“I’d sign up for any class that will teach my kid to put away toys!”  That’s what one parent said to me when he saw my one and a half year old clean up after himself, putting toys back in the basket they came in.  Another mom said, “How did you get him to do that?  I always end up putting all her toys away once she is asleep.”  I told them truthfully it’s really easy to teach your child to put away toys.  Just as soon as they can take toys out, they can learn to put toys back.  They both said, “How do you do it!?!”

Here are some basic facts to help you understand why it is not such a difficult task:

• Children don’t see cleaning up as a chore (like we do), they just see it as another activity.

• Children like to be involved in anything that we (the parent) are doing.

• Children like to imitate.

• Children like routine.

• Children will follow direction if you make it fun, especially if the activity is paired with a song.

• Children do not only like order, but they thrive in an environment that is neat, uncluttered, orderly and aesthetically beautiful.

Here’s how I did it:

When my boy was about 8 months old, I started showing him how to put toys away.  I would sing the words “bum-bum” (just like they did in his music class when they put the musical instruments away) as I made a repetitive movement with my hand by picking up a toy and dropping it into the basket.  I did this several times in a row.  Then I would hand him a toy to put in the basket and continue the repetitive movement with my hand as I dropped each toy into the basket.  Because children like to imitate, my boy began to drop toys into the basket.  When children see a repetitive movement, especially when paired with a sound (or sing-songy sound), they can’t help but imitate it.  Dropping the toys in the basket seems like a fun game when paired with a sound.  And when a child sees a grown-up do something, they believe that is what is supposed to be done.

After doing this time and time again, I wouldn’t have to hand him the toy to put into the basket.  Instead, when I said “bum-bum, time to put away toys”, he would reach for toys on the floor and put them where he knew they belonged.

In my home, each type of toy has it’s own place categorized by theme.  For instance, I have all the musical instruments in one basket, while another basket has all of his cooking toys and another area there is a parking garage where he parks his cars and trucks.  I would put the toys in the same place every time.  To my amazement, before he was a year old, he learned that each type of toy has its own place and he would put it there.

It is important not to have clutter so that a child can really see what toys he has and be able to enjoy them.  I think of this as similar to a shopping experience at a high-end boutique store versus a Ross Dress for Less or a Marshall’s discount store where there are so many clothes stuffed onto the rack that it’s difficult to see if there is anything you like.  Whereas at a boutique store, there are fewer items displayed so that you can really appreciate and admire each outfit.  Children respond similarly, but are even more sensitive to their environment.  In my opinion, most American children have too many toys.  If there are too many toys in the room, even the coolest toys end up looking like a huge pile of clutter to a child.

Tips to Avoid Clutter:

•Rotate your child’s toys so that he or she is not overloaded.

•Try to keep the categorical themes, but switch out a car for a new one and store the other one away for another day.

•Take away toys that your child has outgrown.

• Display the toys as if you were a boutique store rather than a discount store.

So now that my boy is a year and a half old, I tell him that we have to “bum-bum” his toys before we leave the house.  I tell him about the fun things we are going to be doing, but he has to “bum-bum” before we can do those fun things.  This is very motivating and he puts away his toys very fast.  And I love that I come home to a clean house!  We also tell him to “bum-bum” before bed.  The thing about children is that they love routine, so if they know it is expected that they put toys away before they leave the house and before they go to bed, they will make a habit of it.  I’ve also showed him to “bum-bum” his cooking toys before he moves on to playing with his blocks, but this hasn’t stuck with him quite yet.

Now since he’s capable, when it is time to clean up, I walk him around the house and point to things and ask him “where does this go?”  He knows where it goes and puts it in the appropriate place.  Sometimes if there is a mess, he will point it out as if to say, “this is not how it should be, let’s clean it up.”

Speaking of messes… children need to be told what to do and how to do it rather than telling them what not to do (like saying, “Don’t make a mess.”)  I used to get so exasperated when my boy would throw things (especially food) on the floor.  I would tell him not to throw things on the floor, but he would do it over and over.  I finally realized that I needed to tell him that food doesn’t belong on the floor; it belongs in the bowl or on the table.  I reminded him over and over that I like when he puts things on the table rather than on the floor when he is done with it.  It is amazing to me that simply giving him instructions works.  I now see all kinds of things on the edge of tables around the house.  I am thrilled that he is putting things up rather than leaving them on the floor. Now he even surprises me by saying “bum-bum” and putting things back where he found them.

When we are at other people’s homes or at other playgroups, he sometimes will put toys away without even being instructed.  After storytime at the library where we do coloring, he puts the caps back on the pens and puts the crayons back in the bin.  I think that is because he is used to cleaning up and keeping order.

There are times when clean up does not happen and I don’t expect it.  Those times are when he is really cranky, tired, sick or hungry.  I will put him down for a nap and put his toys away for him so that when he wakes up he sees that everything is in its place where it belongs.  I think this continuity of seeing things neat and tidy is important .  I also think that it is helpful to praise your child for being neat and clean and let him or her think of himself as a neat and clean person by commenting on how they are so neat and clean.  I see an expression of pride on my son’s face when I point out how neat and clean he is.

Now by his standards it is not acceptable to have crumbs of food on the floor.  He will point to it and say “messy” and then run to get the dustbuster.  I think it is healthy for a child to appreciate beauty, order and cleanliness.  Why not start before they see it as a chore?

After posting my last blog post on Tylenol (a fever reducer) being a culprit to childhood seizures, I was reminded by a friend about the danger of high fevers causing brain damage.  Since I believe in being armed with knowledge to handle future problems, here’s some information on how to evaluate and treat a child’s fever.  It comes from A Guide To Child Health by Michaela Glocker, but I’ve condensed it and changed some phrases to be more simply understood.

• Tempuratures up to 99.5 degrees farenheight are considered normal.

• Temperature between 99.5 and 100.5 is elevated (considered a low grade fever)

• Temperature 100.5 or higher is considered a fever

• If child’s skin is cool but fever is over 104 or if he has a seizure, call your doctor immediately.  If you cannot reach a doctor, administer a fever-reducing suppository containing an age appropriate does of paracetamol/acetaminophen and take the child to the hospital

• A child’s temperature can become elevated from wearing too much clothing.  In infants, this type of temperature disappears quickly by removing a hat and leggings

• Vigorous movement can cause body temperatures to rise.  Check again after baby has been lying still for a half hour

How high a temperature is safe?

There is no hard-and-fast rule.  Any newborn with a temperature over 100.5 degrees for several hours should be seen by a doctor.  Do not delay if the baby is not drinking or seems unwell. A fever that is higher than 105 degrees or fluctuates by more than 2.5 degrees should be evaluated by a physician.

** With all other cases, the decision of whether or not to consult a doctor should be based on factors other than the fever itself.

Signs of fever/Treating fevers

If your child seems different or you “don’t like how she looks”, it’s time for more detailed observation.  How is she moving?  Is she imitating others as she normally does?  Check her eyes nostrils and breathing; feel the warmth on her forehead, neck, torso and limbs.  Touch her stomach and notice any signs of pain.  Take her temperature.  If you are unfamiliar or concerned with the symptoms you observe, call your doctor who will ask you more questions about her appetite, bowel movements, vomiting, etc.

If the skin on her arms and legs feels cool and temperature is approximately 101.5

You can be sure that her temperature will continue to rise because her body has not yet given off heat through the extremities.  Her calves and feet will feel hot only when the fever has stopped rising and the body is actively attempting to eliminate excess heat. Do NOT under and circumstances apply cool compresses to her calves during the initial chill stage, but applying hot compresses made with arnica essence to the wrists and ankles is helpful.  In addition, cover the child warmly and give her some hot herb tea (chamomile is soothing and calming).  (Note that some children may be allergic to arnica.)

If her skin feels hot all the way to the calves

Apply leg compresses if her temperature is over 102 degrees.  Cool sponging can also be used, but only if it feels comfortable to the child.  These measures support the body’s effort to eliminate excess heat through the skin.  At this stage in a fever, it is important not to obstruct the escape of heat.  In cooler climates, keep your child covered, but not as warmly as when the fever was rising.  Non-chemical fever suppositories such as Weleda Chamomilla comp., Wala Aconit/China comp., or Heel Vibrurcol will help your child feel better and can be used if her extremities are not yet hot.

If your child has a febrile seizure and his skin is hot

Cool him down by wrapping him in a damp towel (water should be at room temperature)

A child with a rising fever

Feels unwell and vomits readily.  She may have a headache or stomach ache that will lessen when the fever peaks.  Do not force her to eat, but give her warm herb tea if she asks for something to drink.

Feeding a child with a high fever, but no diarrhea

Give her plenty of fluids (Slightly sweetend herb tea or milk diluted with the same amount of water, or cool luke warm diluted fruit juice (cherry, blackcurrent, pear or lemon).  A bland diet is required with no potatoes and little fat or protein; no nuts, chocolate, etc.  Do not try to maintain weight in a child with a fever; she will quickly gain it back after the illness is over.

Clothing and bedding

Must be carefully adapted to the temperature of the room and the stage of the child’s fever.  Here are some general guidelines: Fresh air, but no drafts.  In cooler climates, if the window is open, your child should stay well covered and wear a hat and a sweater if needed.  Even in the heat of summer, keep him covered, at least with a sheet.  Your child’s limbs should stay warm and he should feel comfortable.

A restless child

May refuse to stay covered and want to get up and run around in spite of a fever.  He needs the calming presence of an adult who will sing, hum, tell stories or engage in some other quiet activity.

It’s useful to have a portable cot to move around the house so that the child can be near you as you work.

When your child gets a fever, most moms automatically reach for the Tylenol.  …but before you do stop and consider this…

I feel compelled to write about this problem that links giving a child tylenol to seizures because it has happened to a few people that I know and it is so scary!

Here’s the latest incident that happened:

My friend gave her one-year-old boy Tylenol when she noticed he had a fever, no appetite and was breathing a little bit strangely.  About four hours later (when the Tylenol wore off) he began shrieking and went into convulsions three separate times.  On the way to the Emergency Room, the boy was breathing but not responding to anything, but began to respond again once they arrived at the ER.  The doctor at the ER sent them home diagnosing it as an earache.  Two days later their family doctor told them that the fever was actually caused by a virus and that the ER doctor told them it was an earache as an easy way to send them home.

Here’s the problem with giving children Tylenol to stop a fever:

Seizures are caused by the fact that the fever is stopped (at an unnatural pace) from working on the virus and so when it wears off, the fever spikes and causes convulsions.  What actually causes the fever to spike when the drug wears off is when the lowered body temperature jumps back up to the high fever… and that drastic change in temperature to the body is what causes the convulsions.

Instead of administering a fever reducing drug (like Tylenol) , gradually lowering a child’s temperature is a safer way to go to avoid convulsions.  The fever is actually the body’s way of attacking the virus and is good to burn it out.  So if the fever is not too high, it is better to allow it to do it’s work cleaning out the body (of course it needs to be watched carefully) .  Although it is scary for most moms to allow a child’s fever to run its course, it is actually less harmful.  I know this is unconventional thinking, but as a concerned mom I feel this happens all too often when a child is given Tylenol for a fever.

An additional problem here is that we rely so heavily on medication and medical professionals to take care of our children’s health; it is really tragic that the pharmaceutical industry and M.D.’s are not always looking out for our best interest!  We as moms have to be our own families’ health advocate by doing our own research in knowing what is best for their health.

For additional understanding of how fevers are good for building a better immune system, read my blog post called How To Treat Childhood Illness and Vaccinations.

Most parents don’t take play seriously enough.  I know that seems like an oxymoron, but as I have watched my child play freely I’ve witnessed invaluable creativity, discovery and problem solving going on.  (I compare it to the times when my best creative ideas come to my mind– when I’m in the shower or when I am doing some routine task that is not working my analytical mind.)  Many parents are so eager to get their kids on the academic track of reading and/or analytical brain type thinking… and there is a time a little later in childhood for that… but what these parent don’t realize is that if a child’s mind is forced to focus on developing the thinking part of the brain at an early age, that child is not developing everything else as fully.  A mind that is engaged in serious thinking doesn’t have as much free energy to develop the senses (smell, touch, taste, sight & sound) and physical mastery of the body.  According to teachings by Rudolf Steiner, healthy development of the senses and the physical body equate to a healthy sense of self and relationship to the world.  These are important ingredients for a well-adjusted child.

So now I’ve found even more to back up these theories.  The journal Scientific American just came out with an article that sources many studies finding “free, imaginative play” to be crucial for “normal social, emotional and cognitive development”.  The article points out that it makes us “better adjusted, smarter and less stressed”.  Not only that, it may even prevent your child from becoming a future felon!  So take note, parents who are trying to create mini Einsteins: step back and let your kids play as they may.

Below is a link to the Scientific American article:

The Serious Need for Play: Scientific American

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When I was a television producer for Lifetime Television, I had a guest pediatrician on one of my shows that showed us how to soothe a crying baby instantly.  His name is Dr. Harvey Karp and he wrote the book called The Happiest Baby On The Block.  On the show, he took at crying baby and did what he called the “5 S’s”… and within seconds the baby was quiet and happy.  His technique simulates the baby’s experience of being in the womb.  The following are the 5 S’s:

• Swaddling simulates the walls of the womb.  Babies are used to being surrounded in a tight space, so you will notice that newborns have what is called a startle reflex– their arms fly out and they experience a sensation of falling because they are not being contained within the womb.  If they are swaddled with their arms tightly bound, the are happy because it gives them the feeling of being secure.

• Shushing is a sound you can make that simulates the sound that babies hear in the womb.  Babies hear the loud shushing sound in the pregnant mom’s body from all the blood and bodily fluids rushing through her system.  So most effective is to make loud shushing sounds or what even works is to run the vacuum cleaner or blow dryer.

• Swinging is the motion a baby feels when being rocked in the womb.

• Side lying is the position that is the most comfortable for a baby.  You can swing and shush a swaddled baby positioned on its side.

• Sucking calms the baby.  Breast feeding works best, but any kind of sucking will be calming to a baby.

The thing about the 5 S’s technique is that you have to do them all and get it right or it will not work to calm a crying baby.  I’ve found that swaddling is not the easiest thing to do especially at 3 in the morning when the baby is screaming and you are bleary-eyed tired.  What helped me is a product called the Miracle Blanket.  This blanket is made to make swaddling simple.  The swaddling blanket had built in flaps that wrap around the baby’s arms and tuck behind the back. This ensures a tightly bound baby which is essential for the swaddling technique to work.  Some people wonder if the baby will be uncomfortable with its arms bound tightly to the body, but it is actually a secure and natural feeling as if back in the womb.  Another great feature is that it has a flap that envelopes the feet and legs, so if you have a dirty diaper, you can change it without unswaddling the baby!

Target has the “Happiest Baby On The Block” DVD for $17.99.

The Miracle Blanket is about $30 at lullabylane.com or miracleblanket.com or amazon.com

Target has the “Happiest Baby On The Block” DVD for $17.99.  This is an invaluable gift for a new mom.  It shows you 5 techniques to quickly calm and soothe a crying baby.  They will be very happy they have this when their baby is keeping them up at night or inconsolable.  The 5 “S’s” (techniques) are swaddling, shuushing, swinging, side or stomach lying and sucking.

And the perfect thing to go with that is the Miracle Blanket.  This blanket is made to make swaddling simple. If you are the kind of person who is impatient and tired (which all new mom’s are) then swaddling can be a difficult thing to do especially with a crying baby in the middle of the night!  The swaddling blanket had built in flaps that wrap around the baby’s arms and tuck behind the back. This ensures a tightly bound baby which is essential to the swaddling technique to work.  Some people wonder if the baby will be uncomfortable with its arms bound tightly to the body, but it is actually a secure and natural feeling as if back in the womb where things are very snug toward the end of pregnancy.  When a baby’s arms flail it is actually scary for the baby because it the baby doesn’t feel held and contained like in the womb.  So anyway, the blanket really helps if you are going to try to swaddle and another great thing is that it has a flap that envelopes the feet and legs, so if you have a dirty diaper, you can change it without unswaddling the baby!
This is $30 at Lullaby Lane or online.

I love giving birth.  I know that is unusual to say, but for me, birthing my babiesat home have been the most joyful times in my life.  But this last birth, my third in three years, was not so perfect.  I had to be transported to the hospital.  Now as a woman who loves birth but enlightened with this hospital experience, I can say that I understand why some women don’t enjoy birth and are even left feeling traumatized by it.  This may not be the case for women who planned hospital births, but I am just sharing my own personal experience as a woman who enjoys birthing at home.

What I loved and cherished with my first two births was being able to do anything I  wanted because I was at home.  In my first birth, I was able to labor for 36 hours without  any pressure to hurry up.  I was able to eat anything I wanted, be naked or clothed if I wanted, get in a tub of water with my husband, go outside to see the moon rising over the Haleakala crater and even walk down to the stream near my house to contemplate and be in nature.  During my second birth I enjoyed the luxury of not having anyone disturb me during my hour and a half labor.  I enjoyed just lying in bed, with my husband holding my hand.  It felt so private.  My midwife arrived only a short time before delivery.

Probably the most enjoyable aspect about birthing at home for me was that right after birth, I was already at home.  The baby didn’t need to leave my side.  My husband, the baby and I could continue to be in that blissful bubble of love without any outside interference.  We could just lay in bed together right after birth and not leave the bed or house for days until we felt like it.  And right away, the baby could experience the comforting smells and the quiet sounds of his own home.  I didn’t worry about anyone else’s germs affecting the baby.  I could determine who came into his sphere and I could keep him protected like this for months or as long as I chose.

My third home birth experience was a quick 2 hours in labor and blissful up until I had some complications.  My placenta did not slide out as easily as it had the first two times.  I began to gush blood while trying to push the placenta out and then passed out for a short  time.  The more traumatic time started once the paramedics arrived to take me to the hospital.  They asked me to stand up to get onto the gurney.  As soon as I stood up, I passed out again.  I woke up on the floor of my bedroom with the paramedics looking at me.  They lifted me up and laid me back down on the bed and then slid me over to the gurney.  That seemed to me to be a lot of commotion just to get me on the gurney and I wasn’t even out of the house yet.  My bliss bubble definitely had been burst.

Once at the hospital, I believe that I had the best set of circumstances going in my favor.  I was greeted by a Kaiser Permanente group doctor that I was familiar with and who is known to be one of the best especially in dealing with home birth patients.  And on top of that, she and my midwife have a very good working relationship.  I also had great nurses who were familiar with my midwife as well and they seemed to be doing all that they could to make us happy.  I was told that fortunately the hospital was not busy during the time I was there, otherwise I may not have had the nice amount of attention that I was given.  And still, with all those perfect conditions, my experience was traumatic.

Just being away from the comfort of my own home was the first thing.  It’s also hard to get comfortable with an IV needle in your hand… and the hospital environment itself, visually and energetically is not warm and fuzzy.  I agreed to have an intravenous round of antibiotics and pitocin to help the placenta come out with stronger contractions, but it seems that once they give you one round of drugs, it is hard to stop the meds from continuing to be pumped into you.  I did ask if it was necessary to continue to give me meds… and when I did ask, the nurse lowered the dose… but then instead of weaning me, continued to give me more and then changed to a different drug that was supposed to control the bleeding.  I didn’t know if the drugs were really necessary, but I felt that I had no control over what happening to me and my body.

None of that was singularly traumatizing, but added to the total traumatic experience and helped to escalate the intensity once I had to go through the real trauma.  I was lucky notto have to have any kind of surgery to remove the placenta.  Fortunately the doctor wanted to try to get it out naturally (and I imagine the women who have to have c-sections or other types of surgery may feel even more traumatized than I did).  The doctor pushed on my belly and then reached inside of me.  She pulled as I pushed and screamed the placenta out of me.  It was actually more painful than giving birth, but necessary to do.  She could have given me pain killers, but fortunately my midwife told the doctor I was a tough mama who could do without.  I’m glad because the side effects of the painkillers would have lasted longer than the immediate pain and done more harm to my getting back to feeling normal.

My husband who was by my side the whole time, went back home to get the baby and to bring me foods that I wanted to eat.  I was so happy to be reconnected and to nurse the baby.  The warm comfort foods and my baby brought some of the feeling of home into the hospital room.  The doctor kept me for about 7 hours to observe and to make sure I was stable.  They had “threatened” to keep me over night if I  didn’t show signs of being able to manage on my own.  That would mean that my husband and the baby would have to go home at 10pm and not be allowed back until 7 in the morning.  Or they would have to admit the baby to the hospital, which would have opened up a whole can of worms for what they would want to do to my baby.  Fortunately I was able to go home.

All in all I know I had a good hospital experience, but I still felt traumatized.  And I also felt an overall sadness about not being able to live out the vision that I had for this birth.  My vision was to give birth at home and to be with my husband, my 16 month old toddler and my new baby all together in our bubble of love sleeping, waking up in our bed, talking, laughing, playing and discovering who we are as a new family in the hours after birth.

I am fortunate that I got to experience ideal births twice in my life.  Even though my first child died 20 hours after she was born, my entire birth experience and those 20 hours were wonderful and blissful… and even her death was peaceful.  In contrast, the hospital experience takes away that magical, unique and precious time after a home birth.  This is something that can never be replaced.  I think for every woman that experiences a traumatic birth, there is a grieving of this loss of this precious time.  And even though you are grateful to be alive and to have a healthy newborn baby, you feel this intangible loss.

I am thankful in a way to have had this experience though…

With two perfect births, I couldn’t truly understand how other women felt who had a traumatic birth experience.  This last experience gives me a deeper appreciation of what we birthing mothers endure, probably carry with us and incorporate into who we are to become as mothers.

My mom friends and I have been talking about vaccines and what their decisions were on giving their child shots, spacing the shots out or not doing them at all.  Some parents just follow what their pediatrician recommends and others do their own research in order to make a more informed decision.

Some of my friends have decided to get only certain vaccines and to space them further out so that their child’s system is not inundated with too much to deal with at once.

My philosophy in keeping my child healthy and treating childhood illness comes from information that I’ve learned from my mother-in-law (and articles written by anthroposophical Dr. Philp Incao) which is based in anthroposophical medicine.  Anthroposophical medicine is based on the idea that the human being includes soul/spiritual aspects as well as the physical.  It uses the same scientific principles as Western medicine , but it also uses naturopathy and homeopathy (taking into account that we are spiritual/energetic individuals and not just identical objects made of water, blood, flesh and bone that all respond to the same kind of treatment.)

So basically anthroposophical theory believes vaccines are not beneficial to building immunity.  To explain this theory, you’ll need to understand how childhood illness is actually beneficial to building your child’s immune system.

The belief is, a child’s body is constantly breaking down and rebuilding and actually needs to go through these “healing crisis” (like a fever or other illnesses) in order to build proper immunity.  If we prevent our bodies from experiencing these “healing crisis”, our bodies are not as strong to fight disease.  All common childhood illnesses are actually inflammation rather than infection. The conventional thought is that germs have invaded the body and that causes the body to get sick– this is not true.  The fact is that we are surrounded by germs, bacteria and viruses all the time.  We all carry many types of bacteria naturally and we do not want to be bacteria-free because it would throw off the balance that keeps us healthy. (Think about any eco-system, like the ocean, it is full of bacteria, but it naturally balances itself out or it gets “sick” too).  So taking in small increments of bacteria/dirt is actually good for us.  In fact, a recent study found that more and more city-dwelling kids are getting asthma and allergies and the numbers continue to rise astronomically.  Researchers say that living a life that is “too clean” is what is causing the problems and they site that children who live on farms with animals are the healthiest because over time, they take into their system the bacteria found in the animal’s mouths.

So a child’s body is constantly breaking down and rebuilding on a cellular level in order to grow.  The immune system does this breaking down by creating inflammation and/or fever to destroy and digest the debris created by the body– that’s why you see children getting lots of rashes and making lots of mucous because their system is actively working.  Debris that is not cleaned out acts like a poison in the body and can cause allergies or repeated inflammations later on.  Germs can multiply when the body is doing this cleaning process when the living cells begin to die and are being cleaned out.  But germs don’t cause inflammations, but rather they feed on them (and as a result, and imbalance can occur).  So every cold or sickness is really an inflammation and a healing crisis that is cleaning out the body.  And homeopathic and anthroposophic remedies help promote this cleansing process and help the illness work its way out of the body so that the healing can take place.  Antibiotics, aspirin, tylenol and other anti-inflammatory drugs cool down and suppress the fire of the immune system so that the symptoms subside before the illness has fully worked its way out of the body.  Even though the symptoms are gone, the drug never heals the inflammation and the immune system is left weakened.  The way to rid the body of inflammation is through fasting, purging and sweating (which worldwide folk-medicine recognizes) and that is why fever (chills and sweating) is a way of burning the inflammation away and leaving the child temporarily weakened, but ultimately stronger and renewed.

**Important to consider– when your child has a fever and you give him or her tylenol to bring the fever down, when the tylenol wears off, the fever can spike and cause convulsions.  This does NOT happen if you DO NOT give your child tylenol, but many people feel safer when they feel they are controlling the symptoms, when in actuality they are interfering in the healing process.

So what about vaccinations?
The diseases that the vaccines are meant to prevent are acute inflammatory illnesses that usually involve fever and rash (like measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and chicken pox).  These acute healing crisis are what strengthen the immune system and are part of a child’s healthy development process in the anthroposophical view.

Okay, so here is the complex, but important part to understand about a child’s body and vaccines and why it does not build immunity…
The immune system has two different missions when dealing with illness.
One (called the humoral immune system) is where antibodies (or defense proteins) are produced to recognize and neutralize foreign particles in the body (antigens).
The other (called the cell-mediated immune system) involves white blood cells and specialized immune cells which eat antigens.  These cells also drive antigens out of the body causing rashes and mucous which are signs of beneficial inflammatory illnesses in childhood.
These two immune system missions affect each other.  When the humoral system is stimulated, the cell-mediated system is inhibited.  Since vaccines stimulate the humoral immune response and depress the cell-mediated reaction, the debris never gets cleaned out of the body.  And even more important to understand, is that vaccines “prevent” a disease by depressing the cell-mediated immune system and it’s ability to expel disease-producing organisms.

So the bottom line is that an acute inflammatory illness (like measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, scarlet fever or whooping cough) develops the cell-mediated immune system which cleans out the body… while the vaccine activates the humoral immune system.  This is an important difference because the cell-mediated response is what protects a child from future illnesses and builds a stronger immune system against more chronic, long-term illnesses for the rest of a person’s life.  (Antibiotics also inhibit the cell-mediated immune system from working the illness out with rash or mucous and can increase the chance of chronic illness.  Although in some circumstances they are necessary and can save a life).

Research published in the Journal of the Medical Association (a well respected medical journal) shows that if a child doesn’t experience an acute respiratory inflammation they are at more of a risk of developing asthma and other problems.  The reason is that when a child has an intense but short-term respiratory infection the cell-mediated system is stimulated.  If this does not happen, the humoral system overreacts to harmless pollen and dust which eventually leads to asthma.

If a child is vaccinated against measles, the measles virus is in the body, but the child does not get the rash and some of the virus stays in the body.  This is like planting a seed in the body and then tricking the body into not rejecting it.  An article was written about this in the well respected British medical journal called Lancet.  It reported that the measles virus without rash is related to diseases in adult life like immune dysfunction, skin disease, degenerative diseases of bone and cartilage and some tumors.  The measles vaccine has also inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes in children showing up to be more prevalent in the last decade.  The report attributes this to the fact that the measles vaccine (as well as vaccines for mumps and whooping cough) reduces the ability of the pancreas to create insulin.

Since the more prevalent use of vaccines and antibiotics since the 1960’s the rate of chronic conditions in children have more than trippled.  This confirms what anthroposophical doctors have believed for more than 75 years– it’s better for an acute respiratory illness to run its course  (with appropriate herbal and homeopathic support) than to prevent it with vaccines or suppress it with antibiotics.

Since this is my belief, for me and my family, I will not do any vaccines an will not take antibiotics (unless in grave danger) and will not stop a fever with tylenol, asprin or similar drugs.  When my children get sick, I will use homeopathic and herbal remedies.  If there is some serious illness, I will of course consult the Kaiser Dr. and also consult other naturopathic and anthroposophical doctors to weigh my options and the affects.

Another huge thing that I believe affects our children’s health is our (both parents) state of mind.  If we are in distress, fearful, worried, depressed, sad, negative, angry or violent our children’s adrenal system is affected (fight or flight system) and this taxes the immune system and their emotional well-being.  If we are happy and peaceful, their bodies don’t have to deal with any strife and they can utilize all their energy for growing, developing and fighting off any imbalances that can create disease

How we approach our children’s health is an individual thing and takes serious thought.  Whatever we do, if we do it consciously with sufficient information to make our decisions, we can feel good about it without regret.  My parents believed in vaccinations, antibiotics and prescribed and over-the-counter drugs and they felt they were doing the best for us that they could.  I have been sick a lot in my life (nothing grave), so that alters how I feel about how I approach health for my children.  But I don’t hold judgement over anyone else’s rationalizations or decisions because I am sure you are going to do what you think is best for your child.  I just offer my perspective from my knowledge and research so that you can make your own informed decisions.

Your Sensible Girlfriend, Angeline

Kid’s Homeopathic Kit for Common Ailments

Here’s something that I think every household with kids should have– the Hyland’s Kid’s Kit.  It is a variety of remedies for the most common ailmets that kids will have from birth and beyond.  I recommend to all my mom friends that they buy this “first aid” remedy kit right away.

What great about it–

•You don’t have to worry about what to buy because it is all there for you.

•It covers the most common ailments.

•It comes with a symptom guide so when your baby is hurt, you can quickly flip through and find which remedy will work.

•It cannot hurt your baby in any way and there is no way to overdose even if a child eats a whole bottle at one time.

•Homeopathy works to stimulate your body’s natural defense systems, so it is not just masking the symptom; it is actually helping your body to heal itself.

•Kids/Babies love to eat the tablets since they taste like sugar.  My baby will even stop crying when he sees that I am about to feed him some of these tablets.

•Relatively inexpensive—around $25, iherb.com is selling it for $23.

Here is a description of what it contains from iherb.com:

Description

Homeopathic Medicine Every Parent Needs

The Hyland’s Kid’s Kit has been especially designed to assist you in discovering the benefits of homeopathy. The kit is recommended for use in self-limiting conditions and conditions that do not require medical monitoring or diagnosis. We recommend you use this kit with Homeopathic Medicine at Home by Panos and Heimlich and/or Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines by Cummings and Ullman. This brochure is not intended to assist in prescribing, rather to assist in understanding the contents of the kit and the uses for these specially chosen remedies. This kit features Hyland’s special triturated tablets which are soft and dissolve instantly in the mouth. If your child is too small to take even a soft tablet, simply dissolve the tablet in a little warm water.

Kids Kit Contains: Aconite 30X, Arnica 30X, Belladonna 30 X, Chamomilla 30X, Ferrum Phos. 30X, Hepar Sulph. 30X, Bump’s and Bruises Ointment.

Aconite (Aconitum Napellus)

Ailments from fright with sudden, strong symptoms.

* Anxiety, restlessness, fear of death, says he/she is going to die.
* Fever with sudden onset, restlessness, anxiety, hot, dry skin, flushed.
* Croup; waken from sleep with croupy cough which frightens (everyone.)
* Frantic with pain, intolerant, thinks cannot recover.
* Early stages of head cold, especially after exposure to cold, dry wind.
* Dizzy/faint on rising.

Dosage: One tablet every 30 minutes until improvement is noted. Adults 2 tablets.

Arnica (Arnica Montana)

Injuries from falls, blows by blunt objects.

* Bruising, injuries, bleeding from injuries.
* Helpful even in old injuries.
* Soreness from overexertion from work or sports; helps “shinsplint” pain.
* Soreness after childbirth; good for the infant’s birth trauma as well.
* Always after dental surgery, extractions.
* Complains that bed is too hard, wants to go home, says there is nothing wrong.

Dosage: One tablet every 15 minutes to two hours, depending on severity of the condition. Adults: 2 tablets.

Belladonna

Sudden onset, violent symptoms.

* Flushed, restless, thrashes about in bed, tosses self in pain.
* Bright eyes, dilated pupils, photophobic, can’t stand the least light.
* Skin hot, dry, flushed.
* Sleepy but cannot sleep; then drops to sleep, restless, twitching in sleep.
* Throbbing pains, in head or ear, usually right ear, especially after wetting head or chilling.
* Sometimes indicated in teething troubles, where symptoms correspond.
* Sunstroke with these symptoms, pounding pulse.
* Colds, flu, cough, headache, earache, fever, sore throat.
* Throbbing pains are worse from motion or jarring, as when someone bumps the bed.

Dosage: One tablet every 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on severity of the condition. Less often as the condition improves; stop when improvement is established. Adults: 2 Tablets

Bumps ‘N Bruises Ointment

The first aid ointment is the first choice for any injury where bruising, inflammation and pains is inevitable. The Arnica Montana based ointment is easy to apply to the injury and should be repeated as necessary. This ointment can be used topically along with Arnica Montana tablets which should be used internally for fast first aid relief.

* Bruising
* Inflammation
* Pain from Falls or Blows
* Do not use Bumps ‘n Bruises Ointment on broken skin

Chamomilla

Cross, cantankerous, nothing satisfies, asks for things and then refuses them. Angry, just hateful in his/her actions and attitude.

* Sensitive, peevish, irritable.
* Must be carried incessantly; likes violent motion.
* Intolerant of pain, everything is too much to be endured.
* Faints from pain; sometimes sweating with pain.
* Teething troubles, chews and bites and screams; may or may not have fever.
* Colic, draws legs up and howls.
* Greenish diarrhea during teething.
* Toothache better from cold, worse from warmth, from coffee or hot drinks, worse at night.
* May have one cheek hot, the other pale and cold.
* Thirsty, but may refuse offered drink because of contrariness.

Dosage: One tablet every 15 minutes to two hours, until improvement is established.

Ferrum Phosphoricum

An “early on” remedy; useful in the first stages of an illness, when no other remedy seems clearly indicated.

* Early stages of any inflammatory disease, such as colds, coughs, earaches.
* Gradual onset, fever with rapid but soft pulse (unlike Aconite, Belladonna).
* Pale, with rosy cheeks, and unnatural circumscribed flush.
* Cough hard, dry painful, as from a tickling in throat or chest. Chest painful with cough.
* Throbbing headache, relieved by cold applications.
* Symptoms tend to be worse on right side, worse at night, worse from motion.
* Symptoms tend to be better from 4 to 6 a.m., better from touch and from cold.

Dosage: One tablet every 15 to 30 minutes until improvement is noted.

Hepar Sulph. C.

A workhorse of a remedy: colds, sore throats, croupy coughs, hoarseness, boils, abscesses, infected ears, festering wounds (even in feisty tomcats).

* Chilly and sweaty, unpleasant odor due to the sweat. Very sensitive to drafts, must be covered even though sweating.
* Sensitive in general, mentally as well as physically, faints from least pain.
* Sneezing whenever exposed to cold dry wind, nose runs clear, but later ripens into thick yellowish discharge.
* Nasal obstruction, can’t breathe through nose, snuffles frequently.
* Colds start with irritated throat, sticking sensation as of a fishbone or scratchy material, as of a husk of grain.
* Pains shoot into ears on swallowing, with sore throat
* Dry. hoarse cough, often with loss of voice. Cough worse from uncovering any body part.
* Croupy cough, loose, rattling, juicy sounding.

Dosage: One tablet every 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on severity of condition; stop when improvement is noted.

You don’t normally think of your house as being toxic, but if you’re like the average person, your house could be one of the most chemically toxic places that your family is exposed to. I don’t think of myself as a totally “green” or an obsessively natural-living kind of person, but in the last few years since I’ve been pregnant and figuring out what is healthiest for my family, it seems I’ve learned a lot on how to keep my family as safe as reasonably possible from toxic household chemicals.

How Bad Could It Really Be?

Well, if you use many popular household cleaning products like Tide, Ajax, Clorox, Tilex, Lime-Away, Windex, Dawn Dish Soap… and wash with some of the common soaps and beauty products, you have been exposing your family to dangerous toxic chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer and hormonal problems. The thing is that you might not attribute these health problems to the products you use or foods you eat because it is a collective process over time that these chemicals can eventually cause seriously altering changes to your system.

A survey by the Environmental Working Group in 2007 found that children are on the average exposed to 61 different chemicals a day, 27 of those not considered safe by the government or a cosmetic’s industry safety panel.

Here’s Some Real Proof– Dateline NBC found out just how much household toxins we ingest into our bodies!

Just to show you how the average family is actually ingesting hundreds of chemicals, Dateline NBC’s Josh Mankiewicz’s report tested the blood levels of two different families. One family he called “The Greens” were the “conscious” family who would use biodegradable products, ate what they considered a healthy vegetarian diet and bought mostly organic foods. The other family, the “Browns” who are maybe more like your average family, live a life of convenience– using teflon pans, quick and efficient household products and eating whatever is fast and convenient. The lab results showed that both families had roughly the same number of chemicals in their bloodstream (close to 50 different chemicals), but more important than the number of chemicals is the amount of each chemical in the body. The “Browns” had up to 4 times the amount of those chemicals than the “Greens” in their system! The chemical culprits–
•Perfluorochemicals, or PFCs which are found mostly in non-stick cookware, furniture, clothing and fast food containers.
•Parabens used as preservatives in cosmetics and products like moisturizers, shampoos, shave gel and toothpaste. Both women had higher levels of parabens from using cosmetics.
•Phthalates used to make plastic products from water bottles to children’s toys to shower curtains, and are also a key ingredient in paint, cosmetics, and anything with fragrance.
The “Browns” kids who admit to drinking a lot of bottled water and microwaving in plastic containers had the highest level of phthalates.  The “Greens” who had lower levels of phthalates said they consciously bought mostly wooden toys for their children and it was only at other kids homes that their kids played with plastic.
•Triclosan, a pesticide found in most anti-bacterial liquid hand soap. The “Greens” showed barely a trace because they’ve always avoided using anti-bacterial soap.
•Bisphenol A, a toxin and possible carcinogen found in recycled and reusable plastics like baby bottles and the inner lining of most canned goods.  The “Greens” had higher levels of BPA, possibly because they eat a lot of canned beans in their vegetarian diet.

So what is a family to do about all these toxic chemicals in our homes?

Newsweek magazine ran an article called Nine Ways to Avoid Household Toxins. Here’s a shortened version of that article:
1. Filter Your Water. A simple water filter can capture a lot of pollutants.
2. Know What ‘ s in Your Grooming Products. Shampoos, lotions and makeup can contain a number of toxins like parabens and phthalates, which have been identified as hormone disruptors and may be linked to certain cancers.
3. Don’t Eat Microwave Popcorn. The inside of a microwave popcorn bag is usually coated with a chemical that can break down to form perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals and preliminary epidemiological studies suggest that a pregnant woman’s exposure to PFOA may reduce her baby’s birth weight.
4. Don’t Get Stain-Protection Treatment. These treatments usually contain perfluorinated chemicals.
5. Limit Use of Canned Food and Plastic Containers. Most canned goods are coated with a resin lining derived from Bisphenol-A (BPA).
6. Use PBDE-Free Electronics. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) are a family of flame retardants.
7. Don’t Use Paint Made With Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).
8. Patronize a Perc-Free Dry Cleaner. Perchloroethylene (perc) is also a VOC and is most commonly used in dry cleaning.
9. Dust and Vacuum Weekly. Toxins like PBDE can settle into the dust in your house
For more information here’s the link to the Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/161841

Now you must be wondering, what can I buy for my family that isn’t loaded with chemicals?

Here’s Some Non-Toxic Solutions For Cleaning Your House:

For household cleaning there are a few all natural, environmentally friendly alternatives that I use that are inexpensive, easy to use and really work. You can use the following ingredients alone or in combined formulas instead of commercial household cleaners.  I haven’t tried using all these formulas myself.  I found these cleaning formulas from an online site called Eartheasy.

You can make your own cleaning products using the following:
•Baking Soda- cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.
•White Vinegar- cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.
•Soap- unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
•Borax- (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.
•Washing Soda- or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.
•Cornstarch- can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.
•Citrus Solvent- cleans paint brushes, oil and grease, some stains. (Citrus solvent may cause skin, lung or eye irritations for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.)
•Trisodium phosphate (TSP)- a mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid. TSP is toxic if swallowed, but it can be used on many jobs, such as cleaning drains or removing old paint, that would normally require much more caustic and poisonous chemicals, and it does not create any fumes.

Cleaning Formulas:
All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc.
Another alternative is microfiber cloths which lift off dirt, grease and dust without the need for cleaning chemicals, because they are formulated to penetrate and trap dirt. There are a number of different brands. A good quality cloth can last for several years.

Air Freshener: Commercial air fresheners mask smells and coat nasal passages to diminish the sense of smell.
• Baking soda or vinegar with lemon juice in small dishes absorbs odors around the house.
• Having houseplants helps reduce odors in the home.
• Prevent cooking odors by simmering vinegar (1 tbsp in 1 cup water) on the stove while cooking. To get such smells as fish and onion off utensils and cutting boards, wipe them with vinegar and wash in soapy water.
• Simmer water and cinnamon or other spices on stove.
• Place bowls of fragrant dried herbs and flowers in room.
•Use a diffuser to diffuse essential oils into the air. The essential oil company Young Living makes different blends, just to name a few– Thieves blend reduces airborne bacteria and mold, Immune Power blend helps boost your family’s immune system, Purification helps with respiratory symptoms, emotional balance and skin and hair, Citrus Fresh blend helps to boost the immune system and fight infections as well as balance your emotions.

Bathroom mold: Mold in bathroom tile grout is a common problem and can be a health concern. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.

Carpet stains: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.
For a heavy duty carpet cleaner, mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and vinegar. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum.

Dishwasher Soap: Mix equal parts of borax and washing soda, but increase the washing soda if your water is hard.

Dishwashing Soap: Commercial low-phosphate detergents are not themselves harmful, but phosphates nourish algae which use up oxygen in waterways. A detergent substitution is to use liquid soap. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar to the warm, soapy water for tough jobs.

Disinfectant: Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar and 3 cups hot water. For stronger cleaning power add 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap. Wipe on with dampened cloth or use non-aerosol spray bottle.

Drain Cleaner: Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda and a 1/2 cup of salt down the drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue. Caution: only use this method with metal plumbing. Plastic pipes can melt if excess boiling water is used. Also, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener–the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

Fabric softener: To reduce static cling, dampen your hands, then shake out your clothes as you remove them from the drier. Line-drying clothing is another alternative. You can also purchase dryer balls to use as a chemical-free option. Dryer balls tumble in the dryer to lift and separate your laundry, allowing the air to flow more efficiently. As a result, your clothes dry faster and feel fluffier. The soft tips on our dryer balls massage fabrics to naturally fluff and soften them without the use of chemical-laden dryer sheets or liquid fabric softeners. They are completely reusable and safe for use on all fabrics. The unique design causes the fibers to relax, leaving clothes softer and towels more absorbent. You’ll save hundreds of dollars on fabric softeners, dryer sheets and energy. The two reusable balls can be used over and over again and cost about $12.
Here’s a link to an online site where you can buy them: www.simplygoodstuff.com/dryer_magic-dryerballs.htm

Floor Cleaner and Polish:
vinyl and linoleum: add a capful of baby oil to the cleaning water to preserve and polish.
wood: apply a thin coat of 1:1 oil and vinegar and rub in well.
painted wood: mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon (4L) hot water.
brick and stone tiles: mix 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon (4L) water; rinse with clear water.
Most floor surfaces can be easily cleaned using a solution of vinegar and water. For damp-mopping wood floors: mix equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and water. Add 15 drops of pure peppermint oil; shake to mix.

Furniture Polish: For varnished wood, add a few drops of lemon oil into a 1/2 cup warm water. Mix well and spray onto a soft cotton cloth. Cloth should only be slightly damp. Wipe furniture with the cloth, and finish by wiping once more using a dry soft cotton cloth.
For unvarnished wood, mix two teaspoons each of olive oil and lemon juice and apply a small amount to a soft cotton cloth. Wring the cloth to spread the mixture further into the material and apply to the furniture using wide strokes. This helps distribute the oil evenly.

Lime Deposits: You can reduce lime deposits in your teakettle by putting in 1/2 cup (125ml) white vinegar and 2 cups water, and gently boiling for a few minutes. Rinse well with fresh water while kettle is still warm.

Metal Cleaners and Polishes:
aluminum: using a soft cloth, clean with a solution of cream of tartar and water.
brass or bronze: polish with a soft cloth dipped in lemon and baking-soda solution, or vinegar and salt solution.
chrome: polish with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil shiny side out.
copper: soak a cotton rag in a pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar. Apply to copper while hot; let cool, then wipe clean. For tougher jobs, sprinkle baking soda or lemon juice on the cloth before wiping.
gold: clean with toothpaste, or a paste of salt, vinegar, and flour.
silver: line a pan with aluminum foil and fill with water; add a teaspoon each of baking soda and salt. Bring to a boil and immerse silver. Polish with soft cloth.
stainless steel: clean with a cloth dampened with undiluted white vinegar.

Mold and Mildew: Use white vinegar or lemon juice full strength, with small amount of salt. Apply using a sponge or a spray bottle, and do not rinse.

Mothballs: The common mothball is made of paradichlorobenzene, which is harmful to liver and kidneys. Cedar chips in a cheesecloth square, or cedar oil in an absorbant cloth will repel moths. The cedar should be ‘aromatic cedar’, also referred to as juniper in some areas. Cedar chips are available at many craft supply stores, or make your own using a plane and a block of cedar from the lumberyard.
Homemade moth-repelling sachets can also be made with lavender, rosemary, vetiver and rose petals.
Dried lemon peels are also a natural moth deterrent - simply toss into clothes chest, or tie in cheesecloth and hang in the closet.

Oven Cleaner: Moisten oven surfaces with sponge and water. Use 3/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup salt and 1/4 cup water to make a thick paste, and spread throughout oven interior. (avoid bare metal and any openings) Let sit overnight. Remove with spatula and wipe clean. Rub gently with fine steel wool for tough spots. Or use Arm & Hammer Oven Cleaner, declared nontoxic by Consumers Union.

Paint Brush Cleaner: Non-toxic, citrus oil based solvents are now available commercially under several brand names. Citra-Solve is one brand. This works well for cleaning brushes of oil-based paints. Paint brushes and rollers used for an on-going project can be saved overnight, or even up to a week, without cleaning at all. Simply wrap the brush or roller snugly in a plastic bag, such as a used bread or produce bag. Squeeze out air pockets and store away from light. The paint won’t dry because air can’t get to it. Simply unwrap the brush or roller the next day and continue with the job.
Fresh paint odors can be reduced by placing a small dish of white vinegar in the room.

Rust Remover: Sprinkle a little salt on the rust, squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Leave the mixture on for 2 - 3 hours. Use leftover rind to scrub residue.

Scouring Powder: For top of stove, refrigerator and other such surfaces that should not be scratched, use baking soda. Apply baking soda directly with a damp sponge.

Shoe Polish: Olive oil with a few drops of lemon juice can be applied to shoes with a thick cotton or terry rag. Leave for a few minutes; wipe and buff with a clean, dry rag.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into basin and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse. A mixture of borax (2 parts) and lemon juice (one part) will also work.

Tub and Tile Cleaner: For simple cleaning, rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse with fresh water. For tougher jobs, wipe surfaces with vinegar first and follow with baking soda as a scouring powder. (Vinegar can break down tile grout, so use sparingly.)

Wallpaper Remover: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and hot water, apply with sponge over the old wallpaper to soften the adhesive. Open room windows or use a fan to dissipate the pungent vinegar smell.

Water Rings on Wood: Water rings on a wooden table or counter are the result of moisture that is trapped under the topcoat, but not the finish. Try applying toothpaste or mayonnaise to a damp cloth and rub into the ring. Once the ring is removed, buff the entire wood surface.

Window Cleaner: Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter (qt) warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Don’t clean windows if the sun is on them, or if they are warm, or streaks will show on drying. The All-Purpose Cleaner (above) also works well on windows.

What If I Want The Convenience Of A Store Bought Product, What Can I Buy?

If you’re not into making your own formula cleaning products, here’s an all natural, non-toxic all-purpose cleaner that you can buy called Thieves Household Cleaner. This cleaner uses a pure essential oils (clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary) as its active ingredient. It is made by a company called Young Living which is known for it’s high quality therapeutic grade essential oils. The anti-microbial power of Thieves’ essential oils combined with a non-toxic coconut oil based cleaning solution is safe for your whole family. You can dilute this concentrate to clean almost everything in your household and use Thieves Household Cleaner in place of: all laundry detergents, bleach, dish washer detergents, spot/stain/grease removers, carpet shampoo, tub/tile/toilet cleaners, oven cleaner, floor cleaner, glass/mirror cleaners, cleaning and preventing mold and much more! It is a great stain remover, yet gentle on surfaces including leather, upholstery, painted furniture and clothing. I’ve read that professional cleaning services are using Thieves Cleaner and receiving feedback from their clients that they are experiencing fewer allergies at homes and at work. And employees of cleaning services are ill less often because using Thieves Cleaner helps prevent colds and flus and is effective in clearing up allergies and sinus issues. Thieves Cleaner is very gentle on the skin and safe for children and pets. It is economical to use because you use just a small amount diluted with water in a spray bottle or bucket.

Here are the Dilution Ratios:
Light Degreasing 60:1
Medium Degreasing 30:1
Heavy Degreasing 15:1
Floors 100:1
Walls 30:1
Upholstery, Fabrics, Carpet Spotting 40:1
Carpet 100:1
Glass 320:1
Pots and Pans 100:1
Hand Cleaner 1:1

How Do I Know What’s Safe To Buy For Shampoos, Soaps, Lotions and Cosmetics?

So now that you can be sure to clean your house with non-toxic products, what kinds of personal care products and cosmetics can your family use safely?
Here to help is a non-profit public health organization called Environmental Working Group (EWG). They have a great website that offers a safety guide database for children’s personal care products. You can either type any brand name product into their search engine to see its “hazard score” or you can click on a type of product, like shampoo– and the site provides a list ranked from least hazardous to most hazardous. Here’s the link: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide

What Are The Main Chemical Ingredients To Avoid?

EWG also offer a list of the main ingredients to avoid that are “linked to significant, well-documented health effects, or have been found unsafe for use in children’s products”. Below is a short list. For the full list go to: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/ingredients.php

Ingredients to avoid always:
* 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL
Allergen that forms cancer-causing chemicals
* BHA
Causes skin depigmentation
* DMDM HYDANTOIN
Allergen that forms cancer-causing chemicals
* OXYBENZONE
Allergen; forms free radicals to damage skin
* TRICLOSAN
May disrupt growth hormones from the thyroid
* BORIC ACID & SODIUM BORATE
Unsafe for infants according to industry experts
* DIBUTYL PHTHALATE & TOLUENE
Found in nail polish/play makeup; hormone disruption, cancer concerns

Personal Care Products:
Ingredients to avoid when possible:
(Info from The Environmental Working Group)

* FRAGRANCE
Allergen; neurotoxic, hormone disruption concerns
* DYES
Some cause cancer and are banned outside the U.S.
* FLUORIDE
Teeth stains; neurotoxic when swallowed
* CETEARETH & PEG compounds
Can contain cancer-causing impurities
* PARABENS
Hormone disruption, cancer concerns
* TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA)
Allergen that forms cancer-causing chemicals
* BENZYL & ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
Skin irritation and neurotoxicity concerns
* METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE & METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE
Allergens with neurotoxicity concerns
* IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE
Chemically similar to neurotoxic pesticides

Why Do We Have To Worry About All Of These Chemicals?
The Environmental Working Group reports that “due to gaping loopholes in federal law, cosmetics companies can put almost any ingredient they choose into their products, with no requirement to safety test. Companies can also claim that their products are gentle and natural even when they contain artificial chemical ingredients or harsh skin irritants.” The EWG says that children are even more vulnerable because they have thinner skin than adults which absorbs more chemicals into they system. They also breath in more air contaminants without the acquired protection that adults have to the bloodstream and the brain. The EWG says these chemicals have been linked to “allergies, nervous system problems, cancer, reproductive risks, and hormone disruption.”
For more information on this see: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/summary.php

Why Doesn’t The Government Protect Us?

The EWG found that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to require premarket testing of personal care product ingredients for safety. Also the FDA does not have the power to require the recall of a harmful product. Instead they rely on the personal care industry to police itself. An EWG investigation found that “the panel chooses criteria regarding sensitivity and irritation for 80 percent of its safety recommendations, ignoring more serious health concerns such as cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption, and as a result finds more than 99 percent of ingredients reviewed safe as used.” In addition they found that “products made and marketed especially for babies and children are not required to meet any additional health and safety standards.” So again, before you buy, make sure you check with EWG’s Parent’s Safety Guide To Children’s Personal Products at : http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide

What Can You Do About Harmful Chemicals In Plastics?

The harmful chemicals in plastics, Bisphenol-A (BPA) or Phthalates are found in food storage containers, water bottles, baby bottles and children’s toys.  Here’s how to keep your family safe:
•Look for bottles made with polypropelene or polyethelene or glass which do not contain BPA or phthalates.
•Buy a polypropelene water bottle and fill it with filtered water rather than using store bought bottled water.
• Look for BPA/Phthalates-free alternative for baby bottles and sippy cups now on the market. Brand names are Born-Free, Kleen Kanteen, Medela just to name a few. The website called Safe Mama has a long list you can check out: http://safemama.com/2007/11/22/bpa-free-bottle-and-sippy-cup-cheat-sheet/
•Avoid bottles made from polycarbonate plastic– Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo clear, First Years, Playtex, Sassy, Tuppercare and the plastic in most store bought bottled water.
•Also avoid using plastic containers in the microwave
•Use waxed paper or a paper towel over food instead of plastic wrap
•Use glass food storage containers (pyrex) instead of plastic (tupperware)
•Avoid eating canned foods– most cans are lined with BPA
•Avoid using infant formula– cans are also lined with BPA, Breastfeed whenever possible, or chose powder over liquid for lower amount of BPA leaching
•Buy children’s toys made from natural wood, organic cotton, wool, stainless steel or silver.
For more information about BPA go to: http://www.bisphenolafree.org/

Where Can I Buy Safe Toys For My Children?

Here are some of my favorite toy websites that sell either natural toys or toys that inspire the imagination:
•novanatural.com
•The Playstore
•finewoodentoys.com
•oompatoys.com
•Magic Cabin
•North Star Toys

What About The Toys I Already Have; How Can I Tell If They Are Safe?

If you want to check out the possible toxic dangers of a specific toy or brand here’s a link to HealthyToys.org’s search engine:
http://www.healthytoys.org/product.searchbrand.php

Disposable Diapers Contain Toxic Chemicals Too!

One more thing I have to mention is the toxic chemicals in disposable diapers.
The super absorbent chemical, sodium polyacrylate which absorbs and holds fluids in the diaper has been linked to toxic shock syndrome, can cause allergic reactions, and is lethal to cats if inhaled. Death has occurred from ingestion of just 5 grams of this chemical. Pediatric journals contain reports of this chemical sticking to babies’ genitals. When the baby’s skin gets wet, this super absorber can pull fluids form baby’s skin. Dioxin, the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a byproduct of bleaching paper. Even in the smallest detectable quantities, dioxin has been known to cause liver disease, immune system suppression, and genetic damage in lab animals. Dyes found in some disposables are known to damage the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. There are some disposable diapers that are somewhat safer because they are dioxin-free, like Seventh Generation.
For more information about chemicals in disposable diapers go to: http://www.ecobaby.com/cloth.htm

An Easy Alternative To Disposable Diapers– The New Generation Of Cloth Diapers!

Here’s another alternative to disposable diapers:
You may not be aware that there are now easy to use cloth diapers that work similarly to disposables. They are much easier to use than the old fashioned diapers and pins our grandmothers used to use.
My vote for the “ease of use” catagory is a brand called Dream-eze. The inner fabric is organic cotton and the outside fabric is a breathable waterproof fabric that keeps wetness contained inside. What sold me on them is that they are known to be one of the only leak-proof diapers out there on the market. Make sure you buy the Dream-eze “All-In-One” (AIO) diaper with the waterproof outer lining rather than the cotton-only version.

Here are some sites where you can purchase them online: www.heinyking.com/store/c/124-Dream-Eze-AIO.html
www.diaperco.com/store/c/2-All-In-Ones.html
www.dapperdiaperstore.com/catalog.php?category=83
https://www.kellyscloset.com/Dream-Eze-All-In-One-Diapers_p_753-3346.html

Keeping Your Family Toxin-Free–The Bottom Line

Okay, so now that you’re armed with all this information, I hope you feel that you have some doable options to keep your family safe. That said, the reality is that we are surrounded by chemicals and for most of us living in a modern society, we won’t be able to avoid them altogether. The key is to remember to focus and act on the things that you do have control over… and with just that alone, your family will be healthier and safer than the majority of people around you.