Opportunities to change . . .

September always brings about great opportunities for change. Although not technically the start of a new year, our children welcome a fresh start as their school year begins. As we prepared for our girls to start school, we considered small changes that we could make to ensure their health and safety.

As a mom to children with asthma, I am painfully reminded of the link between environmental chemicals and toxins and children's health. Although our home is as toxin free as we can make it, I worry about their school environment. This year I took some extra time to find school supplies that were non toxic. Luckily, we have so many safer choices these days...the market for "green" products has grown significantly - providing affordable and efficient options. I focused on the following items:

Lunch boxes. Traditional plastic lunch boxes are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and can contain harmful toxins such as lead and phthalates. When buying a lunch box, try to look for labels that read lead free, pvc free, lead free or vinyl free. A love the products that are available at www.laptoplunches.com. As an alternative, cotton or stainless steel bags and boxes are wonderful alternatives. Pottery Barn kids has a great variety in many colors and patterns - http://www.potterybarnkids.com/shop/kids/backpacks-luggage/shop-all-lunch-bags/

Water bottles. By now, most of us have heard about BPA and try to look for labels that say BPA free. However, using reusable water bottles, puts our children at risk for BPA exposure - some plastics still contain it. Stainless steel is the best choice!

Art Supplies. Most of us do not have much control over the art supplies that our children use at school.But for home based projects, try to purchase water based paints, glues and adhesives. Children should avoid oil based paints and imported pastels - they can contain lead, cadmium and mercury. Try to stay away from "rubber cement" and "super" glue by using white glue and glue sticks. Don't be fooled by labels that read ASTMD D-4236 - although it does mean that the government finds the product to be non toxic, it does not mean that it is safe for children.

Scented markers. Markers, pencils and pens that are scented most likely contain phthylates. The attractive smells also tempt children to taste them...these are not products that our children should be eating!

Of course, there are many other areas where chemicals and toxins can be found, I will discuss them in future posts. The above are simple changes that make a big impact. As parents, we will always worry about our children's safety. We can not protect them from everything but we can make healthier choices.