We have an office of all women here at Nature’s Child so when having a discussion today about what we’ll  do for Fathers Day,  we got some surprising responses. There is a general agreement that on Mother’s Day, we want a day off to be pampered and just sleep, rest and play. But when it comes to fathers day traditionally, it’s been the opposite. The tradition went more like this, “here you are, it’s fathers day, spend time with your kids. This attitude was more a result of the traditional father working, mother at home story.  This does not apply to millennial fathers as much as previous generations. These days, fathers are often doing just as much as mums so look forward to a day off too.

Being a Byron Bay Brand, we  have to mention one of our fave Fathers Chris Hemsworth. He recently impressed one of our team when he said in an interview, something along the lines that ‘ his wife Elsa Patakay was a great help with the kids’ It felt like a real millennial moment to hear a dad talk like this.

All the studies are telling us that Working Mums Still do more than Working Dads when it comes to housework. But that was not the feeling in our office! So we all came up with 5 fabulous things that we would all do on Fathers Day. We hope you love one of them and get inspired!

Before we get to that list, here’s a quick nod to the traditional handmade craft gift. Our top pick was the mobile phone holder. It is simple to make and leaves lots of room for personalising. Give it a go and let us know how you get on!

5 Things Dad wants on Father’s Day

Acknowledgement for his dad super power.

We all need a little thanks and acknowledgement so we agreed the first thing to make sure Dad gets on Father’s Day is a thank you. Not just for being a great dad which is a bit general. Have a think about the very specific reasons you love your dad and make sure you put them on that card or in that speech you will make.

The Father’s Day Sleep In

Every day, one parent gets up for the kids while one gets to sleep in. Father’s Day should definitely be the day that dad gets to sleep in. If he is not the sleeping kind, then just make it clear that whatever time he wakes that will make him happy is one of his Father’s Day Gifts.

Get Together with  Friends & Family

Finishing a day knowing you had fun and laughter is a wonderful feeling. Why not plan ahead for a picnic or lunchtime dinner and games with a few other families, maybe even your own siblings, parents or cousins if they are nearby

A Walk in Nature for Father’s Day

There is something about a walk in Nature that makes connecting with your family all the more special. Nature Walks ground us and connect us to our hearts and bodies in a unique way. As a great songwriter once said, the best things in life are free!

Spending the day with his favourite hobby

One of the things we all give up as a parent is our favourite hobby. We certainly do it less if we don’t entirely give it up. How about purchasing a gift voucher for their favourite thing they have not done for a long time. Or Just carving out some time to make sure dad gets a surf or whatever his favourite fun time thing he deserves. Doing great things we love help us all feel connected to our sense of self. Make sure Dad knows that you know what he loves on Father’s Day.

We hope we have given you some great idea’s. If you looking for a gift for a new dad or dad to be, then we can recommend these personal favourites from  Nature’s Child.

If  you have a New Dad in your life and would like to buy him a special gift, visit our  5 Top Gifts for New Dads List Here

5 Baby Gifts for a New Dad  you know this Fathers Day

Baby Gifts are traditionally focused on what a new mother would need or like. But what if the special person in your life  that was about to become a dad was your son, your brother, your husband, your colleague or your friend? If  you would like to get a New Dad in your lif a special gift that  he would particularly love. Here are 5 great ideas and the reasons  why.

1. The Organic Cotton Baby Carrier: A New Dad will love a baby carriers. It helps them feel the closeness that a mum naturally feels in pregnancy. The more a dad gets to hold his baby,  the more involved he gets in daily caring roles. Keep that in mind this father’s  day.
2. Grandparents Memory Book: This is a practical task that allows dads to connect with their child’s grandparents and create a lasting keepsake for their child.
3. Baby Record Book: Our Baby Journal has no gender constraints so you can create a very personalised record that does not mention mum or dad unless you want to use these words.  Printed on recycled stock, this will help a new dad create a precious book of memories, milestones and firsts.
4. Baby Swimmers &  Sunscreen: Give a gift that dad can look forward to using with his  baby. Baby Swimming is the perfect new dad activity
5. Classic Eco Friendly Baby Toys: A mother rightly has all the attention in the early months so giving a new dad a toy is a fun way to welcome him to fatherhood and all the playtimes to come.

Please support one of  our valued Retailers such as Biome who Provide an even larger range of Eco Friendly Goodies for Dads and be sure to start with one of  our best selling Certified Organic Skincare Products for  his new baby.

Here are 5 baby products you use every day

1. Nappies
2. Baby Swimmers
3. Breast Pads
4. Baby Wipes
5. Face Wipes

Did you know it’s thousands of dollars cheaper to reuse organic baby products rather than disposable baby products? Do the Calculator Challenge with your preferred disposable brand to work out your family savings if you switched to Cloth for any of the 5 products above.

If you want to change but not sure where to begin, just start by replacing one of these 5 products. If you are still pregnant and making decisions about what products to use for your new baby, then now is the time to research and prepare for the best eco start possible for your family. Using Cloth Products is easy, safe and fun, not to mention saves you a bundle of cash.

Just start where you can is my best advice. The aim is not to be perfect or stressed about change. The aim is to be making small manageable changes. We all want to see big changes in life but the truth is that big changes happen in small ways.  Replacing products and changing your shopping and consumption habits are small weekly decisions. Some weeks will be successful and some weeks you won’t. That is okay! As long as you are moving in the direction of change, you are doing more than most people.

You are looking for progress, not perfection. When you look back in a year from now, it will look like a big change but it will feel like on daily or weekly basis, it can feel quite small. That is good news!

Reusable baby products saves a load of rubbish but also saves you a load of money! An Organic Cloth Nappy Set up for a new baby including all the nappies, nappy wipes, breast pads for a new mother and face wipes for dribbles all comes in under $1000. If you buy these items in disposable form on a weekly basis, they cost minimum $5000 per child.

If you are already a convert to ditching disposable baby products and buying less “stuff” for our kids, then Earth Overshoot day is a great way to measure our consumption and see in real time how this impacts the natural resources available to us on planet earth. Last year, earth overshoot day was in August. This year, it has moved up to July 29. This is not the direction we want the date to move in. In 2019, the Earth Overshoot Day campaign introduced #movethedate to inspire people to share the awareness of this significant date.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. You can share #movethedate and talk to parents in your community about this date. Earth Overshoot day changes every year based on our calculated human consumption. This year, we have used up one planet of resources by July 29 but we have a lot of the year to go still! It’s a bit scary but also inspiring as it gives us a measurable way to consider using less products every day. Using Less Products means Using Less Resources. It’s that simple!

Disposable Nappies are a greater problem than plastic bags for local councils. An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers (nappies) are used each year in the United States. An estimated 2 billion are used every year in Australia.  With 195 countries in the world having access to disposable nappies, you can see why eco parents want to lead the charge for change. Add billions more baby wipes, breast pads, swimmers and other disposable baby products and you can see why we have to change. These statistics are a huge inspiration for Cloth Nappy Companies such as Nature’s Child, all started by mums who care for the planet our kids will inherit.

Nature’s Child is committed to removing all plastic from our packaging. We have alreay removed almost 90% of plastic and we are committed to solutions for our lids and inner protective packaging. Last month, we shared the news about our Popular Regular Breast Pads now arriving with NO PLASTIC in the packaging at all. They join our Baby Wipes which went Plastic Free Packaging Last Year! If you have not seen them yet, check out the link below #sharetheplasticfreenews #natureschildbreastpads #organicbabyproducts #parentsagainstpollution

When you choose reusable, organic baby products instead of disposables, you get safer, healthier for your baby.

Thank you for exploring 5 Ways to #movethedate Earth Overshoot Day as a parent in our eco movement.

Thank you for joining parents against pollution in our Organic Tribe.

Nature’s Child was born in Byron Bay in July 2000. We have a lot of experience and love for this topic!

Our behaviour, what we eat and how we spend our days can shape our children’s future (no pressure!). Their developing brains are like sponges, waiting to see what information is vital and what they need to hold on to in order to create and shape their own futures.

It is therefore imperative that we lead by example and encourage our children to start making healthy food choices, without creating obsessive or complex behaviour towards food. Piece of cake right?

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Eat whole foods 85% of the time: the less processed the food, the easier it is on your child’s digestive system. Genetically modified ingredients, additives and preservatives found in processed foods are among the main causes of the increase in allergies and intolerances prevalent today.
• Behavioural problems have been linked with preservative calcium propionate (282), commonly used in bread. Always check the labels for a long list of numbers and unpronounceable ingredients, as childhood diseases such as asthma, hyperactivity and learning difficulties are often linked with these food additives.
• Keep school lunches interesting by mixing up the contents. Sorry but a sandwich day in day out won’t get you over the line (and may result in mouldy bread found stashed in the backs of cupboards months later). Try boiled eggs, fresh fruit, veggie sticks, or my Nut-Free Muesli Bars, Carrot Cupcakes or No-Bake Cookies.
• It is your responsibility to get your children out and about, rather than sitting indoors playing with gadgets. Spend quality time with kids, turn off computers, phones, iPads and play. Before you know it. They’ll be grown up and won’t want to hang out without you!
• Take time for yourself! Enjoy guilt free time out every day with exercise, yoga or meditation. Children are more resilient than you think and you’ll be a better parent for it.

In the extraordinarily beautiful and wise word of Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.” Amen.

Here are three simple tips to better manage your day to ensure you’re needs and wants are being met and you’re still finding enjoyment in the day to day activities.

1. Make a list
   Sounds mundane but honestly, if you want to better manage your days, lists are your new best friend. Write a list of everything you think you need to do in the day, as well as the things you would like to (i.e. things you enjoy doing/self-love kind of stuff/sit with your children, etc).
2. Now divide that list into:
   – Things that must get done
   – Things that would be good to do but are not urgent
   – Things you want to do for enjoyment

Get the must-haves done so your mind is at ease but let’s re-evaluate the not so urgent tasks. Can the vacuuming wait another day or two? I think yes! This now gives you time to add in one of those tasks of enjoyment, be it yoga, a beach walk or sitting in the sun and reading a book. Our days are busy and full of rushing hither and thither so scheduling time in the day to do something you enjoy is a top priority in my mind. No ‘I don’t have time’ excuses, please.

3. Delegate
   Are you someone that likes to feel in control? Perhaps you take on too much because you feel you’re the best at the job and someone else just might not be up to scratch. I don’t mean this in a bad way, it’s likely you’re very competent and know just how things need to be done but the sake of your own sanity (and to free yourself up some time), send that stuff someone else’s way! Start with smaller jobs until you feel confident letting go and handing over the reins on the bigger stuff. This goes for work and home life too. (I bet your partner is more than capable once given the opportunity!).

You will find even the first step of writing down all of your to-dos is helpful enough. Getting those thoughts out of your swirling mind and onto paper is cleansing in itself. And once you’ve de-cluttered your mind and organised your day into a functional flow, you’ll find the balance between being and doing. And why we need both states in our precious lives.

What if I told you that keeping clean whilst being pregnant and rearing children doesn’t have to be complicated. There are some super easy things you can do in your daily life to gently restore our bodies whilst keeping safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding times.

You may even be doing them now.

Eat (and drink) Beetroot
Beetroots contain a group of phytonutrients rich in antioxidants called betalains that support detoxification in the liver. When your liver is able to detoxify chemicals and toxins more effectively, then your body is better able to balance hormones, cholesterol and energy levels. Try in juice or grate beetroot raw in a salad or roasted with olive oil and sea salt.

Drink Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw apple cider vinegar is alkalising, stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes, aids in healthy weight maintenance and safe to use in small does at all times. Mix apple cider vinegar and a pinch of cayenne pepper to 50-100ml warm water. Drink on rising or ten minutes before meals to increase digestive capabilities.

Use Natural Household Cleaners
It’s so important to reduce the ubiquitous presence of toxic chemicals in our natural environment, man-made environments and our personal environments. Seek out safe cleaning solutions, such as eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, citrus oil, bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar.

15% OFF ALL NATURE’S CHILD PRODUCTS TILL SUNDAY 12TH MAY USE DISCOUNT CODE:  NCAUTUMN15

Dry Body Brush
Our skin is the largest waste elimination organ in the body. Body brushing exfoliates the skin and removes dead skin cells that may be clogging up pores and interfering with toxin elimination. This process also assists with the prevention of dry skin, as it stimulates sebum secretion from the sebaceous glands, leading to softer, lustrous skin. I body brush before showering in the morning. As a general rule, stroke the brush in one upward movement towards the major lymph nodes in the body, such as the groin, armpits and base of neck.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Drinking lots of water is essential, especially alkaline water. Alkaline water, also known as antioxidant water, has a higher pH which helps to extract acidity from the body.

Use Fresh Herbs
Many every-day kitchen herbs are not only loaded with antioxidants, they also enhance flavours in food so you can easily give processed condiments a miss.  What’s more is that herbs such as parsley and coriander are super-alkalising, and have the ability to harmlessly remove heavy metals from the body.  Parsley for example, is loaded with Vitamin C and beta-carotene, it’s like the equivalent of eating a couple of oranges and a carrot juice to boot.

You see, keeping clean doesn’t have to be difficult or take control of your life. By incorporating these things into your daily routine you’ll reduce the toxic load naturally.

Autumn is here and with it comes a great time to do some autumn cleansing. Here are some sure-fire ways to reduce your toxic load for your family and for our planet.

What are we waiting for?

These days our bodies are overloaded with toxins as they are being thrown at us from every angle – in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the products we use on our skin, for our family and in our home. We can’t be perfect all the time so here are some easy solutions to the toxic burden.

Foods.

Avoid processed foods. Our bodies need and understand whole foods, not refined and processed ones. Pesticides on fruit and vegetables can be partially removed by soaking them in a bentonite clay bath, which attracts and absorbs some of the toxins used in conventional agriculture. Also, apple cider vinegar works as a fruit and veg wash.

Alcohol.

Consumption of alcohol is extremely taxing on the liver as the liver needs to work overtime in order to process the toxins. It is not just the liver that suffers however, alcohol can affect personal behaviour and mood, digestive function, skin quality, cognitive function and absorption of nutrients from our food.

Personal Care Products.

That’s where we can help! Check out our range here. From personal care to baby care and eco-living products we have you covered.

Household Cleaning Products.

Look at the material safety data sheets (MSDS) on the products you use to clean your bathroom, kitchen and living spaces. Ditch any that are damaging. Seek out and use non-toxic cleaning solutions like our range or simple solutions like eucalyptus oil and white vinegar.

Clean Up Your Air.

Have lots of plants in your living environment. Ensure your house gets fresh air daily. Ideally, if you live in the city, go to a nature reserve to indulge in some fresh air. Avoid all products that list ‘fragrance’ on them as these are totally unregulated.

Source The Purest Water You Can Find.

Water is a major ally during a cleanse and in everyday day life. Every process in the body takes place in a water environment, so ensuring this is continuously refreshed is vitally important, even more so during a detox. Choose what water works for you, whether it be filtered, spring or distilled and add some lemon or lime for a further alkalising effect.

Tune Within.

Tune in to your internal commentary and become aware of any toxic criticisms or reproaches you may be generating, either towards yourself or others. Nip them in the bud and express them with a healthier, constructive voice. Clearing these can create uncluttered spaciousness. Find some affirmations that are powerful for you, and read them during times of stress or when you see fear overtaking love.