Something makes me twitch almost on a daily basis. When I talk about our business, I have to describe it as “green” and I find I wince when I say it. Because “green” is becoming a brand, a very fashionable brand at that, and I hate being fashionable!
Until our parents’ generation, nobody talked about being green; people WERE green, not by choice or following a fashion but by necessity. It is, of course, great to be green, and more and more businesses jumping on the green bandwagon can only be a good thing. However, we also run the risk of alienating some people as they will resist the green label as it ceases to really mean anything. Or is an overused tag. Or is, in effect, a brand. And brands have followings but they also have enemies. I have met people who will not recycle because they don’t want to be labelled as green. It strikes me that we have almost got ourselves into a catch-22 situation. The more the goodlife is on the business agenda, the greener we can be. But there is this dangerous downside and people become disillusioned with the whole concept.
I don’t have an answer but maybe the green tag needs to be dropped. (I wonder what the Green Party would say!) Isn’t it time we stopped calling recycling/car sharing/vegetable growing etc ’green’ when they are just common sense habits.
 
On a more lentil-y note, I was branded a “hippie” recently by a friend, just for using washable nappies. I guess that’s better than being fashionable!

I've been struggling with this one because it is such a fraught issue. When it comes to breastfeeding, people are pretty religious. My mum was, and I grew up with the much-used phrase: 'Well, she wasn't breastfed...' about any troublesome juvenile we came across. I have breastfed my two without any problem but I definitely sympathise with those who don't manage it. And when I went back to work I had to supplement a bit (and I wasn't excommunicated from the family! My Mum has obviously mellowed with age).

During half-term, my parents came from France to spend time with their grandchildren and meet the new baby. After a week, when they left, it felt like I was waking up from a dream: we did not watch much TV, read the papers or see other people. It was a bit like the feeling you get after a holiday abroad. And it felt good! I am not saying that shutting yourself off from the world is the path to follow but sometimes spending time with each other is all we need. My dad said that he was not on holiday, he was here to enjoy the grandkids (big difference!). The children were having the time of their life going on walks, playing numerous board games (I can’t wait for them to be a bit older and play something more exciting than “shopping list” five times in a row) and drinking hot chocolate. So yes, it has been repeated time and again but that’s because it’s true: you don’t need to cram your child’s holidays with organised activities, sporting events or other baby yoga lessons; children know how to keep themselves busy and teaching them that fun is buying glossy (often expensive) and exciting activities is the foundation to over-consumptive behaviour. This is something I am trying to avoid on a daily basis so why do it during the holiday? We sometimes fall short and should not beat ourselves up for it but what’s more rewarding than seeing our children finding their own source of joy and excitement? Incidentally, also giving us 5 min to clean up the house....