Safety Revisited

SAFETY REVISITED
TAKE CHILDPROOFING TO THE NEXT LEVEL: GO GREEN

We all know not to eat certain foods, drink or smoke while pregnant. We also know how to protect our
homes when baby starts moving about. We cover the usual suspects—seal electrical outlets, clamp down
toilet seats, move medicines out of reach, lock up household cleaners and pad the corners of tables—in
an effort to keep our little ones safe at home. But what about those household cleaners? And what about
the dangerous stuff you can't see like your quarterly pest control spraying inside and outside of the house,
the weekly weed killer dumped with fervor on the dandelions that are crowding your impatiens or the
hormones in the eggs you're cooking up every morning?

Here, Green Educational Consultant and Certified Green Builder Rebecca Foster takes us on a trip down memory lane,
back to when life was simple and easy—or so she thought—and chronicles her path down the green brick road.
As it turns out, ignorance was not bliss after all.
Safety Revisited

Back in the '50s when life seemed to move at a slower pace, parents didn't stress much about their kids. Once baby was born and all of his fingers and toes were counted, mom and dad relaxed with their new bundle of joy. They'd ride home from the hospital in their car with mom holding that beautiful baby in her arms. This new, stay-at-home mom was eager and ready to begin her day-to-day odyssey into motherhood: washing diapers, sterilizing bottles, knitting blankets, baking cookies, making holiday costumes, waving goodbye to the kids as they'd grab their lunch boxes and walked to school with their friends, keeping a clean and tidy house, having the girls over for an afternoon of bridge and laughs, setting the table for the hot yummy dinners that would be ready when dad returned from his day at work, then rejoicing as her family sits together recapping the day with tales of mischief, wonder and accomplishment. Life was good and the world a safe place.

So now you're probably asking yourself if people really lived that way or if I was just describing an episode of Ozzie and Harriet. No fiction here though; I was born in 1952 and that's exactly how I grew up! As a toddler, I would stand on the front seat between my parents if I wasn't sitting in someone's lap. When I got too tall for that, I might stand on the back seats floor leaning forward to better hear the conversation up front because it was so loud with the windows rolled down or beg to get the seat next to the window so I wouldn't get car sick. Seat belts? Car seats? Oh how my mother would have loved them. By first grade, I walked or rode my bike to school, ballet lessons and Brownie meetings—alone. I couldn't have been happier as I skimmed the surface of life with complete confidence and trust that my best interest would always be considered.

By 1960, our small suburban community seemed to explode with growth. The newly completed highway ran right through the middle of our town, bringing young families eager for a better quality of life in amidst the untouched fields and creating some of the original urban sprawl. Most families now had two cars—we did and I loved it. None of us really thought much of the black smoke produced by the leaded gasoline coming out of all those tailpipes; we just felt lucky to have two such luxurious possessions.

My grandfather was a barber who decided to become an exterminator. He successfully trained for this new venture, which proved extremely successful. Everyone wanted their homes sprayed monthly with the newest chemicals available to kill those pesky insects. Rat bait was a powder that left a visible residue on his jumpsuit (it was actually DDT!). I would hug him when he walked in the door and tease him about how strong “that stuff smells.” This is about the time my mother and I started having horrible migraine headaches. We never suspected anything. And speaking of chemicals, our house was always immaculate. It was mom's job to keep it spic and span, using the latest and greatest chemical cleaners to get the whitest of white tubs, the shiniest silver candlestick holders and the clearest counter tops on the block—not a streak in sight.

Those high school years were so much fun as long as I could keep up the front that I had it all together. I'm sure I was one of the original ADHD kids. Staying focused took so much of my energy and those cobwebs that crowded my brain most of the time compromised my joy. Mom continued to keep a spotless home and by now, the store shelves were filling with the latest chemistry had to offer: the toxic soup of pesticides, cleaners, polishers, hair spray, fire retardant mattresses, hormone-injected meats and non-organic fruits and vegetables that lived in and around our house was actually choking the life out of me and the rest of my family. Still, it never dawned on me that there was a connection between how I felt and how I lived.

Upon graduating from high school, I left my home state. Isn't it amazing how it can feel like a rebirth once you're out in the world for the first time with your own independent thoughts and experiences? I began eating different foods and probably wasn't interested in keeping my apartment as clean as mom had our house. Strange, but I started having random moments of clear thinking without those cobwebs. It was amazing how much more connected I felt to my surroundings and myself. Then I went home for a visit. Within hours of arriving, a blinding migraine sent me back into my old room and that old feeling. I figured the stress of travel had sidelined me—miraculously I felt better upon leaving. That's when I had my first a-ha moment. I started paying attention to the connection of how I felt to how I ate and where I was. Information was just beginning to surface, if you were looking for it, about the damage we were doing to our bodies and the environment. It was all starting to make sense yet I still resisted the change. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that my mom's house might have been the thing that was making me sick.

And so I retreated into my adult life: got a college education, got married, had three daughters, got a divorce and then faced the world as a single mom with young children. During my youngest daughter's first year, a fantastic and diverse group of new moms and I joined forces to become “The Wednesday Moms.” We got together as often as possible to share, learn and laugh. In the beginning when our children were little, we'd breastfeed, change diapers and let our babies socialize with each other. Each week a different mom would host the group at her home or suggest an outing. We were quite a site at some of the local museums, pushing 20 to 30 strollers while holding the hands of our bigger ones as we bumped our way through the halls. By the fourth year of our Wednesday Mom adventures, we were a solid, tight-knit group—and we were completely unprepared for the devastating news that a child of one of our moms was diagnosed with cancer.

When children are stricken with cancer you fight for their lives and look for reasons. After bravely battling her illness for a year the cancer proved too much. Since her death in 1991, I have proudly watched these parents take the greatest tragedy of their lives and turn it into something that has now potentially saved thousands, an organization called Healthy Child Healthy World.

We mothers of The Wednesday Moms all endured an eye opening experience as the research, or lack thereof, started coming about the link between the environment and childhood cancers and other diseases. We began examining everything we were doing with our children. It all made devastating sense to me now and it couldn't be ignored.

As new information, based on solid science, came into my awareness, I knew I had to figure out a way to apply it to my daily living with my daughters. Day by day, as I took one step then another, my house became less toxic. I loved to cook and realized how important it was for me to simply switch the fresh ingredients to organic or locally grown. My lawn and garden didn't need a monthly spraying of pesticides to keep it beautiful. If I saw unwanted bugs in the house, I'd look for cracks that let them in or spills that attracted them—instead of dousing the area with harsh chemicals. Those products I kept under the sink or in my laundry room that I thought were keeping my house clean were actually filled with harmful toxins, so they were replaced with things like baking soda, borax, distilled white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice and essential oils. I had a problem with the smell of mold in my oldest daughter's bedroom. I thought I'd looked everywhere for the source. until I went into an area under my house where I'd stored all those expensive cardboard moving boxes. There was a tiny leak in my driveway that allowed water to seep in and drip right on top of those flattened stored boxes. They'd been there for several years. Once I had them carted off along with the soil they were sitting on, my mold problem was solved. These small changes provided huge benefits for my family and were my first steps toward greening my world.

HOW TO TRULY BE SAFE AT HOME
Okay, let's go back to the future. Take a deep breathe now. We've all been overwhelmed with the recent abundance of green suggestions and guilt and panic that we've been dwelling dangerously for so long. The fact that you're reading this article says you're open to and interested in the possibility that some changes in and around your living space could result in a positive improvement to the quality of your life and the planet. Your space can become a healthier place to live and/or work along with the added bonus of running more efficiently, which not only will save money for your family but will lessen your carbon footprint—what a win-win.

Start by following these five steps, courtesy of Healthy Child Healthy World (www.healthychild.org/5steps):

1	Manage Pests Safely Though we often encourage children to "go out and play," exposure to common lawn/garden care and indoor pesticides is identified by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as potentially causing a range of health problems, including asthma, hyperactivity and behavior problems, cancer, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders, and compromised brain development. Rather than stifling healthy activity in children, you can make healthier choices in pest control!
2	Use Non-Toxic Products—Cleaners, Body Care, Home Furnishings We bring home a wide variety of products that can contribute to making our family and home sick and filled with potentially harmful toxicants. We put them in our grocery bags and they can be found in many home and life-style stores as well. Luckily, there are a number of safe and healthy alternatives to these products, which allow you to make informed and wise choices in your marketplace to seriously reduce the amounts of chemicals you invite in your home. Cleaners, body care items, and home furnishings are the three main categories that can have serious effects on you and your child’s health.
3	Clean Up Indoor Air Did you know that people in America spend 90 percent of their time indoors? It might seem safer and cleaner, but indoor air pollution is linked to a host of health effects. Common indoor air pollutants -- which are exacerbated by smoke, mildew, and gas -- include formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, secondhand smoke, asbestos, lead, and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Not to worry, it’s easy to reduce the risk. Start by replacing products that contribute to the problem, then try some other simple steps.
4	Shop Smart: Eat More Organic and Healthy Foods Eating organic food reduces the amount of toxic pesticides in our bodies. It’s grown without potentially harmful, long-lasting synthetic chemicals and is approved by the FDA after meeting rigorous standards. In conventional grown food, however, synthetic or chemical means may have been used to fertilize soil, control weeds and insects, and prevent livestock disease. These non-organic foods often contain chemical and pesticide residue. What’s the goal? It’s simple: Eat organic foods.
5	Be Wise with Plastics Plastic provides a good amount of affordable convenience. Only recently have we discovered that the hidden cost may be our health. Plastics, which are used in much of our food storage and cooking, have the potential to negatively affect health in certain applications. Some petroleum-based plastics leach harmful chemical into foods and drinks, especially when plastic comes in contact with oily or fatty foods, during heating and microwaving, as a result of harsh cleaners, and when exposed to excessive moisture.

Luckily, we can all make safe choices.

I can proudly say that since I've given up my SUV for a Prius, I am five for five. For more information on how to take the next step on your way to ensuring your family is truly happy and healthy, you can go to www.healthychild.org/green_home. Here you'll find information on everything from what to swap out your old window coverings for better ones to what kinds of mattresses to buy to a safer and more effective way to insulate your home.

Click here to read our Charity of Month article, featuring Healthy Child Healthy World.