The best parenting advice I've listened to over the years came from the Brainwave Trust when they presented in Whanganui - speaker Nathan Mikaere-Wallis made the point that you should not get hung up on "perfect parenting" and instead aim for "good enough".
That's my approach to living sustainably, too - I'm time-poor being the mum of two young boys with paid work and volunteering plus a hubby who works long hours, so am always on the outlook for solutions that suit my lifestyle.
My favourite one, being re-established with the neighbours, is to cook for each other's family once a week - make an extra big lasagne, pizzas with a movie, burritos, or whatever it is. My other goal is to find quick and healthy vegetarian hits with the kids - the latest is fill-your-own tacos, messy but tasty. Choosing to eat more vegetarian meals has many layers of sustainability benefits.
I did get a few more sympathetic nods when admitting that the tidiness of our house takes a bit of a hit in lieu of quality time with the boys, especially getting them out of the house on these hot summer afternoons and swimming in the river. However, the near-hysterical laughter when I said I thought life would get a bit easier as the boys got older was a concern - I want to believe this parenting lark gets easier but perhaps I should listen to those who have gone before ...
On a positive front, I'm proud to say I finally have a compost system up and running, after years of struggling with options that didn't work out for me.
I don't know how I stack up with my pathetic attempts at gardening, though. They say we play to our strengths and mine do not include a green thumb. My carrots could be survivors, although I didn't thin them out as I was told to do so they may be deformed, although still sweet and fresh I hope.
One thing I do appear to be a dab hand at is raising Monarch butterflies! We are on to our third round of caterpillars and chrysalises this season, even though I've been culling eggs to give the poor old swan plant a chance to recover.
My biggest sustainability action comes from working from home. With school around the corner and childcare centre just 10 houses down the road, we walk everywhere, rain or shine. One of the unexpected bonuses that those without kids may not appreciate is it means I don't have to argue with a defiant Mr Three about getting in his car seat, which is energy-sapping at best.
And while I admire those who choose to not buy new items for a year, I don't intend to make any grand non-consumerism commitments - instead I am a conscious consumer. I love buying NZ-made clothing - Kilt is one of my faves.
It's interesting when you look closely at carbon footprint calculators - eating meat and consumerism are perhaps bigger contributions to your impact that some might realise.
So maybe "think global, act local" needs a bit of adaptation for me - perhaps "think global, then progressively act local as it suits your lifestyle"? Not quite as catchy though. Just keep doing what you can - that's my plan.
- Nicola Young is a former Department of Conservation manager who now works for global consultancy AECOM. Educated at Wanganui Girls' College, she has a science degree and is the mother of two boys. These views are her own.
