![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Parenting Information |
|
![]() |
Clean Your House Green for your Children's Sake
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she had cleaned the whole kitchen and bathroom herself. So many emotions ran through me at that moment. First, I was shocked by the fact that no one asked her to do so. I was also happy that she had done this but anxious at the same time because this was a Thursday afternoon and knowing that during the next 24 hours would come my payback, a ride home from a party or a couple of her friends sleeping over for the weekend. But the one thing I was not feeling was worried that my little girl was exposed to toxic chemicals that most of us use in our homes. Two years ago we made the switch to all natural non-toxic cleaning products. Up until a few years ago, most household and commercially purchased cleaning products were "petro-chemically" derived or "synthetic". These types of products are literally made from crude petroleum oil. As our use of these cleaners in our homes, schools, and workplaces has grown over the last 60 years, the incidence of diseases like cancer and asthma has grown dramatically as well, and many experts see a clear connection between the two. It's a picture vividly painted by the numbers: From 1973 to 1998, the overall incidence of cancer increased by almost 25%. In the last 20 years, asthma rates have skyrocketed almost 50%. Americans now spend billions every year to deal with allergic diseases including a brand new one called multiple chemical sensitivity whose symptom is currently reported by 15-30% of the U.S. population. Children are more vulnerable to environmentally caused diseases than adults. This is because children are of course smaller, and their systems are still developing. A child's ability to flush out environmental toxins is not developed until they are around seven years old so they absorb and retain more toxins than adults. For example, children absorb about 50% of the lead they are exposed to, while adults absorb only 10-15%. Here are some shocking facts compiled by the City of Boulder, Colorado: · Indoor air is often two to five times more contaminated than outdoor air. · Childhood asthma has nearly doubled in the last 20 years (American Lung Assoc.) and some cleaners may be triggers to asthma attacks. · The average home contains 25 gallons of hazardous chemicals - a major portion of these can be found in household cleaning products. · In 1999, 92% of all poisonings occurred in the home. · Cleaning products are involved in 11% of poisoning exposure in children less than 6 years of age. · 70,000 synthetic chemicals are in production today. Many are suspected to cause cancer or other health effects, but only 600 have been adequately tested. Many people who are exposed to a variety of petrochemicals in our environment do not reach acute toxic exposure, which leads to cancer or death. However, they may experience an array of subtle symptoms, including headaches, rashes, or breathing difficulties, which, while less dramatic, can be extremely debilitating. These effects are even more devastating in young children. Compounding this problem is the difficulty of isolating which chemicals present in homes, schools, offices or even cars is causing the problem. The manufacturers of the traditional cleaning products are protected by trade secret labeling laws, which do not require them to list all ingredients. Although chemical information is required by law on products used in the workplace, this toxic information is not currently required on the products we use daily in our homes. Kathy Cooper, Sr. Environmental Law Researcher states: "Most consumers assume that if it's on the store shelf, it has been tested and it is safe. That is far from the truth. The Government and manufacturers are currently under no obligation to tell us about long-term toxicity of common household cleaners". Children's developing bodies are more vulnerable to toxins than those of adults, says Susan JunFish, who used to work for the Environmental Protection Agency. And they're more likely to get toxins into their bodies. Their hands are on everything and then go in their mouths-an average of ten times an hour, according to one study. These toxic cleaning products are slowly gaining attention, not only by environmentalist groups but on a City and State level as well. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the city of Seattle have taken the first step towards recognizing the importance's of Environmentally preferable cleaning products and has awarded contracts to companies that meet certain criteria. These products will have less of an impact on the environment than their traditional counterparts because they are generally less toxic and contain lower concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone depleting chemicals (ODCs), and carcinogens. Environmentally preferable cleaning products must also be offered in recycled-content, recyclable and/or reduced packaging. Our children are what we live for. We go to great lengths to shelter and protect them from all that is bad in the world. Why subject them to harsh toxic chemicals when there are alternatives available that are both safe and effective. By switching to all natural non toxic cleaners, you will not only be helping your children, you will be helping yourself, your pets and the precious environment we inhabit. David Zielski started Seaside Naturals with his wife Linda. Seaside Naturals, a leading manufacturer of all natural first aid kits and natural cleaning and personal care products, provides all natural living solutions for health-conscious people. Seaside Naturals markets and distributes through natural food stores, supermarkets, on-line and in mail-order catalogs in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.seasidenaturals.com.
MORE RESOURCES: 7 savory porridge recipes, including grits, oats and polenta The Washington Post How to Check If a Recipe Is Actually 'Easy' Lifehacker 16 Best Cobbler Recipes - Easy Cobbler Desserts The Pioneer Woman 17 New Dinner Recipes for Spring Yahoo News A recipe for mini phyllo quiches that the family can customize The Washington Post Passover Recipes The New York Times Finding A Passion for Cooking Through Simple and Quick Recipes Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun 8 Recipes Featuring Spring Herbs Everyday Health 15+ New Spring Dinner Recipes EatingWell Shocker Support Locker workers develop 28 recipes through online ... Wichita State Sunflower The 20 best Sunday lunch and dinner recipes The Guardian The 35 BEST Chicken Cutlet Recipes GypsyPlate The 10 Most Popular Recipes of March 2023 Bon Appetit 25 Vegan Easter Recipes to Brighten Up Your Table Camille Styles 25 Popular Asian Breads (+ Easy Recipes) - Insanely Good Insanely Good Recipes 10 Best Vegan Burrito Recipes - Insanely Good Insanely Good Recipes 8 recipes to help you clean out the fridge The Washington Post 10 Dessert-Like Baked Oatmeal Recipes with Chocolate - One ... One Green Planet Grandpa's Favorite Sunday Supper Recipes Southern Living 21 Easy Crescent Roll Recipes - Ways to Use Crescent Roll Dough The Pioneer Woman 12 Spring Recipes Our Food Staff Can't Wait to Make The New York Times Recipe: Chicken Chilaquiles The Atlanta Journal Constitution Chicken Recipes for the Whole Family | Seasonal Food and Country ... Lancaster Farming 24 Starbucks Drink Recipes To Make at Home Restaurant Clicks How to Veganize Your Favorite Recipes | HealthNews Healthnews.com Chicken schnitzel, idli and cookies: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for cooking with semolina The Guardian Daily Top Recipes: From Carrot Cardamom Cake to Victorian ... One Green Planet 7 recipes with leeks, including soup, dumplings and roasted chicken The Washington Post Egg and Onion, a Passover Recipe by Way of Australia The New York Times 10 Brilliant Recipes That'll Make You a Better Cook The New York Times 3 Mushroom Recipes for Tacos and Stews The New York Times 10 Million Dollar Recipes That Are Worth Every Penny Taste of Home The Best Morel Mushroom Recipes Outdoor Life A stew of questions | Hanford Gourmet Hanford Sentinel 3 flour-free recipes for the sweet side of Passover Colorado Springs Gazette 21 Easy Dinner Recipes for Two The Everymom 10+ Recipes to Make With Fresh Kale EatingWell A Smoky Egg Salad to Rule Them All The New York Times Authentic Chinese Food Recipes for Everyday Cooking at ... Digital Journal Homemaker reminders and new recipes | Columns ... Greensburg Daily News 15 Plant-Based Chocolate Pie Recipes - One Green Planet One Green Planet 7 spring vegetable recipes to celebrate the season The Washington Post 25 Best Heirloom Tomato Recipes to Enjoy - Insanely Good Insanely Good Recipes 16 Easy Soup Recipes That Freeze Well Women's Health I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Coffee Cake Recipes and This Is the One I'll Make Again and Again Yahoo Life 10 recipes inspired by the Oscar nominees for best picture The Washington Post How To Make Spinach Orecchiette Pasta: Recipe Gotham | Modern Luxury 10 Plant-Based Recipes Naturally Sweetened With Lucuma - One ... One Green Planet 7 recipes for Nowruz to make a fragrant feast on Persian New Year The Washington Post Chaitra Navratri Day 9: Prasad recipes for Maa Siddhidatri Hindustan Times Celebrate Pi Day with these 10 sweet and savory pie recipes The Washington Post How to make the perfect nettle soup – recipe The Guardian 9 recipes using frozen fruit and vegetables The Washington Post 21 Easy Summer Potluck Ideas - Make-Ahead Summer Recipes The Pioneer Woman This Farmers Market Frittata Recipe Will Never Let You Down The Wall Street Journal Grandma's Favorite Slow-Cooker Recipes Southern Living Easy Ways to Be a Better Cook The New York Times Recipe of the Week: Chopped Bacon Salad Morning Chalk Up Coconut Curry Rice Is the Star of Valerie Bertinelli’s 5-Ingredient Flank Steak Dinner Recipe SheKnows Roasted potatoes are better crispy. Here's the best side dish recipe The Arizona Republic 31 Asparagus Recipes for Spring and Beyond Epicurious |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Children and Mom and Paper Memorabilia - Children can create enough artwork for an entire gallery in a few short weeks. The key here is choices; establish a particular place-e. Baby Name Meanings Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning "Who is like God"), I'm really proud of my name. And I think that I - mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase "little devil" would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood. How Children Can Read Faster and Better For most children, it is easy to learn to read faster. Their reading rate is often a matter of habit. Blended Families Can Be Successful Many families today are blending members from past relationships. It would be easy to give up when faced with all the conflicting methods of parenting and discipline that come to a family who has joined forces together. Peer Pressure - Five Ways to Help Teenagers Beat Peer Influence Young people generally want to fit in to their various social groups so peer approval is a significant driver for their behaviour. For a young person resisting peer influence can mean isolation or instant ostracising so it sometimes takes great strength of will to refuse to follow the crowd. Teaching Preschool Color and Shapes with Family Games My kids just can't get enough of playing games with Mom and Dad--can yours?Sometimes we all take a break in the middle of the day and play a game together. Most of the time, I just make sure we play games so that we all have fun together. Parenting Your Teenager: 4 Traps to Avoid 4 traps to avoidTrap 1 - Parents need to realize the trap that is being set when your kids ask,"Well, why can't I (fill in the blank)?"Many well-intentioned parents then proceed to give a well-reasoned response and then wonder why the kids blow up and don't accept it.Here's a response I believe a parent will never get:"Thank you for that explanation Mom and Dad. Am I Really A Stroller-Monger? I was reading "A Modern Infant Armada", a humor column in Maclean's Magazine written by a fellow humor columnist. Writing about it now is a bit like a painter painting another painter or a singer singing about another singer (but it not like a cook cooking another cook. The ADD Child: Challenging Parents, Teachers and Friends The ADD child exhibits a series of behaviors that are common in most children. Most children misbehave, act silly and day dream. Parenting Your Teenager: The Teenager and the Gorilla Q: A parent writes in to ask, "You write a lot about the difference between controlling and managing teenagers. What's the difference. Raising a Violent-Free Teen in 10 Easy Steps The disquieting behavior of teenagers in the 21st century, is being hailed by experts as a disturbing trend among troubled youth. Such an interpretation may be factual, but mental heath advocates maintain there are guidelines parents can utilize before problems reach the critical stage. Spending Time With Your Child Why Is Spending Time with Your Child So Important?For children to get any sense that they are loved and wanted, you have to be prepared to spend some time with them. I know you are all thinking, so tell me something I don't know. How Public Schools Coerce Parents Into Giving Mind-Altering Drugs To Their Children Despite the potentially dangerous side-effects of Ritalin, public school authorities now pressure many parents to give Ritalin to their children so these kids won't "act up" in school.Naturally, most parents don't want to drug their children just because they are unruly, bored in class, or high-spirited. Understanding Why Your Child Has Been Recommended for Testing You have just received a call from your child's teacher explaining that she has noticed your child having difficulty in school. Your child is not understanding math or reading the way the other children do. What Parents Should Do For Children To Do Their Best After Divorce? Why do some children still do best after divorce and separation? Is there divorce parenting approaches that really work? Read and learn the divorce parenting approaches that really work.Going through the process of divorce is a challenging life transition for both parents and children. Film Industry and Our Youth In the first premise, some films and video tapes which are released into the world market are doing more harm to the society than good. These films are full of various modes and systems of corruptions. Who Are You When the Professional In You Meets Baby? Are you a professional?Notice how the questions differs from, "Do you have a profession?"To enter a profession, you invested an enormous amount of time, energy and money. Then you put great effort into earning the respect of clients and colleagues. Empty Nest Syndrome Paula's last child had just gone off to college and Paula was struggling with a deep inner emptiness. While she knew this day was coming, she was not really prepared for the intense hollowness that welled up within. Watch What You Say "Now don't you go getting any ideas, Harold.""Don't you get any ideas either, Terry. Whos Your Daddy? How to be a Great Dad in 5 to 7 Minutes I am a dad. I have been now for over 8 years. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |