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Green Kids are Happy Healthy Kids

If you are feeling overwhelmed about where to start your green home & lifestyle makeover, you may want to start by looking at your kids' bedrooms.

First let's consider that age-old environmental debate: cloth vs. disposable diapers

This is a complicated environmental issue. It takes an enormous amount of plastic and paper to cover American baby bottoms with disposable diapers each year-- almost 100,000 pounds of plastic and 200,000 trees. And the amount of diaper trash tossed into landfills is staggering: 18 billion diapers, or 3.3M tons, according to the EPA. That's the environmental rationale for the cloth diaper camp.

The pro-disposables say that the energy and water used to wash all of the cloth diapers are worse than the paper & plastic-use and landfill issues associated with disposable. Well, we land in the pro-cloth camp. Organically grown, unbleached cotton products offer the healthiest, most environmentally friendly option. Fortunately cloth diapers have come a long way, baby, and can be used 100-150 times and come with straps for handy fastening. See some great organic cloth diapers here. When you consider the chemicals in the plastics, bleaches, and scents used in the disposable diapers and that these chemicals rub on your baby's skin and are breathed by your baby, we hope you'll be even more persuaded that cloth is the way to go.

However, we realize many of you will not give up the convenience of disposable diapers. If you go that route, please use Seventh Generation Diapers, which is the leading brand of non-toxic household products.

Furniture

Keeping children's furniture as simple as possible will keep it as clean as possible. Chemicals attach to dust particles which then attach to upholstered furniture, so we recommend basic, sustainable, naturally finished wood furniture for your children's bedrooms. We offer a non-toxic line of children's furniture that'll also keep your kids stylish. See this Petra Toddler Bed shown at right.

Bedding

Don't forget that your kids spend a lot of quality time in their sheets and blankets. Make sure you have good bedding made from organic cotton that isn't ladden with chemicals. We have a good selection of healthy bedding for babies and kids here. You should also look into mattresses made of organic and natural materials.

Doing any remodeling to prepare for the arrival of a baby?

It is no surprise that a newborn may necessitate some remodeling. If you are pregnant and/or already have children and decide to take on a remodel project, we strongly suggest you take precautionary measures and plan far in advance. In order to minimize exposure to chemicals and significant dust that will be disturbed in your home reconstruction (such as lead, pesticides, mold, asbestos, etc.), it is most prudent for the entire family to vacate the premises until the remodel is completed, thoroughly cleaned, and aired for at least a few days.

Carpeting

As you know, kids hang out on the floor. And carpeting provides a soft, cushy surface for them to play and fall on, right? But unfortunately, it also provides a perfect environment to continually collect and release pollutants back into the air. Carpet fibers and padding are magnets for dust mites, pesticides, animal dander, bacteria, lead dust, and cleaning product chemicals, all of which children disturb, churn, and inhale as they crawl and play. Synthetic carpeting is the worst offender because it introduces its own adhesives, glues, and stain-proofing chemical vapors into the air, on top of everything else.

We suggest removing all carpeting from your childrens' bedrooms (though be sure to do this well before your pregnancy and keep asthmatic children away during removal). But we also realize this isn't always feasible given the mysteries and subsequent economic constraints of dealing with what lies underneath the carpet. The next choice, then, is to avoid installing new carpeting and to clean whatever carpeting is already there quite well with mild cleaners. If you do want to put in new carpet, please consult our list of natural carpet suppliers in your area.

Paint

You may choose to prep the nursery or spiff up the kids' rooms by repainting instead of doing an entire remodel. There are two issues to think about regarding paint. The first is lead. Lead-based paint hazards are most prevalent in homes built before 1978 and any sanding or wall demolition may throw lead dust into the air around the house. Because their brains are still developing, children are very vulnerable to lead, a highly toxic neurotoxin that can cause lowered IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. So if you live in a pre-1978 home, please test your paint for lead before painting or renovation work. For more information, contact The National Lead Information Center Hotline.

The second issue for paint is volatile organic compounds or VOCs which are solvents in paint, such as benzene, styrene, and formaldehyde, that cause the familiar-but-unhealthy "new paint smell." Some VOCs are carcinogenic and some cause health issues like headaches, fatigue, etc. VOCs can especially cause harm to the developing brain of a child. So be sure to use Low-VOC or Zero VOC paints. Find Low/No-VOC paint options here. And if you are pregnant, have someone else paint the room, and make sure it's at least a month before the baby is due.

Clean air

Opening windows is always the best way to ventilate your children's rooms. But during winter seasons when opening windows isn't feasible, utilize an air cleaner in each children's bedroom to remove pollutants from the air. And for greatest effectiveness, be sure to close the doors and windows when the air cleaner is in use. Find air cleaners here.

Also remember that popular brand-name cleaners are typically full of harsh chemicals that emit unhealthy fumes which can irritate children's eyes, nose, and lungs, harm children's skin, and may even be linked to cancer. These cleaners can also leave behind chemical residues that get picked up by children's hands, food, and toys, increasing the likelihood that they get into children's mouths and bodies. So to be safe, choose non-toxic cleaners.

Not all toys are created equal

Of course, kids' rooms are filled with toys. But many childrens' toys are made from plastic, and plastic contains phthalates and other chemicals which are a sources of indoor air pollution. Plastic is also made from petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource. So it is best to get toys that are made from natural cloth, wood, rubber and use vegetable dyes. Fortunately we have plenty of healthy fun stuff for you to choose from: see our natural toys.

And some snazzy organic duds look great too!

Okay, so you also want some cute clothes for the kids, too, right? Well organic cotton is not only healthier for kids, but the agricultural practices used to grow and harvest the cotton are more sustainable as well. Check out these cute organic baby and childrens clothes!

We hope you will use these tips to help make your homes and children healthy and sustainable. Please share this newsletter with other parents you know!

Do you have a topic you would like us to cover? Send us an email at info@lowimpactliving.com and we will try to incorporate it in our newsletters over the next few months.

Individual results of using green products and services listed herein may vary. Low Impact Living, Inc. takes no responsibility for individual results, nor for service providers or products listed on this website.