This week, I received an automated phone call from our Board of Education Director about swine flu, how to try and prevent it, and what will happen if it appears in any local schools. Since I’ve been reading and reading (and reading) about this illness for days, and since the flu comes around each winter anyway, I’m well aware of the facts. What struck me in the message more than anything was the recommendation, beyond handwashing, to use an alcohol based hand sanitizer when necessary.
For me, this shows how misinformed many people are about alcohol based hand sanitizers and children. Indeed, recommendations all over the web are for This swine flu “crib sheet” from the Huffington Post mentions using a sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol. Even this Parents Magazine article about the stomach flu talks about using “alcohol hand gel”.
Parents, teachers, anyone who is with kids - please think about this. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers is scary stuff when in the hands of kids. It can make kids seriously ill if ingested. A main ingredient in these sanitizers, Triclosan, is even considered a pesticide by the EPA. Do you want your kids putting this stuff on their HANDS? And check out this lawsuit regarding Triclosan and cancer - you may be shocked to see how many soaps and other products contain this potentially dangerous ingredient.
I am in no way trying to cause a panic related to this very serious issue. I do want you to know that there are natural alternatives available. Cleanwell is a wonderful, all natural line of hand soaps and hand sanitizers that is completely safe for your family. The “Ingenium” formula kills almost 100% of germs naturally, using the antiseptic herb thyme and other pesticide-free essential plant oils. They’re also alcohol free, and come in a great variety of sizes - even a travel pack that’s airplane ready. Cleanwell is available at Target, Whole Foods, Bath and Body Works, and Amazon.com. They also have a blog, A Better Way To Clean, to help answer all of your questions regarding swine flu and hand washing. They even answer the questions, so please don’t hesitate to speak your mind!
April 27th is National Healthy Schools Day! Making sure the place where your child spends most of their day could not be more scrutinized for safety, yet it also seems to be difficult for many parents to know how to advocate school health. For this important event (and not for just one day, of course), I’m happy to have my first guest writer! Janelle Sorensen is the Senior Writer and Health Consultant for Healthy Child, Healthy World, an advocacy and education organization for kids and parents. Here’s her take on bringing school health to the forefront of your children’s education.
When my husband and I first toured schools to find the one we wanted to enroll our daughter in, I’m sure I was silently voted one of the strangest parents ever. Why do I feel I was secretly endowed with this title? Because every room and hallway we were taken through, I sniffed. A lot. And, according to my husband, I wasn’t terribly discreet.
I didn’t have a cold or postnasal drip. And, I’m not part bloodhound. I was simply concerned about the indoor air quality. My daughter was (and still is) prone to respiratory illnesses and I wanted to be sure the school she would be attending would support and protect her growing lungs (in addition to her brain). For many air quality issues, your nose knows, so I was using the easiest tool I had to gauge how healthy the environment was.
While air quality is a significant issue in schools (the EPA estimates that at least half of our nation’s 120,000 schools have problems), parents are also increasingly concerned about other school health issues like nutrition and the use of toxic pesticides. Many schools are making the switch to healthier and more sustainable practices like green cleaning, least toxic pest management, and even school gardening. What they’re finding is that greening their school improves the health and performance of students and personnel, saves money (from using less energy, buying fewer products, and having fewer worker injuries among other things), and also helps protect the planet. It’s truly win, win, win.
To highlight the issue, the Healthy Schools Network coordinates National Healthy Schools Day. This year, over three dozen events will be held across the country (and more in Canada) on April 27th to promote and celebrate healthy school environments.
What can you do? Healthy Schools Network recommends simple activities such as:
• Adopting Guiding Principles of School Environmental Quality as a policy for your School;
• Distributing information related to Green Cleaning or Indoor Air Quality (IAQ);
• Writing a letter or visiting your Principal or Facility Director to ask about cleaning products or pest control products;
• Walking around your school: looking for water stains, cracks in outside walls, broken windows or steps, and overflowing dumpsters that are health & safety problems that need attention. Use this checklist;
• Writing a Letter to the Editor of your local paper on the importance of a healthy school to all children and personnel.
You can also help support the efforts of states trying to pass policies requiring schools to use safer cleaners. (Or, initiate your own effort!) There are good bills pending in Connecticut, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, and Oregon. According to Claire Barnett, Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Network, the key pieces to promote on green cleaning in schools are:
• Not being fooled by ‘green washing’ claims—commercial products must be third-party certified as green (to verify claims);
• Understanding that green products are cost-neutral and they work; and,
• Learning that “Clean doesn’t have an odor.”
She encourages parents and personnel to tune into one of the archived webinars on green cleaning (like the first module for general audiences) at www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org.
The fact of the matter is that whether you’re concerned about the quality of food, cleaning chemicals, recycling, or energy use – schools need our help and support. Instead of complaining about what’s wrong, it’s time to help do what’s right – for our children, our schools, and our planet.
What are you going to do? There are so many ideas and resources. Find your passion and get active on April 27th – National Healthy Schools Day.
Additional Resources:
• Creating Healthy Environments for Children (DVD): A short video with easy tips for schools and a variety of handouts to download and print.
• Getting Your Child’s School to Clean Green: A blog I wrote last year with advice based on my experience working with schools.
• Healthy Community Toolkit: Healthy Child Healthy World’s tips and tools for being a successful community advocate and some of our favorite organizations working on improving child care and school environments and beyond.
• The Everything Green Classroom Book: The ultimate guide to teaching and living green and healthy.
Janelle Sorensen is the Senior Writer and Health Consultant for Healthy Child Healthy World. You can also find her on Twitter as @greenandhealthy.
It’s happened. After hearing, seeing and reading about the flu and all sorts of awful illnesses going through homes this winter, my kids have come down with colds and ear infections. We’ve been stressing washing hands, not sharing cups and have been keeping the kids outside as much as possible (which we’re very lucky for in Florida!). Of course, this doesn’t mean any child is completely immune from germs. I’ve been trying to supplement my kids with extra vitamins, both through food and vitamins, to help get through this season.
There are many vitamin and supplement choices for kids, and I don’t like to recommend one over another. It’s tough to find a good vitamin for your kids. Many docs don’t even recommend vitamins, because food should be the primary source of nutrition, of course. This winter, we’ve been all about oranges in the morning, bananas in the afternoon and apples at night. I polled my Twitter friends, since many people I follow are both “greenies” and parents. Here’s a mix of what I’ve given my kids recently, and what people have told me they use via Twitter…
Emergen-C - I drink a packet of Emergen-C every morning, and I was happy to test out their new Kids Multi-Vitamin formula. Emergen-C Kids provides 500mg of Vitamin C, as well as vitamins A, B’s, D, E & K. I like how it mixes with water, so your kids get a glass of water in with the added vitamins. Emergen-C is recommended for kids 8-14. It has 7 grams of sugar (not so great, but WAY better than juice), and the sugar is pure crystalline fructose, which is a better source than white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Coloring is from natural sources, such as beet juice. Here’s the FAQ page for the most information.
I’ve also tried products from Nutrition Now Children’s Rhino line of vitamins, minerals and calcium supplements from time to time. I’m not crazy about the candy-like look to the gummies, but that’s an unfortunate trick of the trade. Rhino has choices such as Chewable Gummies and Jellybeans, Veggie-Fruit Bears (a good supplement if your kids are going through a picky phase), Ester-C Vitamin C, and Calcium Chews.
New Chapter Organics EveryKid multivitamin powder pouches are a dietary supplement made from a whole-food complex of vitamins and organic ingredients. It has a super sweet taste, but thankfully made with no refined sugars (only 3g of sugar per serving, made from cane juice). EveryKid is gluten free, vegetarian, with no artificial colors or preservatives (it does contain fermented soy). Recommended for children four and up. Flavors include Goodness Grape, Awesome Apple and Brilliant Berries. This is my younger daughter’s favorite, which surprises me because she’s not into sweet tasting foods. And they come in individual packets, which isn’t so eco-friendly, but since it’s a crystalline powder, I can’t think of any other way to package it safely.
I’d like to hear from you! Do you give your kids vitamins or stick with food alone? If so, what kind?
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I heard lovely stories about my husband when he was a baby. Specifically, my in-laws related how his colic could not be soothed for SEVEN MONTHS. Seven months, people. This luckiest of numbers brought my in-laws no sleep, too much worry, and many failed attempts of soothing, swaddling, shushing and whatever “s” word doctors tell you to do these days.
Let me tell you - this burned a nightmare into my brain. I was terrified that my child would have colic, a constant fussiness, inconsolable crying, distended belly, sleeplessness, and overall upset baby. It can be caused by an underdeveloped digestive system, the extra air being taken in by crying, allergies, anything that can set a child off. The worst part is not knowing the source of the pain, but that will never stop parents from helping their littlest ones.
I didn’t want to give my daughter Mylicon, a synthetic gas reliever that contains artificial coloring, maltitol (a sugar alcohol used as a sugar substitute) and the additive sodium benzoate, among other not-so-natural ingredients. I had heard about miracle cure (sort of) called Gripe Water, but couldn’t find it anywhere. When I did, I ordered in bulk. And, to my (and my daughter’s belly’s) relief, Gripe Water worked. Now called Baby’s Bliss Gripe Water, this is the first all-natural supplement for occasional gas and discomfort, as well as teething and hiccups. Gripe Water is made with organic fennel and ginger, two herbs known for their digestive calming properties. We placed a couple of drops into a bottle, and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Gripe Water is thankfully available everywhere now!
Another new product that can help with colic is Colic Calm, an FDA-approved, 100% natural and homeopathic remedy that also works with gas and reflux babies. Made from a blend of chamomile, fennel, caraway, peppermint, ginger, aloe, lemon balm, blackthorn and vegetable charcoal, as well as glycerin and purified water, Colic Calm goes the distance to help your baby enjoy life without gas. I would definitely check the ingredients before giving your child anything medicinal, but from personal experience as well as recommendations, these are sanity-saving products!
Writing about chemicals, kids and the disregard of updating the Toxic Substances Control Act has brought a lot of concern to everyone I’ve spoken with. Even natural products have chemically sounding ingredients - how do you really know their true identity?
Seventh Generation has taken the term “full disclosure” to a whole new level. Their “Show What’s Inside” campaign is an interactive and eye-opening doorway to learning about chemical safety and products. On their website, SG discloses every ingredient for ALL their products, meaning you’ll always be fully aware of what’s cleaning your baby’s bottom or what’s scrubbing the pasta sauce off your dishes. Refreshing, right?
Do YOU know the difference between sodium LAUREL sulfate and sodium LAURETH sulfate? Seventh Generation has a handy Label Reading Guide you can access from your mobile phone! From Anionic surfactants (possibly non-biodegradable dirt remover) to Xanthan gum (biodegradable viscosity builder) and everything in between, this is a guide I’ll be going back to again and again when choosing cleaning and personal care products - right in the store.
Of course, education is only the first step. Demand disclosure of information so we don’t have to be in the dark anymore about what we’re giving our family! The first step is to sign this declaration supporting the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. Next, spread the word, and support safe organizations that only have your family’s best health in mind!
In the “If it’s not one thing, it’s another” category, Jeremiah from Z Recommends alerted me to this very upsetting yet important info that needs to be shared. At the beginning of September, Z Recs received a horrifying email from a reader regarding a sore which ultimately turned into chemical burn on an infant. The mother stated that the injury, on the baby’s back, was clearly traced to the tagless label from the Carter’s pajamas the child wore to sleep.
Upon learning this, Z Recs went into investigation mode and did some digging into the manufacturing of these labels. Apparently, the tagless tags can be made from two materials - one, a phthalate-containing PVC, and the other, a “solventborne polyurethane that is post cured via a catalyst,” and may include formaldehyde. If the labels are not sealed properly, the chemicals can leach and harm children’s skin. After their initial investigation, Z Recs believes the tags are not limited to Carter’s, but Circo (from Target) and Gerber as well. The Carter’s clothing seems to come from their Fall 2007 line, but now the investigation is broadening into 2008 clothing.
The entire backstory from Z Recs initial report can be found here, and there’s a follow up post here. Without paraphrasing the entire article, Carter’s is getting involved by offering to take back clothing that has harmed children. From Z Recs:
“If your child gets a rash or lesion, call Carter’s at 888-782-9548. Then call the CPSC to report the problem at their hotline number: 800-638-2772. Then email us photos and some information so that we can reference it when dealing with Carter’s and the CPSC and reporting accurately on this issue.”
You can also email me at stefani@teensygreen.com with photos or questions. And please, pass the word around about this very serious issue!
Photo courtesy of Z Recommends
Bottled water is getting a backlash, and consumers are starting to listen. Were you as shocked as I was to learn that Disani and Aquafina’s water was nothing more than purified tap water? Even if you’ve been recycling your bottled water, many people do not - over 38 billion plastic bottles of water were sent to landfills last year, and the energy used to make them can be put towards much more important uses, such as powering homes!
But do you really know what’s in your tap water? Reports in the past few months have highlighted the concern of pharmaceuticals in local water supplies, and environmental watchdog Environmental Working Group published a report back in 2005 regarding 140 contaminants with “no enforceable limits” in the nation’s water supply. In fact, EWG wants you to see for yourself what might be contaminating your water supply, with their National Tap Water Quality Database. Their water supply finder allows you to type in your zip code, find your water plant, and unfortunately, see for yourself how your water has been contaminated from as far back as 1998. It’s not a pretty sight.
Brita, the household name in filtration systems for your home, and the reusable bottle company Nalgene have recently launched the Filter For Good campaign, helping consumers jump start a switch to filtered water at home and on the go with reusable bottles. Learn the facts, get a coupon for a Brita product, and take the pledge to see how many bottles in your community are being saved from landfills. They’ve also just introduced their blog this week, which I’m so happy to be a part of! I’ll be posting each Tuesday, often branching outside of parenting topics. My five blogging colleagues include green LA girl, Citizen of the Month, Blake Makes, Whoorl, and Melting Mama - check them out and then read all their green perspectives on Filter For Good!
Can we talk about something gross for a minute? BOTH my daughters, who attend different schools, came home from school with letters that a child in their class was sent home with lice. Aside from having to explain to them what lice is actually is - and then deal with them trying to come to terms with it (”You mean BUGS can live on your HEAD?”), I myself bugged out and had to check and recheck their heads. I still have nit-nightmares for the one time I had lice - my mom making me stand in the bathtub, pouring the foul-smelling, burning solution on my head and picking away until I almost passed out.
Thankfully, we have this Lice Good-bye kit from Fairy Tales Hair Care, just in case. Before an outbreak occurs, the Rosemary Repel line of shampoo, conditioner, detangler and gel helps protect your child’s hair and scalp naturally. Pure oils such as rosemary, tea tree and lavender have antiseptic qualities that repel lice from settling in to little scalps. In case of an outbreak, their Lice Good-Bye mousse is an organic, pesticide-free shampoo that helps dissolve nits without the burning and, let’s face it, torture that comes with getting those suckers out! The kit also comes with a Terminator Metal Lice Comb, the leading nit-remover on the market. A worthwhile investment for anyone with kids!
One tip: Lice love clean hair, so make sure you DON’T wash your child’s hair every day. Sounds crazy, but if keeping your kid’s hair buggy-free means keeping it semi-dirty for a day, I’m all for it!
In case you didn’t know, August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month! Whether you’re a new or not-as-new mom, breastfeeding has probably been a source of pleasure, pain, stress, euphoria, wonder and worry for you and your baby. Breastfeeding is consistently praised as being a nourishing and healthful way to begin your baby’s life. Even if you’ve never nursed, celebrating this awesome, natural part of life is worth sharing with everyone. Here are some ways to show your spirit this month.
La Leche League International is holding various activities across the country to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week! Check the calendar for fundraisers, nurse-ins, picnics and other get togethers with breastfeeding moms.
World Breastfeeding Week may be officially over, but the WBW site is chock full of wonderful photography, news and articles to support and celebrate nursing from around the globe!
KIWI Magazine has launched its newest blog, The Boob Chronicles, one mother’s struggle, physically and emotionally, with life nursing a two year old. Just starting this week, TBC looks like it’s going to be an honest, in-your-face throes of the highs and lows of breastfeeding.
Mommies With Style has a wonderful array of breastfeeding articles this week, as well as awesome deals on nursing supplies, slings and other supporting accessories! Scroll down on the homepage for more information.
Check out these other amazing breastfeeding blogs - Motherwear; The Lactivist; Mama Knows Breast; and Breastfeeding 1-2-3. If you have a breastfeeding blog you love, please share with a comment! Happy nursing!
Do you give your kids vitamins? I’ve always flip-flopped about them. My girls are both petite but not underweight for their size. They’re also very healthy (thank goodness) and eat fairly balanced (based on the day and what I’m cooking, sometimes). My kids are fascinated, however, with the multivitamin kid’s section at Whole Foods, and they always insist we try something - that and the fact that I think a little extra boost can only help them. The problem is, many of the vitamins I’ve found are still high in sugar, or are low in taste, and are the same gummy-crunchy-goopy non-goodness you’re looking for. What to do?
I was sent a sample of EveryKid by New Chapter, a whole-food based multivitamin that is gluten free, 100% vegetarian, organic, and with no refined sugar and no artificial colors or flavors. It’s actually very low in sugar, with no aluminum dyes. (There are soy and yeast ingredients, for those with allergies.) The fun part is for the kids (of course)! EveryKid is like healthy Fun-Dip - it’s a crystalline , but you don’t mix it into water (you can if you want). Kids pour it directly on their tongue. My daughter tried the “Awesome Apple” flavor and was a bit confused at first. Then she declared, “It’s sour, but sweet at the same time. Yummy! When can I have another one?” Enough said!
EveryKid is recommended for kids four and up, so my three year old can’t get in on the fun just yet. We’ll be trying the “Brilliant Berries” flavor next, and there’s a grape flavor found exclusively at Whole Foods. Would love to hear what you think about vitamins in general - I feel like it’s always a hot topic, especially for kids.
