Do you know why I’m always trying to encourage you that making small, healthy steps really will make a difference? Part of the reason is because this is completely true. And another reason is that I need my own encouragement and reassurance.
One healthy and green area I’ve struggled with over the past four year is the humble sippy cup. Goodness. I never thought something so simple could be so perplexing.
When Big Brother was old enough to start using sippy cups, I bought whatever was affordable. Then I learned about BPA in plastic, flipped out, and searched for BPA-free sippy cups. Since his other ones were fairly new, I gave them away.
Note: Disposing of the BPA-filled plastic sippy cups was a lose-lose battle for me. When I passed them along, another child was exposed to the BPA. And if I would have thrown them away, the new sippy cups would sit in a landfill for hundreds of years. This entire sippy cup dilemma is an excellent example of how NOT to be green.
Back to my family’s sippy cups. We have not been green over the past four years, because we kept using BPA-free plastic sippy cups. Even when I had a feeling that all plastics leach chemicals – that feeling was proven true last year.
For a long time, Big Brother begged for hot cocoa each morning and afternoon. And I caved in and served it to him whenever he woke up in a plastic sippy cup. Each and every time I did it, I thought about how hot beverages make plastics leach chemicals faster.
While I feel completely sick to my stomach thinking about this and admitting it, the daily routine continued until this summer. Finally I was able to curb his hot cocoa consumption. (Little Sister? She just loves water.) And finally Big Brother is old enough to drink out of a regular mug. We’ve also recently purchased kid-sized stainless steel water bottles, so we’re finally, FINALLY becoming plastic-free in our kitchen.
The road to that plastic-free life has been bumpy. And I’m so ashamed to say it’s taken this long. Now that I’m ready to toss all those old plastic sippy cups, I’ll try a greener approach by adding them to my recycling.
Talk back
Have you made a switch from plastic sippy cups? What do you use? What brands are your favorites?
Today, I’m linking up with:
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What am I missing here? There are tons of BPA-free sippy cups and other children’s dinnerware on the market. Don’t beat yourself up, Hilary… you are more conscientious than most! I think we all just need to do the small things we can for the environment, as you say…but it is very hard to live it out 100% 24/7 in our real daily lives. I probably would have been more concerned about giving big brother chocolate twice a day LOL!
On re-reading your post, I guess the point you are trying to make is don’t use any plastic, regardless if it is BPA-free. Wonder how our grandparents handled children who had a penchant for throwing their dishes and cups off the high chair tray when they were “done”?!
< << Wonder how our grandparents handled children who had a penchant for throwing their dishes and cups off the high chair tray when they were "done"?!>>>
A sharp “NO” and a quick grab. Sometimes a small smack on the leg to remind the child throwing is not allowed. I know, hitting is not allowed now, but that’s what we did, then.
Thank you for sharing!