The festival of Holi has always been a no-holds-barred event where fun and revelry are a part of the game. For you and your children to be able to celebrate this festival in a safe way, here are a few do’s and don’ts. [Read more…]
Bringing your new born home; what to expect the first week
Fresh out of labor or a C Section can leave you a complex mix of social, psychological and physical changes. Your hormones are all over the place, and you might not be feeling or living the same life you imagined when the baby was unborn.
However, it helps when you know what to expect those few days when you arrive home with your bundle of joy that will make your life memorable, no matter what you feel now. [Read more…]
Hidden Toxins Inside Children’s School Supplies
Many parents are aware of the dangers of phthalates in cosmetic products. However, phthalates are used in children’s products as well. Did you know that children are exposed to dangerous chemicals found in their backpacks and other school items?
Phthalates are a class of chemicals, such as DEHP, DINP, DBP and DEP. They are used as softeners in PVC, vinyl products to make them soft and more flexible. You will find these chemicals in flexible toys, food packagings, shower curtains, building materials (pipes), and medical devices. Phthalates are dangerous even at low levels of exposure. They are hormone disruptors and are linked to cancer and asthma, AD(H)D, early puberty and birth defects. While phthalates have been restricted or banned in toys in many countries, protection from these dangerous chemicals does not exist for children’s school supplies. I’m deeply concerned that our children are still exposed to these chemicals!
Children are more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults. In their developing little bodies a small exposure to toxins translates into a big dose. They put things in their mouths and ingest chemicals from toys, plastic containers, and even dirt and dust on a daily basis.
In 2012, an American study investigated the presence of phthalates in children’s school supplies, such as backpacks, lunch boxes, ring binders and rain wear. They found that the items tested contained levels of phthalates that would be in violation of the ban for toys, if these products were considered toys. They also found that the school supplies contained more than one phthalate, clearly indicating that our children are exposed to multiple phthalates in their school supplies. Additionally, the study found that apart from phthalates, children’s PVC school supplies also contained heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium.
Many PVC backpacks and lunchboxes contain levels of phthalates that are 40-50 times higher than the limit set for toys. As school supplies are not classed as toys, companies are able to get away with adding these hazardous, toxic chemicals to their products.
PVC backpacks, ring binders, lunch boxes, raincoats, umbrellas and wellies contain excessively high levels of phthalates and our children are exposed to elevated levels of these toxic substances by using these school supplies.
Follow these easy steps to reduce your children’s exposure to phthalates:
- Avoid school supplies made with “vinyl” or “PVC”! Unfortunately some products are not properly labeled, making it difficult to determine whether they contain vinyl. Phthalates are used to soften PVC. Try to buy PVC free school supply. To identify vinyl packaging, first look for the universal recycling symbol. If it has the number “3” inside it, or the letters “V” or “PVC” underneath it, you know the product is made out of PVC and is likely to contain these chemicals.
- Do a “Sniff Test.” That “plastic” smell from plastic toys, backpacks, ring binders, raincoats, umbrellas and other plastic products usually comes from phthalates.
- Try canvas backpacks, stainless steel lunch boxes, cloth covered binders and PVC-free rain coats and boots.
- Ditch the PVC altogether if you can!
To download more information on the lab report, visit: http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/HiddenHazardsReportFINAL.pdf
Re-published with permission from the blog of ParentEdge, a bi-monthly parenting magazine that aims to expose parents to global trends in learning and partner with them in the intellectual enrichment of their children. This blog was written by Aniko Sziraczki is a Kinesiologist with a background in Psychology, and the founder of Raising Toxin Free Children.
Raising Bilingual Kids
For the longest time, parents believed that teaching young kids more than one language was a bad idea. Some poorly conducted research even suggested that it could result in speech delays and confuse the children. Here is the real story behind raising bilingual kids.
The Crib Bilinguals; infants who are exposed to two languages from birth. [Read more…]
Parenting the Shy Child; Are you creating labels for your child to live by?
Picture this; on your way back from your child’s school, you meet a neighbor in the parking lot. Your neighbor makes friendly attempt at engaging in a conversation with your child, maybe even initiating a physical contact. Your child doesn’t respond, is looks visibly withdrawn and hides behind your legs to shield him from this sudden onslaught of questions that demand answers. Your neighbor just coos, “Oh he’s being shy, how sweet!” There! A label created, damage done.
Let me explain. Every child is born with a unique personality. Some like to sit back and observe rather than plunge head on into things. Others talk nineteen to the dozen and try out new things without any kind of orientation. While the basic reason why your child behaves the way he does has got a lot to do with his genetic make-up, we in the adult world, create labels like shy, a bully, cute, etc to explain away why our children behave the way they do. But there are 2 major problems in doing this.
Firstly, you are setting up excuses for the way your child is behaving and this only reinforces him to continue behaving in the same way. In his little world, if adults say that he is being shy, he must be, right?
Secondly, it puts a so-called shy child under enormous pressure to respond to the communication in the way it is expected, no matter what how or what own feelings are.
How can you help a child in this situation?
- Understand that Toddler Shyness could be a development trait due to lack of social skills.
- Most shy kids are well adjusted and can very well work around stressful situations on their won, if left alone. Don’t shower him with attention if would rather be left alone.
- You can boost your child’s self esteem and social skills by preparing him for stressful situations in advance. If there is a birthday party coming up, have a mock party at home and play out parts where he gets a chance to interact with his friends.
- When people try to label your child “shy” tell them “No she isn’t shy, she just isn’t being very talkative”. That way you are not letting your child believe that he is forever going to be shy.
- Refrain from rescuing your child from situations like the one stated above. Don’t coax an answer out him. Just continue your conversation and trust that your child will join in when ready.
- Use family meetings and gatherings to get your child to come out of his comfort zone. In such a situation he feels safe to explore and has more chances of discovering the joys of participation.
- Expose your child to as many social situations as is possible. But be careful not to put any pressure on him to perform according to the rules of adults, just then.
How to tell if your preschooler is ready for school
That every child develops at a different rate is established. Normally preschools start accepting children at 2 ½ years of age. But just because a child has crossed 2 ½ years of age doesn’t mean he is magically ready for preschool. There are a lot of things to ensure your child receives full benefit of attending a pre-school or worse doesn’t actually regress in certain areas. [Read more…]
Christmas Vacation Recipes for the whole family
A brilliant way to make the most of Christmas vacations is to engage your children in making homemade gifts for relatives and friends. Homemade gifts are a message that the receiver is important enough for you to spend time thinking of a gift idea and making it yourself. We’ve put together a few easy to make recipes that will be fun and make an ideal homemade gift.
Nothing gets pre-schoolers going like a mashable play-doughy type of material to squish between their fingers. Now imagine if you could get them to use something like that to make ginger bread dough that is edible! Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Let’s begin! [Read more…]
Christmas Celebrations: A fresh take on the tradition of Giving
Holidays are a joyous and memorable occasion that we share with our friends and family. We keep the tradition of giving by exchanging gifts and spending quality time together.
However, for many families, the struggle for survival does not change with the arrival of festivities. Sharing or exchanging gifts is not a possibility. We could acknowledge the blessings we have by giving back to people from disadvantaged background, at the same time keeping the spirit of giving alive. [Read more…]
Practising spirituality with children, the Play-Way method
We all have been given a mission to be spiritual companions to our children, grandchildren, and young friends. There are many blessings to be shared across the generations. We also can do more to respect and cherish children’s spirituality. How do we express it? Through creativity, sharing experiences, narrating stories, questions and much more. [Read more…]
Safeguarding your children against dangers on the playground
In our bid to get our children more outdoor play, we must also safeguard them against seemingly harmless outdoors. This article is does not intend to prevent you from sending your child outdoors to play, but to ensure that when you do so, proper safety precautions are undertaken to everybody has a good time.
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