Sonia Gray
Home » Magazine » Good, issue 9 » Sonia GrayTelevision presenter Sonia Gray and her partner Simon are parents to twin girls Inez and Thandie. Sonia talks to Good about trying to be green when you literally have both hands full
Photo by Fiona Tomlinson Styling by Rachelle Christian Makeup by Paula Taylor
The day I found out we were having twins was probably one of the most surreal days of my life. We went to have the nuchal fold test [for Down’s Syndrome], so all we were thinking was, “Please let the baby be healthy.” We weren’t expecting them to tell us how many there were in there. So that made it even more of a shock.
As a parent you have hopes of being really organic, but when it actually happens, you’re so busy you sometimes have to give yourself a break. We had the idea we could do cloth nappies, but when the girls arrived we soon threw that out the window. I did feel guilty about it, but I guess my philosophy is that it’s waste with purpose. You can’t be perfect. If we had to deal with cloth nappies for twins along with everything else, it would have tipped us over the edge.
We use all-natural products on the girls. Weleda Nappy Rash Cream is better than anything else. We also use Graham’s Natural Alternatives Calendula cream for Inez’s eczema. For bathing, often we just use water and a teeny bit of almond oil. Some of the stuff in supermarket products is horrifying.
We chose organic for more long-wearing items, like our baby hammocks from Nature Baby. They are absolutely fabulous and I would recommend them to anyone. It’s comforting to think there are no harmful chemicals in them, and they’re very soothing for the girls to sleep in.
I’ve also breastfed for a really long time for twins. It is a real commitment but formula doesn’t feel right to me, and I want to keep it up even after they go onto solids. Inez has to be on medication for her reflux, so this is something natural I can do for her. Plus, it’s that special time for us … and it’s cheaper!
One thing that has been great is the culture of mums passing on their old baby gear to new mums. I got given so many things, some of them from people I barely knew. At the time it was a bit strange. But soon I’ll be in the same position myself, able to pass things on to other people, who I might barely know! I think that’s wonderful.
I’ve always been a re-use person, ever since I was a child. I was the sort of kid who thinks, “Where does everything go when you flush the toilet?” I avoid buying new appliances when there are good used ones, and I would never buy a new car.
When I was growing up we didn’t have any extra money, so we’d never waste anything. If we had food left over, we’d never throw it out. When you grow up like that you wish you had more money but now I think it’s a positive thing, because you learn to appreciate what you’ve got. That’s something I really want for my kids, that they don’t take anything for granted.
Running out of natural resources is what worries me most about the future. Depletion is going to affect us soon. We’ve become addicted to consumption, so I think it’s my responsibility to prepare the kids for a life that doesn’t have the stuff we’re used to. Part of the reason we don’t learn as much as we could about what’s going on in the world is that once you know, you have no excuse. Our children will live very differently to the way we have, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
