I am not green enough for my kids

Saving the environment is top of the agenda for my husband. And while I have sleepless nights about things like my daughter's impending birthday party, my husband lies awake worrying about the end of the world.  

His save-the-world crusade is rubbing off on our kids, and so we now have two additional eco warriors in the house. My eldest daughter, for example, has built her own 'eco' house from cardboard boxes and newspapers. The structure now occupies most of our sitting room.  (I don't have the heart to tell her that the amount of sellotape she has used in its construction is the environmental equivalent of buying a couple of extra cars...) 

Don't get me wrong, I am concerned about the planet, and I try to do my bit.  I compost when I remember, and I recycle, although sometimes I can't be bothered to wash out a peanut butter jar, for example.  I have even joined the school eco committee.  But I reckon you should just quietly get on and do these things rather than giving people a hard time about it. 

Eco-nags

I get reprimanded for putting the odd carrot peeling in the bin, for having too many fairy lights on in the house, leaving the TV on while I go and make myself a cup of tea, and for boiling the kettle when the sun isn't shining. Things really are getting a bit out of hand. 

The other day I announced I was going into town to do some shopping and I was met with resistance. I was given the third degree about what I needed to buy, and if my journey was really necessary. "You can do your shopping on the computer," my daughter informed me. She then went onto suggest that I should use her dad's electric bike to make the 30 mile round trip with my shopping. 

I had visions of having to pull the shopping trolley behind me on the bike because I am not allowed to use carrier bags. And when my husband brought up the subject of getting a two-seater Smart car again, I had to leave the room.

Meanwhile, after a lot of lobbying from my husband and his little sidekicks, I eventually agreed to the installation of solar panels on our roof. "Look, Mum, our electricity meter is going backwards!" is often heard in my house. When the sun is beating down on our panels my girls are beside themselves with excitement. "You can put the washing machine on now if you like Mum."

By way of rewarding myself for allowing the solar panel installation,  I floated the idea of us all going to Italy for a holiday next year, instead of our usual spot in Wales. I excitedly told my kids that they would get to go on an aeroplane and fly through the clouds and over the sea, and that take-off and landing is great fun. I was told that flying was not good for our carbon footprint and it would be much better for the planet if we went on the train instead.  

Enough is enough

It really makes me feel like rebelling. While I commend my husband for educating our children so thoroughly, and agree that we all need to make changes to the way we live, I don't think it should be at the cost of making life impossible.

Next time my husband and the children are busy caressing their compost heap and talking to the worms I'm going to jump on a plane and fly somewhere far away. I will spend a week eating only meat and Pot Noodles, shopping, and sitting under patio heaters.  I might even boil the kettle after the sun has gone down and treat myself to a cup of tea.