LETTERS

�HAVE YOUR SAY... Have your say in our new letters page via email, Twitter, Facebook or good old pen and paper. email: letters@thegreenparent.co.uk • twitter.co.uk/greenparentmag Post: The Green Parent, PO Box 104 East Hoathly, Lewes, BN7 9AX

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PLUS GREEN DEVON • BABYWEARING • ASTROLOGY • PLAYGROUPS • SEASONAL RECIPES

LIFE CHANGING MAGAZINE I just want to say that your magazine has literally changed my life! Last year, while in Sainsburys, I happened to spot your magazine and thought it looked interesting. When I read it, I was hooked and I wanted to live my life that way. It is amazing reading about all the other people that are on the same wavelength as me, and even though I do not know them, I feel like I belong to a special community. I am now trying to live as green and simple life as I can and gradually converting my husband to this way of living. I used to be materialistic and I never felt happy, but since finding The Green Parent, I have totally changed and have never been happier in my life. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful family and to have discovered that money does not buy happiness; the simple things in life do. Justine Regan

ANSWER TO MY HOPES I arrived home to find the latest copy of Green Parent full of wonderful, thrifty, balanced ideas and articles - the answer to all my hopes! Thank you for such a wonderful magazine, the new format is excellent and the new contibutors are a breath of fresh air. I really enjoyed reading the day of one family's life off grid (issue 39 No Impact Man) and we are already looking into ways to simplify our lives further. Charlotte

ABSORBING READING I'm such a fan of the The Green Parent - it reminds me of the parent that I'm striving to be. I genuinely do look forward to every issue and those few stolen moments when I can sit down with a cuppa and no interruptions and absorb myself in it (very rare which is why it generally takes me two months to read each issue!). Helen Moody LEAD BY EXAMPLE (Letter of the month) Well done to the pupils of Ringwood School, Hants, for their award for getting Yeo Valley to think about changing their yogurt pots into recyclable ones (issue 39 Pots of Success). It's well deserved. If only all of us could take their example and write to companies to do the same, then we could help make our country greener. So let's do this, if the children can, so can we. I plan to. Julie Day

IN BRIEF We live in a fairly mainstream area and have found the green parent magazine a huge lifeline for connecting to similar minded families. Sam Jones

Loving my new edition of Green Parent - lovely,

lovely, lovely!

Vicki Finn

February/March issue just arrived (to Lithuania) this morning - love it so so so much!!! Laura Laurencija

I love Green Parent!

I am busy making all the homemade cleaning products

(issue 39 Spring

Clean) – so sensible and not at all unrealistic! Jacqueline Allen

REFLECT MY VALUES I have only recently started to read your magazine (I requested a subscription for my birthday after finding you online) but I must say I look forward to it arriving and find it full of useful and informative articles, which very much reflect where I am in my life and the parent I'm trying to be. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you, for all your hard work and for a fantastic magazine. Beki Nagle

NEED SUPPORT I've read your magazine for the first time and it brought me a lot of reassurance. I'm attracted to the alternative way of bringing up my child but my partner isn't. I enjoyed the article on Family Harmony (issue 39) but it seems to treat only the problem of the extented family. I would like to know about other couples in the same situation. Slowly I’m introducing different practises at home and leaving a few magazines lying around that might catch my partner's eye. I need his support as I would like us to be in harmony to bring up our son. Of course there are probably some underlying issues on both sides as mentioned in your article. Victoria

Star Prize

STAR PRIZE Julie Day wins a selection of gorgeous natural goodies from JASON at kinetic4health.co.uk. She will receive Ester C Toner, £10.49, Vitamin K Crème, £19.99, Apricot Face Scrub, £5.29, Aloe Vera Body Scrub, £5.99 and Apricot Hand and Body Lotion, £6.99. Write to us and you could win too, we'd love to hear from you.

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contentsAPRIL/MAY2011

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PERMACULTURE SPECIAL 24 PERMACULTURE PARENTING How the principles of this innovative system can be used not just for productive gardens but also to enhance family relationships and help family life run more smoothly 28 THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES

The art of hen keeping using permaculture to create a closed loop system, and how to source your own ex-battery flock 31 BUILD YOUR OWN HEN HOUSE Easy to follow projects for families such as how to make your own chicken shed and other useful structures for the back yard 37 MY PERMACULTURE BOOKSHELF Favourite reads to get you inspired and motivated in the permaculture garden IN DEPTH: GREEN BABIES 65 BUDDHA BABES The benefits of practicing

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baby yoga for including exercises you can try at home and where to find a class 68 HOW GREEN IS YOUR NAPPY?

What is the most eco conscious way of clothing your baby’s bottom? 72 NATURAL LED WEANERS Older children and the end of the breastfeeding relationship 77 IS MY BABY TOO BIG? All your babywearing questions answered

MAIN FEATURES 8 PARENTING WITH HEART Children’s right begin at home; ways to honour and respect your children 12 LETTING GO How one parent deals with separation anxiety 16 MOVING MOUNTAINS Ideas to inspire and motivate your child FAMILY LIFE 11 SUNDAY SELECTION Great family adventures for our favourite day of the week 18 MODERN DAD Home education becomes a rosier prospect when faced with Kenyan schools 22 SPIRITUAL PARENTING How navel gazing can be used to heal your body and mind LEARNING 35 EDUCATION NEWS A college that encourages self-directed learning 36 EXPLORING THE SHORE Ideas, recipes and more for trips to the beach this spring 41 ON THE BOOKSHELF Great reads for the whole family 43 SPRING CRAFTS How to make delightful birds for your season or nature table 44 CHILD LED LEARNING A day in the life of a small school

SUBSCRIBESubscribetothenewlookGreenParent magazine this month and you will get a FREE gift of Lavera sunscreen just in time for the hot weather. Turn to page 20 for details on this offer >

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