Gorgeously Green Moms – your interest in everything green and your desire to create a better world for your children should be applauded! When I had a little baby, I started to really wake up to the pollution in and around my home. Nothing was more important than providing the healthiest environment I could for the impossibly helpless little bundle that I carried around 24/7. Mercifully, many of us have recently become aware of the horrific childhood dangers of pesticide and insecticide use in and around the home and many moms now eschew the use of toxic cleaners. We are also beginning to realize that we can raise much healthier, happier children on organic food. A collective conscious is burgeoning and we cannot afford to let up for a minute.

I love that we can teach our children to have enormous respect for Mother Earth and what she gives to us. We can encourage them to become stewards of our gorgeously green planet so that we will see a new generation of compassionate and caring individuals who inherently know that everything is interrelated.

Many schools are now including environmental programs into their curriculums and our kids are tapping into a plethora of great, positive eco-information online. I firmly believe, however, that it all begins at home with the small details: explaining why its important not to waste paper, getting our children to sort out the recyclables and think about how each item can and will be re-used, conserving water and energy and watching something edible grow, even if its in a small planter on a window sill. These are things that your children will thank you for in years to come. Show your children how to “be the change”, as it’s the greatest gift you can give.

Great Resources:

EPA.gov
The Environmental Protection agency is a great resource for so many family issues. From air pollution to water quality, you’ll spend hours on this site educating yourself.
EPA’s children’s Environmental Hotline
1-877-590-KIDS

Toysafety.net
This is an excellent website for tips and information on the safety of your toys.

AECLP.org
This organization is The Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning.

Ncamp.org
This site will take you beyond pesticides

Great Books:

Getting the Lead Out: Complete resource on How to Prevent and Cope with Lead Poisoning -Irene Kessel and John T.O’Connor

Guide to Natural Baby Care
-Mindy Pennypacker and Aisha Ikramuddin

Handle with Care: Children and Environmental Carcinogens
-Lawrie Mott, F.Vance, and J.Curtis

Healthy Baby,Toxic World: Practical Ways to Protect Your Baby During Pregnancy and Infancy -Melody Milam Potter and Erin E. Milam

Is This Your Child’s World?
-Doris Rapp

Great Websites:

CEHN.org
The Environmental Health Network

Checnet.org
I love The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC)

Healthyschools.org
This is a good informative website for your school

Kidsforsavingearth.org
Get your kids online!

NRDC.org
There’s loads of great stuff for kids here.