How do you like to dress your child? Do you want him or her to look like a miniature adult or to be a child as long as possible? From my own observations there does seem to be a need… Read More »Organic Cotton Clothes for Kids
With only just over 3 weeks until the schools go back, it’s time to start thinking about stocking up on essential “Back to School” supplies and uniform for the start of the next school year. Green school supplies and uniforms… Read More »Your green “Back To School” guide
Breastfeeding is the most environmentally friendly way to feed your baby. Breast milk is a renewable resource. No plastic bottles that will end up in landfill one day, no energy needed to produce plastic bottles and formula milk, no inefficient… Read More »Embrace green motherhood: breastfeed
In this short feature I would like to discuss what I consider to be a staple essential to a baby’s wardrobe. Baby gowns made from pure organic cotton. As in all things there are fashions in baby wear and a… Read More »Baby gowns – new fashion or old favourite?
John Guillebaud, professor of family planning and reproductive health at University College, London has said that family planning is vital in the battle to protect our environment. National statistics show that 669,531 babies were born in Britain last year, with… Read More »It’s better for the environment to stop at two children
My Abodo is an interactive online toy for children highlighting how we can change the way we live to save energy and water, and reduce waste. You can shape a house to suit you, and My Abodo will show you… Read More »My Abodo makes green living child’s play
I have recently been wondering if the increased incidence of childhood eczema could possibly be linked to clothing and bedding used. Natural untreated fibres used in the manufacture of clothing cause almost no skin problems. We know that conventionally grown cotton is very chemically intensively farmed and amongst many other potential side effects skin damage is mentioned. There is also much speculation about the harmful effects of formaldehyde which is used in textile finishing. It is widely accepted to be carcinogenic in some circumstances. Symptoms associated with formaldehyde exposure include headaches, respiratory problems, coughing and watery eyes. It can also aggravate asthma attacks. Frequent skin contact in clothing which has been treated can cause hyper sensitivity which leads to the development of contact dermatitis. Formaldehyde is applied during the manufacturing process in such a way that it becomes a permanent part of the fibre. Although repeated washings can lower the levels of formaldehyde it continues to be released for the lifetime of the fabric. It might be best therefore to avoid these finishes completely. Although manufacturers are not required to state whether they have used formaldehyde look for items that are labelled “no iron”, “shrink proof”, “stretch proof”, “permanently pressed” or “crease resistant”. As formaldehyde is used to keep fabrics wrinkle free these terms are indicative that it may have been used.Read More »What causes childhood eczema?
Babies are helpless little creatures entirely dependent on us to give them the best care we possibly can. There is a wealth of information available to mums about feeding and parenting but when it comes to baby toiletries there is little information given and a bewildering range of products to choose from.
It used to be thought that cosmetics did not penetrate the skin and there were consequently no regulations about what manufacturers put into their products. Adult human skin is thought to absorb 60% of everything it comes into contact with and baby’s skin is about six times thinner and five times more sensitive. Yet when you read the list of ingredients listed on baby products they look much the same as those listed on standard family toiletries. Furthermore there is no independent assessment on the safety of chemical substances used even though there are rising levels of concern about potential harmful effects on both health and the environment. Manufacturers are not required to prove ingredients to be safe. At present 99% of the substances that have been used for years are only tested by the manufacturers. Only if an ingredient is proved to be unsafe is it withdrawn.
The children’s birthday party has been grasped by many businesses as just another marketing tool, and they are churned out one after the other, with lots of waste and at a pretty penny too. You know the one’s I’m talking about, MacDonalds, the bowling alley, extreme sports venues. Complete with processed junk food, plastic party bags with cheap plastic toys, and a supermarket cake full of additives. There’s a culture of having to keep up with the Joneses by spending more per head than the next Mom, or at least appearing to be spending more, and the result is lots of mindless consumption and waste, waste, waste. What ever happened to the sort of parties my parents threw me as a child? There was always a homemade cake, homemade cupcakes, iced plain biscuits that Mom had made, jellies in orange skins, and ice-cream cones stuck to a biscuit with a marshmallow and some icing, remember those?
If you’re tired of commercially-hyped birthday parties, here are some ideas to bring it all down a notch and help the planet out. After all, it’s the very children we’re having these parties for that are going to have to sort out the mess we’ve made of this planet.