Healthy Child Healthy World -- Mother Talk Blog Book Tour

Healthy Child Healthy World is both the title of a book and the name of a great non-profit organization, which, in their own words, "is dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures." They aim to

educate parents, support protective policies, and engage communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices, and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.

I am excited to be part of this Mother Talk sponsored book tour since I haven't participated in a blog book tour in a while and the subject of this book is one that I've become increasingly concerned about in the past year. Various research studies have been showing for years now that chemicals pervasively used in the manufacture of everyday objects that surround us and our children, as well as found in our food and polluting the air and water, can cause many chronic and even fatal conditions, from asthma and allergies to cancer. The biggest problem, says actress AmyBrenneman in one of many "Parentblog" contributions, "the biggest emotional struggle is not getting overwhelmed" (12). That is why the book is organized in a way that emphasizes the small steps, ten for each chapter/subject, that we as parents can take to make ours and our children's lives as well as our homes "Cleaner, Greener, and Safer" -- which are words in the book's subtitle.

The book and the Healthy Child Healthy World organization are supported by many celebrities who contribute by sharing their personal experiences and reflections on the subject in the "Parentblog" sections. These and the personal contributions of author (and CEO) Christopher Gavigan bring the wealth of information presented in this book closer to home as well as demonstrate that different parents have different perspectives on the issues at hand and that flexibility is important in dealing with these overwhelming problems.

One of the main ideas that guides all the warnings, suggestions, and "recipes" presented in this book is the "precautionary principle" as Dr. Harvey Karp emphasizes on p.7. Since it has taken so many years for various substances to be proven toxic and cancerous, e.g. tobacco smoke, asbestos; even the suspicion or, animal studies, that certain substances may harm our children should be seriously examined. Children are much more at risk than adults, various parts of the book emphasize, because their smaller size makes the effect of even tiny amounts or toxic substances much more harmful and these can also affect their development. Many previously uncommon childhood illnesses that are on the rise such cancer can be cured, but at a serious cost to the child's future health.

Last, but not least, the main subjects addressed in the ten chapters of this book are: pregnancy, cleaning, food, body care, toys, outdoor spaces, water and air, pets, and house and home improvement. The last chapter is a "wrap up" that shows how we can maximize our impact for a greener life and a greener world. The book also presents a "Healthy Resources" section with information on manufacturers, blogs, books, magazines, and organizations that can help us achieve our goals. Be sure to check Healthy Child Healthy World's website as well as their sponsors. I had a nice trip down "guilty lane" when I browsed through the awesome gdiaper site. Well, it's too late since my boys are basically out of diapers now, but I know that there are many other things I can do from now on to make our carbon footprint smaller and my children safer from toxic substances. I am already using glass containers for most of our food, I avoid buying water bottles, and I am about to join a CSA. You may remember what happened to our clothesline back in January, but yesterday its replacement was delivered! So, in spite of the fact that there's room for improvement, I guess we're doing our part. And this cannot be emphasized enough (from p. 10):

No One Can do Everything.
Everyone Can Do Something.

P.S. Although I was already aware of a large portion of the information presented in this book, a lot of it was new brand new to me. I particularly enjoyed the recipes for many things, from household cleaners to finger paints and fun "gloop" to play with. My favorite so far was the recipe for vegetarian pet food! The pet section had a lot of things I'd never heard about and it was fun to read about it too.