I'd say that the main focus of my life is my children. I love working and other things, but I live and do it all for the children. Cheesy maybe, but true. If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I go through life wanting to make it the best possible life that I can for my little people and we work hard to do that. It is all in the meaning behind my blog name.
I sometimes work with brands on this blog but I always make sure it is a brand that I use and love, and that has a great ethos. I was recently asked to write a post for Unilever to showcase how they are helping to create a brighter future for my children, and yours.
I'm not usually fussed on branded products, I'll buy what works, be that branded or not. However, there are some massive benefits of using products from the Unilever brand. Not only are their products great, but behind the scenes they do some amazing work they don't shout loud enough about. Their Bright Future initiative is working on focusing on those small changes that people can make in their everyday lives that will actually have big results and help to create a world where everyone can live well and sustainably. Did you know that since the launch of Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan they have helped 482 million people to improve their health and hygiene? That is a phenomenal amount and certainly makes me think more about where I am spending my money now I know that.
I imagine we have all used Unilever products at some point or another. I sometimes use Persil when tackling the mountain of laundry we have everyday.
You may have noticed in Persil's advertising campaigns that they encourage children to go outside and play. They are also very vocal about saving water and energy when washing by washing at lower temperatures. I try to wash at lower temperatures where I can and I always put the washing machine on eco mode so it uses less power and water.
What we don't see behind the scenes is that these small changes are the tip of the iceberg. Persil has partnered with UNICEF on a global initiative called 'Learning for Tomorrow" to help give children in some of the world's toughest areas the opportunity of a quality education. I've been spending much of the last couple of weeks looking at the best secondary schools for Bean, completely taking for granted that we have such a wonderful choice of educational options for our children.
I get through a lot of bleach cleaning the bathrooms. Watching me clean helps my children learn that it is important to keep the house clean to stop germs spreading and to stop us getting ill. I think teaching children good hygiene from a young age is really important, and with three children, the more we can do to prevent bugs spreading the better.
Behind the scenes Domestos has committed to helping 25 million people gain improved access to a toilet by 2020. Access to clean sanitation can protect people from preventable diseases, reduce mortality rates, help reduce school dropout rates and improve quality of life. We have 3 toilets in our house and I don't think my children have ever really considered that other people don't have access to such basic facilities. It's certainly not something I think about when I am moaning about having to clean them all, but I'll think differently about it every time I use Domestos to bleach the toilet now.
Another Unilever brand that I frequently buy is Dove.
I always think I'm treating myself a little when I buy something nice for me like body lotion, and making myself feel good gives me a little confidence boost. Little did I know that Dove has a Self Esteem Project that has worked closely with leading psychologists, academics and experts to create materials and resources that help young people develop a positive relationship with their appearance. The project has now reached over 19 million young lives.
Knowing about all the great work that Unilever does will certainly influence my shopping habits in the future. In the UK we are so privileged and lucky and we quite often don't appreciate the quality of our lives. If we all make small changes, we can make drastic improvements in the lives of others too.
Unilever shared with me some of these fantastic statistics which I thought we really inspiring to share.
- Six out of ten parents saying that they have started to live in a ‘greener’ way at home at the suggestion of their children.
- 83% of children continue to feel optimistic about their own future and 59% feel optimistic about the future of the environment.
- Most parents (between 70-80%) believe that, compared with themselves, their children will live longer, have a better education and better job prospects, and will enjoy life more, even if they will have to work harder to reap the rewards of the greater benefits ahead.
The future is bright for many of our children, let's help make it bright for others.
This post is an entry for BritMums #brightFuture Challenge, sponsored by Unilever.
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