The child from zero to three years: natural and ecological

There is a beautiful book by Giorgia Cozza, entitled Baby at no cost: critical consumption guide for new mothers and future parents, which tells how one can raise a child in the best way by spending very little in economic terms. The secret of raising a child from zero to three years at zero cost can perhaps be summarized with two adjectives: natural and ecological . The real cost, of course, is not zero, and it is a very high cost, but you pay in love, emotions, participation, energy ; much of the rest is superfluous. Let's take a few examples.

Body care and child hygiene from zero to three years

The smaller the child, the more money is spent on specific body care products. For the daily hygiene of newborns, however, there is nothing better than simple warm water to which you can add Marseille soap : natural, cheap, ecological. Be careful, however, to buy the real Marseille soap, a product that is also suitable for the scalp cleansing of the little ones and for the bathing of all children from zero to three years and even later. Marseille soap is also excellent for laundry : it is a stain remover much more effective than many expensive chemical products and does not irritate the delicate skin of the baby.

For the hydration of the skin of the little ones, on the other hand, a few drops of sweet almond oil are enough, also excellent as an emollient and soothing in the diaper area .

The game from zero to three years

There are many games designed for children from zero to three years old. Of course, there are beautiful toys that often have the function of stimulating the development of intelligence, but one, not ten, is enough. Young children often love playing with everyday objects, experimenting with sounds, the feeling they give to touch, smells ... An economic, ecological and constructive game for the little ones is the treasure basket. With the older ones you can play with flour, make pizza or biscuits. Children like to manipulate, and a pasta made with flour and water is certainly much safer than the modeling paste we buy in stores; especially in children under the age of three who tend to bring objects to the mouth.

Health from zero to three years

There is no need to demonize drugs because thanks to them it is now possible to treat some pathologies that in the past could even cause death: think, for example, of mortality due to bacterial infections that has been enormously reduced thanks to antibiotics. But we must not even abuse it and above all it must not be done by itself, even when it comes to over-the-counter drugs. Take the mucolytics, for example; in November 2010, in an information note of the AIFA (Italian Drug Agency) its use below two years is not recommended due to the serious side effects that may result.

Many times, to prevent and reduce the formation of mucous secretions in children, it is enough to keep the nose clean, with saline-based washes; a device that is as natural and simple as it is effective. Another example is that of infant colicles: in most cases no medication is needed, gaseous colics are very common around 3/4 months, but fortunately they resolve spontaneously; to alleviate the symptoms most of the time it is enough to do those simple gestures that our grandmothers did: massage the tummy, cradle the newborn, take a hot bath every day, try to regularize the feedings and reduce the external stimuli that can cause irritation.