The Ethical Line
I was surprised to learn when the Kid started school that there was no ethics-based option when scripture class is on. The kids who didn't do scripture had free time. My amazing mum looked into it and found Primary Ethics which is a program that can run in any school as an alternate option to scripture. The ethics teachers need to be trained through Primary Ethics, which is done at no cost and the teaching of the class is then a volunteer position.
We already put a lot of pressure on teachers, and my mum has always been one not to complain about something unless you are willing to jump in and help. Thankfully our school was on board. Since then, my mum, my best friend, and I have all done the training and are doing what we can to be part of the solution and are teaching Ethics Classes on a regular basis.
Mum always raised me to be ethical in a broader sense of the word than the day-to-day right and wrong. From a young age, we had talked about things like ethical purchasing and that where you spend your money and where it ends up is an important part of the chain. It matters, of course, that you do the right thing, but it also matters that you are not unknowingly funding things that don't fit within your ethical standards. Given ethics are not a black and white concept, this is a line everyone needs to draw for themselves.
We have become a much more global society, and given that big corporations control so much of the marketplace, it becomes borderline impossible to make sure that every arm of a company you are buying something from meets even your ethical standards. Let's face it, if we looked into it hard enough, it's likely none of us could justify most purchases, including phones, electronics, or clothes.
However, wanting the world to be a better place and still having to live in the world that we have and function in are not mutually exclusive. You can feel the need to cut your carbon footprint and still occasionally have to get on a plane.
Two small things we have done as a family:
Clothing: We made a huge effort to reduce the amount of clothing we buy new. There are, of course, times when the kid needs tights for school or an orange shirt for Harmony Day when it's almost impossible not to buy from a chain store. And I draw the line at underwear, I need to be the only person who has worn them! For most things, though, we have found this amazing collection of vintage and pre-loved shops.
Food: We compost what we can and use the green waste for everything else. We started a veggie garden and use the things that my gorgeous mum already had growing. Rhubarb pies are a regular at our house, thanks to my mum and grandma. I have managed to grow some good-sized, if not quite odd-looking carrots, some cherry tomatoes from seeds, and some potatoes.
Not supplying the farmer market just yet, I grant you, but it's a start, and it's something nice for us to do together. When we buy fruit and vegetables, if possible, we buy direct from the growers, or if we can't, we are very particular that we know that they are grown in Australia or NZ and when we can afford it are happy to pay a bit extra to companies who give a better deal to farmers.
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