Maybe A Little Better
This is one of the phrases I heard regularly from my parents while growing up.* They used this as a tool to get me to lessen my impact around the house and on things I borrowed, but I really took it to heart. I became a vegetarian at the age of 12 because I didn't want to be responsible for hurting animals, a decision I have stuck with due to ecological and social impacts. I try not to buy new clothing because there is so much clothing in this world that we don't need to waste the resources to make more for me. And so I never had any question that whatever I did, I would apply my skills toward something to help make the conditions in the world better. After a series of careers, I decided to be a conservation-oriented biologist.
And then we had a child. It is so easy to make decisions for myself, and for my decisions to be a personal choice that doesn't impact others. It is much more complex to make decisions for a child, both in terms of their health and in terms of the health of the planet they and generations to come must inhabit. There is an entire commercial industry that is telling us what is best for our children, along with guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www.aap.org/), and individual pediatricians and other advise-givers. It can be really difficult and time-consuming to wade through this information to make a healthy, well-balanced decision for our baby. My trust does not lie with the commercial industry whose main goal is to design and manufacture products at the lowest cost. This can mean skirting health guidelines and production that impacts the environment in ways that are less than savory. Even the government health regulations are compromises between what is healthy and what manufacturers want. And we continue to find the harm that materials can cause long after we have been using them (case in point, BPA found in many plastics we use for eating, drinking, and toys). So I have been asking, when purchasing products for our baby, what is important to consider without being alarmist? How do we make decisions about this?
My husband recently sent me a link to a NYT blog entry about this topic. (http://happydays.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/the-age-of-eco-angst/?ref=opinion) In it the author grapples with the same questions in his discussion of "eco-angst". He suggests that by creating and sharing more truthful environmental impact ratings of products as a whole (not just the "greenwashing" of a product with a single organic ingredient while its production put workers at risk for deadly disease) we as consumers can have the power to change the focus of manufacturers of the products we purchase, if we have the information to make informed choices. In essence, vote with your dollar and make that dollar as green as possible.
In the blog, he provides several tools that have already been developed to help make decisions. The Good Guide (http://www.goodguide.com/) rates foods (including baby food), personal care items, household cleaning goods, and toys. You can browse for the best rated items or search for an item of particular interest. It provides their overall rating along with separate health, environment, and society ratings along with their justification for them. They also allow for user reviews, which are really helpful since you might find a highly rated deodorant that doesn't really do much when you get it home. For more in-depth information about all cosmetics, you can visit the Skin Deep web site (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com) to find out exactly what each ingredient is in that baby shampoo and its toxicity.
But back to the baby, who loves to put everything in his mouth right now. There are few or no resources to tell us if the plastic teething ring has BPA. Will it kill him, you ask? Well, I can't tell you. It didn't kill me, at least not immediately. But with rising cancer rates (http://usproxy.bbc.com/2/hi/health/590100.stm) and concern that some may be due to environmental causes, I think limiting exposure to potentially harmful substances makes a whole lot of sense. My sister-in-law gave us a book called "Raising Baby Green" by pediatrician Alan Greene (http://www.drgreene.com/). We recently read his section about toys and some things he said did not put me at ease: "Research on the health effects of many plastics is still in its early stages, but it is known that some of our children's plastic toys contain toxic chemicals, including lead, cadmium, and toxic softeners, that may cause permanent damage to the brain, liver, and reproductive system." And in a discussion of cloth toys and stuffed animals he said "As a bonus [organic fiber] soft toys are colored with nontoxic, colorfast dye (and not azo dyes made up of carcinogenic chemical compounds), and they are not chemically stain- and mothproofed as are most conventional fabric toys." Holy moly, do kids' toys sit around in a closet long enough that they need to be moth-proofed??? If it is bad for moths, it probably isn't a health-booster for the wee one. Obviously, he recommends soft toys of natural organic fibers grown without pesticides and herbicides and avoiding plastics as much as possible (particularly for babies who want to chew on them). In addition, he recommends solid-wood toys. This makes a lot of sense to me. Wooden toys are often built to last for generations, but won't pollute the landfill for eons like plastics. Hardwoods are great for chewing on and not being destroyed. But another thing to think about, what the wood is finished with. Best are unfinished hardwood toys. He recommends "If adding a finish on a wooden toy, use a natural oil finish such as walnut oil or beeswax. Mineral oil, linseed oil, and any plant-based oil with a strong smell are not recommended on the toys of children under age three." As for paint, well, it might be good to just avoid it if possible. If not, know that paints can include lead or plastics (ie acrylic paints). A quick look at the Consumer Product Safety Commission's list of recent toy recalls confirms that lead paint is still showing up in children's toys (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html).
On a recent visit to my Grandfather's house, he made a comment about the toys we brought along for Griff. "Why don't you just throw him a wooden spoon or a piece of cloth?" I have to wonder, in our rush to make our babies smart, to distract them, to provide the "right" developmental toys (i.e. http://www.therightbabytoys.com), are we forgetting that it is unlikely that Darwin, Shakespeare, Marie Curie, Mozart, and Virginia Woolf had oodles of toys? Maybe the world out there is plenty wondrous and stimulating, like a great, big toybox on its own, with our gentle oversight, of course. But it can be pretty difficult to oversee the baby all the time when I need to do other things like brush my teeth and eat, not to mention get a little work done. I have to say that the vibrating chair is a lifesaver. Maybe the key is moderation in everything, ie limiting those toys to a few special ones that can grow with them and pass along to the next generation, with everyday objects to supplement. As a new mom, my ideas and opinions find new influence daily, but I don't want to let go of those ideals my parents instilled in me.
I have put together a list of online resources for untreated, solid wood toys, organic plush toys, and ideas for items to be safely used as toys from around the house. Additionally, there are loads of free ideas out there for making your own, if you are crafty at all. You can re-purpose materials or purchase new materials that you trust for your child.
I hope you find this helpful. It is not meant to be preachy, just an online musing of my ever-evolving thoughts on these matters and a list of relevant sites (as requested by several friends).
*Along with other favorites "the world does not revolve around you," "patience is a virtue," and, my personal fave, "children should be seen but not heard." And yes, I already find myself using some of these with my little one.
Wood Toys:
Camden Rose wooden and textile toys. “leave no footprint” philosophy. Items for all ages. http://www.camdenrose.com/category/babies/85/
Little Alouette Wood for Wee Ones, teethers, rattles, blocks: http://www.littlealouette.com/
Mossy Creek Woodworks makes wooden toys inspired by traditional folk toys of American past. You can find their beautiful toys through these retailers:
http://www.satara-inc.com/category/mossy-creek-wood-toys
http://www.whimsicality.com/cart/results.cfm?Search_brand=Mossy%20Creek%20Woodworks
http://www.coralcamellia.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=23
http://www.peapods.com/browse.cfm/2,42.html
Easy to Love Pennsylvanian German Wood Toys, primarily toy vehicles: http://www.ez2love.com/toythumbs.htm
Uncle Goose Blocks alphabet blocks in a variety of languages: http://www.lindenwoodinc.com/UNCLEGOOSE/abc.html
Little Sampling Toys Blocks, teethers, stackers: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5833728
The Whimsy Tree animal track, leaf, and wildflower memory games and branch building blocks: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7099052
The Wood Garden Teethers, rattles, stackers, animal cut-outs on wheels, grasshopper pull-alongs, and airplanes: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7204278
Earnest Effort beautiful, simple wood rattles: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5139702
Hudson Block Company teethers and personalized blocks by custom wood branding: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6127196&page=1
Cloth Toys
Lana Natural Toys sheep, geese, anteater, and other funky, bright animal toys: http://www.brightoctober.com/brands.php?input=lanaorganic
Lissa organic plush toys, chicken, car, caterpillar, etc: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=103357§ion_id=5407886
Handmade Natural organic plush toys blocks, chickens, etc: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5656142§ion_id=6323762
x2-Use It Again, organic baby dolls, rattles, etc: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7980508§ion_id=6384424
SewnNatural fun and funky animals, mobiles, wall art and lots more: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6567540§ion_id=5786795&page=1
Honeysuckle Dreams Organic cotton dolls and bears: http://www.honeysuckledreams.com/
Maggie’s Organics stuffed animals: http://www.maggiesorganics.com/products_item.php?cat_id=15
Mayim organic cotton toys: http://www.miyim.com
Keptin Jr. organic cotton toys: http://www.keptin-jr.com/
Fair Indigo has plush animal toys and clothing: http://www.fairindigo.com/index.php/fair_trade/Baby-and-Kids_Toys
Peace Toys has simple, organic animal toys: http://www.peacetoys.com/foundling.html
Under the Nile has organic cotton animal, vegetable, and fruit toys: http://www.underthenile.com/underthenile/categorybyTheme-NTC-1-All.htm
i play has organic plush and blankie animals and toys: http://www.iplaybabywear.com/storefront.html
Plastic Toys
: Green Toys Inc. children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. http://www.greentoys.com/toys.html
i play has cornstarch-based plastic teethers and rattles: http://www.iplaybabywear.com/storefront.html
Everyday Objects as Toys
“Household objects as baby toys: What’s handy, what’s safe” http://www.polliwogged.com/detail/household-objects-as-baby-toys-whats-handy-whats-safe
Penn State’s “Household items make great toys” http://solutions.psu.edu/Parenting_604.htm
Associated Content’s “Keep Your Infant Interested with Everyday Household Items“ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1536297/how_to_make_baby_toys.html
A variety of articles with ideas on things to use as toys around the house: http://www.helium.com/knowledge/141075-how-to-entertain-baby-with-household-items
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What a great resource you put together! Thanks V -- and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
This is wonderful! I actually copied and pasted in into a word document so that I have it available if/when I decide to have kids. Thank you. :)
a little "nanny" trick for teething. take an apple, peel and core it. then slice it and place it in the freezer. allow baby to gum the apples. they love the apple taste and the juices that spill into their mouths. and since the apple is organic, it's healthy. and, there's no worry about anything toxic. plus, babies love it!