GreenMom: Pack your reusable bags, we’re going on a guilt trip.

I think becoming a parent ups the ante on feeling guilty. Whether it’s feeling like I don’t spend enough time reading to my son or the fact that I don’t always make home-cooked dinners, there is always something to feel guilty about. But now, I also have ecoguilt.

The other day I went to the grocery store. The all-natural pudding that I prefer comes in both individual serving size packs and larger multi-serving containers. However, the low-fat option only comes in the single serve pack, so by buying it I am contributing to the plastic crisis. Once I got to the check out, I realized that I’d left my reusable bags at home. I felt OK about asking for paper because we use them to store our recycling until trash day. Before I noticed, however, the bagger had put my paper bags inside plastic bags for easy carrying. When I was finished shopping, I climbed into my gas guzzler SUV and drove the half mile home instead of walking with my groceries, my son, and a diaper bag. Hopefully Mother Earth has children and will forgive me.