Natural as Possible Mom

Earlier this month I was invited to an event in New York City. I wish I could have attended. Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders was coming out to launch a new safety campaign, Helmets on Heads, part of a 10 year pledge to educate one million children about helmet and bike safety. (FYI: Helmets on [...]

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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its Guide to Healthy Cleaning. The results really shocked me. I searched the database for some of my tried and true — and green, I thought! — cleaning products. Many of them have horrible ratings. Heck, my beloved Trader Joe’s liquid laundry detergent scored an F. Yes, an F! [...]

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Earlier this week we were all outside. The kids were playing basketball. Well, maybe playing isn’t the right word. “Mommmm, she won’t share.” “Little Girl, share.” “No, it’s my turn.”(Scuffling and pushing ensues.) “Girls, stop it. Big Girl, just let her play with it for another two seconds.” (Said dramatically) “No, it’s my ball. Besides, [...]

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Little Girl has been tented since she launched herself out of the crib and broke her collar bone. Horrible, terrible experience, and one that makes me shudder to this day. A few months ago, she made a teeny, tiny hole in the mesh. Over time, the hole got larger, but it was never a danger [...]

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Every morning Big Girl and Little Girl have cereal and yogurt. It’s organic yogurt free of artificial flavors and colors, but I still wonder how healthy it is. You see, it comes in a big plastic tub. I believe the tub is BPA-free, but I can’t really be absolutely sure, can I? I looked it [...]

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The past few Sundays — as her sister naps — Big Girl and I have been going for bike rides. We travel a half mile east, another half mile north, and then head east, north, and east again until we get to a local park. Inside, we slip onto the bike-only track. I won’t lie: [...]

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A few years ago I wrote a story about lead poisoning for Parents Magazine. After my month of interviews I can tell you that almost half of the homes in the U.S. contain lead. Also, that most instances of lead poisoning go undetected. And that the most common age to become affected is between ages [...]

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I was at a mommy and me class today when a woman cornered me. “I know you’re so into this stuff. I have to ask you. Did you know that this year’s flu shot contains the H1N1 virus? I asked if there was a version without it and there isn’t!” This girl, who gave her [...]

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Before Big Girl was born I questioned my parenting potential. I spent months, actually, discussing this very topic with a therapist. Would I be a good parent? Would I screw up any child I had because I was, well, a little screwed up? I agonized over it. And yet when she was born, I wondered [...]

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First, some disclosures. I do not like the water all that much. I don’t like getting my hair wet. I don’t like bathing suits. I hate the sun. (Pasty skin will do that to you.) Second, my big girl inherited my “love” of the water. I did not do this to her. My husband, a [...]

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