Natural Parenting
TikTok Magnet Ball Challenge Can Kill Kids
Did you know magnets can kill kids? I didn’t, either — until my friend told me about her tweenaged son, who had been playing with the magnet ball toys that are so popular right now. He put one inside his mouth and held another against his cheek. With his tongue, he moved the ball around inside his mouth as its mate moved around on his skin. Then he popped another into his mouth, holding the tiny balls against the back of his teeth by the power of their attraction to one on the outside of his lip. It was like a magic trick. Until it wasn’t. That’s when the magnet…
How To Get Pregnant? Avoid these 5 Chemicals
How to get pregnant? The answer used to be simple. But with nearly 40% more women reporting difficulty getting pregnant than 30 years ago, the stakes have changed. It seems like new information comes out every day that impacts the question of how to get pregnant. One recent study found exposure to fracking chemicals could lower sperm count in mice. Others make the connection between infertility and Teflon chemicals, now found in 99% of Americans. More and more, these studies are looking at extremely low levels of toxic chemicals—still considered “non-toxic” by our government–and their impact on human reproduction. I’m not a scientist, but if I was thinking about how to get…
Mommy Greenest Guide to Natural Parenting & Pregnancy
Once upon a time I was queried by an author who was looking for eco experts to comment on a book she was writing about natural parenting. She wanted to know how to plant a garden for a new eater so that the little veggies would come up at the same time as the child’s budding incisors. And here’s what I thought: What the f*ck?!? Has this woman even had a child?
Parents Debate Cloth or Natural Disposable Diapers
It’s the classic conundrum. You’re pregnant, and immediately the question is front and center: Will you use cloth or natural disposable diapers? Which is better for your baby and the environment? Because let’s face it, parents: Today, there are multiple ways to deal with your baby’s pee and poop. I know a family that practiced a method called “elimination communication” in which the baby wasn’t diapered at all, but instead learned to communicate when he wanted to go so he could be held over the potty. Try explaining that to your mother-in-law when she offers to babysit.
Is #Fluoride Dangerous?
I grew up on fluoride. My family had fluoridated toothpaste; as a child, I was taken to the dentist for regular fluoride treatments. And so I raised my children the same way: fluoridated. But new studies are emerging that have made me rethink that decision. And now I’m worried: Is fluoride dangerous?
Mommy Greenest Pregnancy Book (Video)
Eight years ago, I sat down with my infant daughter* in one hand and a pen in the other, and wrote a note designed to be read by my three children when they were old enough to become parents. That barely-decipherable scribble became a book full of notes about pregnancy and parenting. Eventually, those notes became a manuscript. And now, that manuscript has become a pregnancy book: The Mommy Greenest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond. You can click here to read it for free or order a hard copy!
Dangerous Chemical in Dry Erase Markers
Remember chalk? Teachers hated it because it got all over their hands and clothes, and extended inhalation could trigger asthma. But schools may have a bigger problem in the works: Now ubiquitous in classrooms, many dry erase markers contain a chemical linked to serious health problems. What’s the solution? Learn how to identify this dangerous chemical, and make safer choices for the white board.
Is EMF Safe for Kids?
Since my teenagers both became cell phone enabled a few years back, I’ve been nagging them about the four steps they need to take to keep safe. I’ve worried about brain tumor ever risk since the World Health Organization determined that cell phone radiation is a “possible human carcinogen” and studies showed that children receive double the cell phone radiation as adults because of their thinner skulls. But what about the electromagnetic fields—better known as EMF—generated by wireless technologies such as cell phones, tablets and WiFi? Recent action taken by the French government has me worried about that, too.
