Why This Book
Whenever I’m asked, I tell people I used to be a social worker because it doesn’t take any explanation. But what I really did was work with families who had medically fragile children, helping children to get the care they needed to live at home with their families instead of in a hospital or institution. Some kids had accidents that caused their symptoms but many kids were born with genetic mutations or developed cancer at a very young age. At times it was incredibly sad; I would get close with a family and see how a child’s illness and sometimes death effected them every single day. Other times it was incredibly inspiring, to witness the strength and resilience of the kids’ young minds. What this has to do with Growing Up Green is that the author, Deirdre Imus, was on the board of the non-profit company I worked for. She and her husband have a ranch that they open up to kids with cancer in the summer and are huge advocates of keeping children healthy through prevention, and improving the environment we all live in.
Book Review
While this is not the kind of book you can sit down and quickly read, it is packed with very specific resources for “greening” your home and body from pre-pregnancy through your child’s adolescence. It covers everything you can think of in your home and probably things you never would have considered. The one that stands out the most to me is: when you put a flea collar on your dog, the chemicals disperse all over its fur and your child probably snuggles the dog and rubs his face all over those chemicals. The book also encourages going beyond your own home into your child’s school and community.
I found this book to be easier to digest if I took notes, keeping track of what what section I was reading. Within each section there are discussions about conventional wisdom and products, why they are problematic and what specific alternatives there are. For example, in the section about making the nursery, she explains that most crib mattresses and pajamas are treated with brominated flame retardants (BFRs) which bioaccumulate and are believed to cause thyroid disorders. She then recommends organic, non-toxic crib mattresses and sheets, specifically from Organic Baby Mattress (organicbabymattress.com).
I have pages of notes with specific resources for specific problems like that. It’s great to know there are alternatives out there. Here are some other resources and facts that I found interesting:
- Nursery: Keep electronics out of and away from the nursery (radiation from electromagnetic fields has been linked to leukemia).
- Mercury: A neurotoxin, linked to lower IQs. NYC women have three times the levels of mercury in their blood than women of the same age nationally. Avoiding fish that contain mercury for 6 months can lower the level in your blood. However, “emissions from coal-burning power plants are the number-one source of mercury in the environment.” Another great reason to switch to clean energy if you haven’t yet!
- Toys: I loved this concept: we can use toys to “teach our kids that objects are disposable or that they are worth valuing and treasuring.” She recommends Waldorf dolls and wooden toys with non-toxic finishes, such as toys from magiccabin.com, willowtreetoys.com, threesisterstoys.com and northstartoys.com.
- Vaccinations: I have heard of some parents refusing vaccinations for their children but never knew why. Mrs. Imus doesn’t tell you what to do one way or the other, but explains in detail what the concerns are (and gives her own checklist of how to determine if a vaccine is accepted for her child, e.g. no formaldehyde). She explains the other concerns and recommends that you do your homework before accepting the standard schedule of vaccines for your child.
- Pediatrics: With a “consult your physician warning,” Mrs. Imus goes on to share non-toxic treatments for many illnesses, such as garlic oil for ear infections. This can be a good alternative to antibiotics, which are overused, leading to resistance, and the need for stronger antibiotics and so on. She also recommends researching doctors who practice integrative medicine. Also, boironusa.com has a homeopathic first-aid kit, an alternative to Tylenol/Motrin, a bug bite reliever, diaper rash cream etc.
I have a lot more notes, but I’ll leave it at that. If you find this information interesting, you should definitely check out the book for much, much more.
Comments
I’d love to know if you have any other ideas for cleaning up your home for your kid(s). Also, I’ve been thinking about starting a glossary for all the words that I’ve been learning as I go along that might not be obvious what they mean (e.g. in this post I used neurotoxin, bioaccumulate and possibly others). Would anyone be interested in a glossary?