A Non-Toxic Holiday Primer--

Maybe you have set up your Christmas tree, or are thinking about it. I recently visited a friend who has a three year old and a one and a half year old. She intelligently had the tree decorated with lace snowflakes and seashells hung from ribbon. When I made it into the living room, the toddlers had scattered these ornaments throughout the room already! I was thankful that they were non-breakable, and made of harmless materials.

That got me thinking: if toys are barely regulated for safety, than absolutely no one on this earth is looking at the safety of ornaments. Imagine, all the cheap ornaments available right now, made mostly in China I'm sure, that have nasty chemicals on them. Lead, toxic glues, choke-able small parts--nothing good for a baby, toddler or kid.

Non-Toxic Kids recommends: If you have kids under three, I think decorating your tree how my friend did is wise. Put only unbreakable ornaments that are cloth or natural materials on the lower third of your tree. That way, you don't have to be stressed out all the time chasing them around or saying "no touch!" every other word this Christmas season.

And those lights most likely contain lead (see this post), so either put those on the tree (wash your hands afterward) and make sure your kids don't touch them, or make sure they wash their hands anytime they they touch the lights. Better yet, if you have babies or toddlers, put the lights on the top two-thirds of the tree, out of reach. I know it may look a bit weird, but think of how much calmer you will be!

Mama Idea: Don't have cloth or natural ornaments? You can usually find boxed cloth snowflake ornaments in stores. Or you if you have some seashells, use a drill to make a hole, being careful not to shatter the shell, and string a cord through it for a cool natural and non-toxic ornament. You can even write your child's name and the year on the back of the shell to personalize it.

If you have older kids, or really just want to decorate your tree with many fragile ornaments made of who knows what from who knows where, it will help to make sure your kids wash their hands after handling the ornaments or lights. Also, if you are thinking about choosing an artificial tree, be sure to read this post before you do.

Final Thoughts: Am I paranoid? You bet. But with all the problems with toys lately, and the lack of regulation of nearly all the products on the marketplace, I think it is wise to be a bit thoughtful about what you expose your kids to. Call me crazy.

A Not So Funny, Scary Actually, Call to Action--

I know, I know, I said I'd take a break from the lead issue. When I found this video, I knew I just couldn't resist. Check it out:

If you follow the link to Sierra Club's site, you will find great tips for keeping kids safe and a summary of the health consequences of lead poisoning. Also, you will find a letter you can add to and send to the Consumer Product Safety Commission about enforcing stricter regulations for toys. The Sierra Club is working hard on this issue, and we are lucky to have them on our side.

Lead in Landfills?

(I promise I will research and post about something other than lead soon. This particular issue has been surrounding me lately. Stay tuned, themes such as health/body care, organic food, and more on plastics will be explored in upcoming posts!)

After the saga described in the last post, I called two experts about lead in homes and lead removal. I called the Vermont Department of Health, who were helpful but annoyed that I took up some time and asked lots of questions. The program director for Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Ron Rupp, took loads of time with me and gave me solid, clear information about how to handle our lead problem.

One shocking thing he did say was to dispose of the lead painted items in our home with the regular trash, headed for the landfill. I stopped and asked him again if it was environmentally resposnible to send lead into our landfills. He said that since lead is immobile, meaning staying put where it is, barely any of it leeches out of a lined landfill. I was surprsied, to say the least. Here was a lead expert, telling me someting different then other environmental health experts (see below post about not throwing away lead filled toys), no wonder people are confused!! I asked about toys and he said if the manufacturer won't take them back, to throw them out as well. He said that the amounts and risk are very small. Lead debris from house renovations are even exempt from the Hazardous Waste laws.

So--live and learn! Non-Toxic Kids recommends: Try to take back recalled lead toys to the place of purchase. If you can't for some reason, throw it out (that feels so strange to write). As for home renovations-- check your state's laws about lead disposal. In Vermont, though, house renovation debris is headed to the landfill, and apparently, surprisingly, it is the best option for disposing of lead waste.

Lead in My House --

I've been so worried about possible lead in our blinds, our toys from China, plastic bowls, you name it. Our house was built in 1975, and that predates the lead ban in paint in 1978, but it had been completely redone for the most part, and I thought it was lead free.

My husband and I were starting to set up a play area in the basement, and began moving stuff around. He looked over at an old, chipped, painted closet door and said, "I've always wondered about that." I had never even noticed it much, being in the corner of our basement. I had some Homax tests from testing toys and writing the review from the last post. So I tested it, and it came back positive, immediately. Now this alone is troubling, but not the end of the world. It means no play area down there for the foreseeable future, but the risk is manageable. Then I head upstairs to nurse my baby. I notice with new, skeptical eyes the antique doors on all of our bedrooms. They look ancient, are weather beaten barn wood, and are finished black. I tested them, and they are all positive, with immediate, bright fuchsia results. Now these are doors we open and close everyday-- and my toddler sucks her fingers regularly. We are seriously worried and will take both of our girls in for testing as soon as we can. And we will be calling the Vermont Department of Health, getting an inspection, and starting to methodically remove the doors, the dust, and clean our house top to bottom. What fun.

Non-Toxic Kids recommends: Really, truly, check out your homes. Buy the kits. Look skeptically at antiques, blinds, doors, everything. The effects of even low doses of lead can be permanent and severe, and are frightening. One kid effected with lead poisoning is too many.