Finding Harmony Between Green Living and Viral Fads

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Ever found yourself caught between the eco-friendly products on your shelves and the trending items your kids can't stop talking about from social media? You're not alone. As a mom of three and owner of Life Essentials Refillery, I constantly navigate these choppy waters, striving to instill sustainable values while respecting my children's desire to fit in. This episode is a candid exploration of the push and pull between our health-conscious choices and the viral products that captivate our kids. It's a discussion about why my daughters debate the merits of skincare items from my store versus the ones they see online, and how we, as parents, can address this challenge with understanding and strategy.

Join me, Sheila, on this heartfelt journey as we examine the influence of social media trends on our children and how it clashes with our environmental ethos. We'll talk about the realities of upholding zero waste principles in a home where TikTok reigns supreme, and I'll share my personal struggles with my daughters' questions about product popularity. There's no guest this time—just us, sharing experiences and advice, as we seek solidarity in the quest to raise informed, conscious kids amidst the allure of social media. If you're grappling with similar issues, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Let's support each other in creating a balance that honors our values and embraces our children's perspectives.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, lovely listeners, and welcome to Zero
Waste.
Imperfectly, I'm your host,sheila.
I'm the owner of LifeEssentials Refillery and the
mother of three girls.
So I know everyone feels verydifferently about social media.
So let me go ahead and say toeach their own.
Our children are allowed onsocial media and so TikTok has
found its way into our home andinto the minds of our children.

(00:21):
And it's funny because I amdefinitely a crunchy mom and my
kids have told me I am crunchy.
They don't realize they'recrunchy too, but can't tell them
that because they love to go onTikTok.
And then they find thesetrending things Like, let's say,
a fancy lotion, let's say thatseems to be one trending with a,
b, and then I show them thestuff from my store and I say

(00:43):
look, ewg says my stuff is clean.
They're like but mom, it's fromyour store.
I'm like, well, I saw goodstuff in my store.
And they're like but it's, thisis so much better.
And then you try to have themexplain why, why that is so much
better.
And of course it's becausethere's like a million followers
and everyone loves it andthere's so many videos and so
much review.
And I'm like, well, it causescancer.

(01:04):
But you can't get.
They're so young still and forthem to understand it's
definitely a challenge, and it'sreally hard when outside
influences sway your child'sopinion, because deep down I
know that they know the stuff isnot good, but if all their
friends have it, it's tough tonavigate that and I would love

(01:24):
to hear from you.
So, as a parent mom, how do youdeal with influences from the
outside world?
I mean, I know there'shomeschools and there's co-ops,
where it's a lot more peoplewith the same mindset that are
together, and I think that'sfantastic.
We've chosen not to go thatroute, but I think it's because
my husband I see things a littlebit differently.
I would totally homeschool thekids and travel, but that's what

(01:46):
I would do.
But as a family you have tomake these decisions together,
and so they are in a traditionalschool and they are definitely
exposed to a lot of things thatI kind of wish they didn't know
about, like all these trendingskin care products that are
terrible for you.
So how do you navigate this?
I would love to hear from you.
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