It makes me very happy that we have decided to continue to choose sustainable ways to take our kids to kindergarten 😊
When our son Thor started kindergarten 5 years ago, I decided that as soon as the weather allowed, I would take him to kindergarten by bike in the mornings. It is a decision I have stuck to over the years, even when Teresa was born a few years later and joined Thor and me on our morning rides as soon as she started kindergarten. But last year our bike trailer, which I had been dragging for 12km, became too small for our eldest child and I really didn’t want to just take them by car.
When you live in the country, it is sort of understood that you need more than one car when you are a family, but I have always lived with the conviction that one car should be enough. So, after many months of careful consideration and a considerable financial investment for my family, we decided to buy an electric cargo bike.
I am so happy with our decision and it is good in so many ways to take the bike on those morning trips, not just from a sustainability point of view:
- It is good for my health because I spend most of my working day sitting down.
- It helps me to maintain a good self-esteem.
- I get in touch with the elements and the changing seasons.
- I hear the birds singing in the morning, welcoming the start of the day.
- It helps me to realise how nice it is to live in a place where there are no cars on the road all the time.
- I set a good example of dedication and commitment for my children.
- I set a good example for other children in our community.
- In the long run, the monetary savings will be considerable.
Sustainability Choices for Our Family and Business
This is not the only sustainability choice we make for our family and business. As we both work from home most of the time and can feed the fireplace throughout the day, we heat our home and offices with local firewood from well-managed forests, we have chosen not to till the soil in our garden and to cultivate with no-dig methods, and we also buy about 90% of the equipment for our photography, videography and office second-hand: Cameras, lenses, computers, laptops, monitors, hard drives, printers and much more.
This approach allows us to achieve a level of performance in many of the disciplines we work with (design, web development, photography and video production) that would be unattainable if we were to buy everything new. It also proves that choosing sustainable solutions usually brings additional benefits.
Conclusion
I am proud of the sustainable choices we have made for our family and our business. From cycling to kindergarten on an electric cargo bike to heating our home with local firewood and opting for second-hand equipment, each decision reflects our commitment to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Not only do these choices benefit the environment, but they also contribute to my wellbeing, set a positive example for my children and result in significant savings in the long term. It’s fulfilling to see how small changes in our daily routines can have a big impact and inspires me to continue on this path of sustainability for the future.