard situations. The best way to do this is by teaching them how to recycle their toys or clothes and donate it to children in need, but also how to offer food and make a difference in the world with small deeds. Because poverty has many dimensions and our well-being is linked to each other, it is important to learn our children how to contribute to other people’s lives and try to make them better.

3. Encourage children to recycle paper, plastic, glass and aluminium and to avoid wasting water and plastic bags to keep the oceans clean.

By teaching them how to recycle and keep the environment clean, children become more responsible of their actions and they learn how to respect the natural environment and how to be active participants for the social changes. Any parent can encourage children to collect and sort household and make it more interesting by rewarding their efforts.

Motherhood and the importance of adding sustainable practices in child’s life since early days are very well connected because as mothers are informed about such activities for children, they can bring values to their little ones, but also to the society and environment.

Sources:

1. How the role of being a mother has changed throughout history. https://www.thelist.com/58638/how-role-mom-changed-throughout-history/

2. About the Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

3. Children’s learning for a Sustainable Society: Influences from Home and Preschool. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20004508.2017.1290915

4. Pinterest