Green Child Magazine Fall 2012 | Page 16

No-Judgment Zone 5. Make peace with knowing that some people will never change. No matter how passionate you are about living a healthy lifestyle, some friends and family members are happy to continue their own journey. Respect that everyone has to choose their own path and delight in the diversity of their experiences. Showing tolerance will also be mirrored back to you. 6. Find your tribe. No matter how hard you try, there are times you may be frustrated or feel alone because of the healthy options that you have chosen for your family. Seek out the friendship of other health- or ecoconscious parents who understand your lifestyle and who can commiserate with you. Surrounding yourself with like-minded parents will be empowering and freeing! 16 During October, we celebrate Holistic Living Month and I hope you’ll take the opportunity to connect with us – whether you can make it to our 9th Annual Natural Living Conference in Chicago, connect with a local chapter, or join us online for one of our many events scheduled throughout the month – we’d love to meet you! Nancy Massotto is the Founder and Executive Director of the Holistic Moms Network and mother to two boys. Before becoming a mom, she completed three graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. in political science, specializing in gender studies and feminist theory and spent several years working for non-profit research institutes, including the Women’s Research and Education Institute (WREI) and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).