Meet Alexandria Dicken, from Devon, UK
Follow Alex on Instagram: @journey_to_the_slow_road
This is the fourth blog post in our very special "Meet an Eco Parent" series, which gives you a chance to meet a parent from the UK who considers themselves an 'eco parent' or a 'green parent'; those parents who really think about sustainable impacts when raising their children, and are dedicated to their families and to the environment.
Thank you to Alex for answering these questions!
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
Hello 👋🏻 I’m Alex from Devon, UK. In the last few weeks we have recently purchased our eco smallholding which is very much a work in progress. I have 2 children (5 and 1) and a wonderful husband.
What does a day in your life look like?
A typical day for me usually involves spending the day with my youngest whilst my eldest is at school. At the moment this is involving a lot of tip runs to clear all the junk from the cellar and outbuildings. We look after the chickens and cats, do the washing, prepare dinner (our slow cooker is getting a lot of use at the minute), clear up after mealtimes, collect apples from our apple trees, clearing our garden and land of brambles to be able to grow some veg, or catching our breathe sitting on our little bench sharing an apple looking down our land and at the cows in the next field.
Would you describe yourself as an ‘eco parent’ or a ‘green parent’?
I would describe myself as being a mum that is very conscious on the impact my family is having on the environment but equally I want to make sure that it benefits us in the short-term too ie. cost is lower, better for our health and helping us move to a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle.
What is your top eco hack for babies / kids / family?
Reusable cloth nappies, baby wipes and sanitary towels - must have saved me a small fortune!
Do you have any advice for parents hoping to avoid plastics (and other materials with toxins) in baby / family products?
Check the labels and if there are a million ingredients, probably best to avoid. There’s an app called ‘Yuka’ which helps with identifying if a food product is good for us.
Do you talk to other parents about your own sustainable choices?
Yes, several mums have seen me using reusable nappies and will ask me about them which I think is great. So many mums are now recognising the benefits of swapping from disposable nappies and wipes to reusables and I love talking about it, and explaining the things I was worried about before I started using them. Sometimes I think it’s just fear of the unknown.
What are your favourite eco friendly baby / family products?
I love our bathroom eco swaps, which includes our solid shampoo and conditioner bars, soap, face wash, exfoliator, bamboo toothbrushes and floss. I also love the reusable baby wipes as they are so grippy and you only need to use one for a poo compared to at least 3 disposable baby wipes. No comparison!
Do you have any advice for parents who want to raise an ‘eco’ baby / child?
Go for it! There’s nothing better than raising a child to be aware of the world around them and how we can all help to make it a better place.
What is the best thing about being a parent?
The best thing about being a parent is seeing their little faces smiling up at you adoringly, or giggling when you tickle them, or cuddling up to them at bedtime and they give you a big kiss and tell you they love you. It’d makes all the other not-so-great moments all worth it!
Has being a parent changed you?
Yes definitely. I have never felt so tired and constantly rushing around doing jobs so quickly and on such broken sleep but I have never felt love like this before. I would do anything for my boys.