As a mom, you've got a lot of things to keep you busy. Taking care of your home and kids is not easy, and thinking about your environmental impact can be the last thing on your mind.  But, if you want to ensure that your children will live in a cleaner, greener, and safer world, then taking concrete steps to live a more sustainable lifestyle is a must.

Caring for the earth doesn't just mean reducing waste and lessening your carbon footprint - it's a lifestyle. It's a series of daily practices that reduces your family's impact on climate change. Being an eco-friendly mom can be simple and easy, and you can parent in a more sustainable way, one step at a time.

Use cloth nappies

If you have infants or toddlers, one of the best decisions you can make for the environment is to switch to cloth nappies. Did you know that disposable diapers take hundreds of years to decompose? When they're thrown into a landfill, diapers stay there anywhere from 200 to 300 years. And to think the average diaper consumption of kids is 6000 diapers before they even start potty training. That's a lot of diapers that fill the earth and stay there for what seems like forever. Cloth nappies are washable and typically made of cotton or bamboo, which are sustainable materials, and a major plus to your eco-friendly practices.

Switch to reusable bottles and travel mugs

Another practice that you can do is to use reusable water bottles and coffee travel mugs when you go out of the house. Did you know that 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year?  By using reusable water bottles and coffee travel mugs, you reduce your consumption of plastic water bottles and coffee cups that don't decompose. Plus, you can enjoy discounts on your drinks as many stores and coffee shops offer price cuts if you bring your own reusable bottles.

Rethink your transportation

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, consider driving less. If you're going to a nearby store, or if you want to visit a friend that's only a couple of blocks away, it would be better to walk or like instead. In the US, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by transportation. And of this 30%, half are caused by passenger vehicles, which means 15% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by people driving their cars. If you have multiple cars at home, using one car would be gentle on the environment. And, if you can take advantage of a carpool, you're not only saving the earth, you're also saving money.

Simple changes to your daily practices can create a big impact on the environment. You don't have to change your lifestyle, but simple and easy eco-friendly practices at home can help reduce your carbon footprint. If more moms would engage in these activities, the environmental impact of families would greatly be reduced, leaving healthier earth for children to inherit.