Boogie Moms, unite! Our superpower may be the key to saving our children’s futures » Yale Climate Connection

I wasn’t born boogie.

Growing up, my family motto was more “make it work” than “make it luxurious.”

My dad always called me his with his snarky sense of humor. Biheni baby. In Hindi, this means his “beggar baby.” I was the child he and my mom prayed for to have more than 14 years of life, and then ended up wearing borrowed, mismatched clothes. I happily made do with old, mended clothes and my mom's uneven sewing skills.

Back then, fun wasn't something we paid for—it was something we found: riding a bicycle with half-broken brakes, or playing horseback with a string laundry basket with a hole dug in the bottom.

Fast forward a few decades and life looks very different. My husband and I have worked hard to live a more stable and comfortable life. Three kids, a lawn, a lawn service: check, check, check.

Now, my holiday shopping wish list includes not only matching pajamas, but also an heirloom-quality, ethically sourced 100% organic Peruvian cotton pajama set. I’ve invested countless hours poring over a ridiculous number of Advent calendar options – one chocolate a day just isn’t enough. Instead, I'm seriously considering having something on display every day, like a hand-poured soy candle, a small jar of manuka honey, or a small bottle of kombucha. For the sake of the children? LEGO Advent Calendar with Christmas tree and gifts made naturally every day.

I never set out to be a bougie mom, but somewhere along the way—probably while discussing the merits of organic strawberry jam versus honey walnut fig cream cheese with friends—I realized I had arrived .

Limitations of bougie

Let’s be honest: it’s a little difficult at first to imagine yourself as a bougie mom. Sure, my lifestyle allows for some luxuries, but I've always considered myself more of a frugal mom or a climate-conscious mom—no different than other moms, but with the privilege of more resources and support.

But I also know that this privilege won’t fully protect my children from the impacts of climate change.

As a mother and a doctor, I see the signs of climate change everywhere. Summers that used to mean carefree fun in the backyard now come with heat advisories and air quality alerts. It was no longer normal for me to have to drag the kids inside after a simple midsummer walk with cheeks flushed from the heat.

I see this with many of my patients, too—children whose asthma is worsened by wildfire smoke, families dealing with stress after climate disasters, and parents like me trying to navigate an increasingly unpredictable world.

What shocked me most was knowing that this was just the beginning. My childhood was filled with seasons we could count on and predictability we took for granted. But for my daughters? They are experiencing a world of extremes – longer heatwaves, more frequent floods and polluted air, water and food, making it harder for them to survive. yes Brilliantly.

It’s hard to shake off the helplessness this knowledge brings.

From helplessness to action

With every dire international report on climate change and the health risks of pollution, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. As a mother, caught between competing priorities and juggling countless responsibilities, I know it makes perfect sense not to participate.

If we're honest, goals yes Let's stay on the sidelines. Target yes Confusing us, making us care less, making us feel guilty for our personal consumption of dirty fuels, and lobbying behind the scenes to prevent us from delivering on the promise of a clean, renewable energy transition.

America’s largest fossil fuel interests have launched an eight-figure ad campaign to obscure clear scientific consensus in a haze of false controversy. They don’t want us to recognize the urgency of the situation and want to lull us with false promises that they are solving the problem.

But here’s the thing: fear, guilt, or wishful thinking doesn’t help anyone. They certainly won't save the environment for our children.

We still have a window of opportunity – creating a clean, healthy, sustainable world for our children is still possible and achievable. Around the world, the blueprints already exist and the ball is already rolling.

While schoolchildren and experienced generations around the world are uniting to ensure a healthy and stable planet for future generations, bougie moms remain an untapped resource.

But no one is better at planning a five- to ten-year window to optimize our children’s futures than bougie moms. We are the queens of organization, masters of multi-tasking, and the unofficial CEOs of our family. Who better to demand better products, cleaner energy, and policies that prioritize creating a stable, livable future for our children?

So here are four quick things to do in my bougie mom’s climate playbook to leverage our time, energy, and financial investment to push our families to take the environmental action we deserve.

1. Demand more, faster action

Nearly two-thirds of American adults are concerned about climate change, and 73% want our government to take more action, yet only 8% have contacted an elected official about the issue. Our elected officials and businesses need to hear that we want a rapid transition to cleaner, renewable energy and safer products. Other countries are leading the way with massive solar and wind projects, and I don’t want my children to be left behind.

I have the office phone numbers of two elected officials saved in my address book. Consider doing the same thing (you can find them here). While you're waiting in line at school or on the back of a school bus spewing toxic diesel exhaust at you and your children, leave them a message and let them know what you're asking for. Whether you prefer to leave a phone message or send an email, local, state and national leaders need to hear our voices now more than ever.

Here’s a simple statement to get you started: “I’m a mom, and I know climate change and environmental pollution are harming my children. I hope you support laws that keep them safe and invest in a clean future.

2. Outsourcing research

Bills that damage the environment are often called “conservation” bills. Products that contain toxic chemicals are called “natural.” Without expertise, it's nearly impossible to know exactly what is required of political leaders, or which businesses I should direct my money to.

But good information and solid expertise from “uncertainable sources” exists. Many groups focused on climate and the environment work together to share information about the most critical priorities for protecting our local environment and demand the strongest action from our elected officials and businesses.

I followed a few. But first, choose a group near you, whether it's a faith group, a health professional group, or an environmental law group. Follow their newsletter and participate whenever they ask to log in regarding a specific policy. Share the information with your friends or bring it up at your next Bougie Book Club meeting.

3. Protect our children’s legacy

Like many families, we may have thought extensively about our wills and protecting our children's legacies. Whatever we provide directly to them, please also consider supporting or donating to the legal teams working around the world to protect our children’s natural heritage. Our Children's Trust is an example of a nonprofit legal team challenging our state and federal governments to uphold their responsibilities to protect the natural world and maintain the right to a stable climate.

4. Decarbonization happiness

Like all moms, we are doing the best we can with the time and money we have to offer our families. But I’ve found that my children feel the greatest joy when I give them a free but often limited resource: my time and attention. If possible, I'll replace the comfort of retail therapy with natural remedies and try to swap screen time for green time.

We get to go to the natural spaces that my kids find the most magical: bugs crawling on the leaves, birds flying in the woods, and ourselves crunching on the trails. I ask my kids to remind me what they inherently know: that we are all connected in this beautiful, magical world.

Why bougie moms matter for climate

Bougie Mom is a powerful force. We reinvented industries, set trends and turned yoga pants into everyday uniform.

The future of our children depends on us stepping up. Yes, it's overwhelming. Yes, it's difficult. But if there's one thing motherhood has taught me, it's that we are far more capable of protecting our children than we think.

So here’s my confession: I may not have started life as a bougie mom, but now that I’m here, I plan to use every ounce of strength, practicality, and perseverance to fight for a better future—for my girls , for yours, and for every child who deserves to grow up on a healthy planet.