According to the study published in the October issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, the higher a mother’s BPA levels were during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, the more likely kids were to exhibit the behavior changes. Girls were more aggressive and hyperactive than the norm while boys were more anxious and withdrawn.

The study also examined the effects of a mom’s exposure to lead and cigarettes, oddly enough neither one was linked to toddler behavior changes.

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Toddlers in the UK could be screened for speech problems because many are so addicted to TV and video games that they fail to learn basic communication skills.

According to an article in the Telegraph, “barely a 10th of children in some areas can repeat even one nursery rhyme and, in extreme cases, some do not even know their own name.”

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Organically grown and made in the USA, Petite Miette’s Playtime Wrap is soft and snuggly.  Designed to be worn over clothing, such as a onesie, this kimono style wrap will keep your child warm on even the chilliest days.  Let’s face it:  our kids spend a lot of time on the floor, which is the coldest, draftiest part of the house.  I only wish Petite Miette would make a playtime wrap in my size; I don’t think I would ever take it off.

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You know those moments:  your child is on the verge of a meltdown, you’re away from home, out of food, running late, and you’re tired and cranky as well?

They suck, right?

Even seasoned parents get caught off-guard, and we still have moments, but we’re getting better at dealing with it. Beyond bringing water and food with us (plus numerous washcloths and clothes), we try to also have little extras to engage the youngest. Paper and pen, little toys, her doll… But all of those things are familiar to her.

So I have the “papa bag”. Actually the “special papa bag”.

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World Breastfeeding Week starts on August 1st, and runs through August 7th. The theme of this year is “Mother Support- Going for the Gold.”
Supporting a mother who is breastfeeding is so important. There are so many other demands that a new mother faces when nursing, having support can be invaluable to the mother and new baby to establish breastfeeding.

But did you know that nursing a baby past six months and has many health benefits for the baby and the mother? Sadly it seems that once a baby is nursed passed six months and beyond, support often turns to opposition?

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It is so heartening to see the growing availability and market for eco kids’ clothes. These clothes have become quite stylish over the last several years and are made from organic cotton and bamboo. The eco benefits of bamboo clothing are sometimes debated, but you can’t deny that there are many environmental and health benefits of this grass. Bamboo clothing is softer than cotton, is grown organically, is uv-resistant, adjusts to body temperatures, etc.

Bambino is a company making organic baby clothing from bamboo and cotton. These clothes are super cute and stylish. My favorite item is the Mao Mummy Pyjamas. These jammies are made from woven bamboo that is soft and has a nice texture. This product definitely matches Bambino’s mission of:

Using eco-innovation to deliver stylish and luxurious baby clothes in fun and inspiring colors, we like to keep things simple by avoiding big logos and branding.

I like to keep things simple by avoiding big brands too, and the more I read about this company’s philosophy, the more I fall in love with their products.

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One such new company is NewBornMom, which features many cute, eco-friendly goods, as well as 100% eco-friendly gift wrap! Plus, they are offering our readers 10% off all purchases until March 31, 2008 (promo code: ecoplay).

NewBornMom was founded by Aliette Fenton-Sharp and Fernanda Pinzon, both new moms. After having difficulty finding elegant, trendy and environmentally safe essentials for their newborn daughters, they founded the store. This online store features goods meticulously selected by Aliette and Fernanda that they would use with their own babies.

The company supports Fair Labor Trade regulations, and every item offered is made in proper working environments. NewBornMom uses only recycled office, shipping and gift-wrap supplies; “we pride-ourselves in being a relatively paper-free company as most of our business is conducted via e-mail”, states Aliette.

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Happy Green Bee clothing comes in bright, colorful patterns. Not only is their clothing line cheerful, comfortable, and playful, but it is also ecologically responsible. Founder Roxanne Quimby explains,

We created Happy Green Bee so that a child can be a child, first and foremost. By using organic cotton, a comfortable and practical fabric, and simple bee-striped patterns, children feel as comfortable as they look, while their parents take a small step in making a big difference in the environment their children will live in.

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At Little Marmara, we believe in simple things. That we should treat the environment as we would treat ourselves. That nothing should go next to our children’s beautiful skin that we would not place next to our own. That clothing for little people can and should be as artful and well made as clothing for big people. And that at no point from the cotton fields to our customers should the earth or any of its inhabitants suffer in the slightest for our cause.

Founded in 2005, Little Marmara just recently launched its website and online store in July of this year. Unable to find anything she liked (and her two kids felt comfortable wearing), Ackerman started Little Marmara to solver her own clothing conundrums as well as those of other parents and their kids. Made from 100% organic Turkish cotton under fair labor practices, all of Little Marmara’s creations are printed with low impact dyes, featuring gender-neutral Turkish designs from the Ottoman Empire era. The designs, and the brand itself, is a nod to Ackerman’s children’s Turkish heritage, with the line taking its name from the Marmara Sea and the ancient Middle Eastern trade routes that used to follow its shores.

So far, the line currently only features long-sleeve shirts and cuddly, machine washable pillows that come with their own bag. Ranging in size from 6-12 months to 4T, all shirts are $28 each, perfect for warm days or laying as the temperatures drop. The future holds great things for Little Marmara, including organic cotton pants, blankets, sweaters, hats, washcloths, towels and even toys. With our whole world connected via the internet, bridging the East with West and the North to South, our society seems to be so quick to forget about combining the past with the future and the Earth with ourselves. Our children learn from everything they see, hear, touch, or wear — Little Marmara is a great way to introduce our next generation to our newly-established world culture.

We have had the Child’s Cleaning Set in my preschool classroom for four years now, and it continues to be one of the most popular play items. Children often use the mop for fighting fires (perhaps they have heard the term “mop up” after local forest fires), and they use the broom to clean up sand from the sand table. Cleaning up your own messes is a natural consequence for spills, and the most effective way for children to learn responsibility. Learning life skills, such as cleaning, is also part the Montessori philosophy for early childhood education. According to Michael Olaf, an amazing source for Montessori materials,

I have heard parents exclaim in dismay that their child is “wasting time cleaning in her new Montessori school when she should be doing math!” However, math and all other intellectual work requires the ability to move carefully, to focus, to complete sequential steps, to concentrate, to make intelligent choices and to persevere in one’s work. This is exactly what is learned during practical life work. As a result of periods of time spent concentrating on such a task a child becomes calm and satisfied and, because of this inner peace, full of love for others.

Perhaps an even more important result of this work is that the child sees himself already as an important and contributing member of the group, and as an intimate friend, when he is welcome to participate in the work of the adult.

Magic Cabin’s Child’s Cleaning Set is made in the Netherlands, so no need to worry about Chinese manufactured goods with this purchase. The optional tool stand is made in the USA. With the holidays approaching, the Child’s Cleaning Set would make a great, practical gift.

According to EcoMall, “Breastfeeding is probably the most overlooked means of contributing to the health of our planet” and parentingweb states, “Breastmilk is actually the most ecological food available to humans.” Wow, those are pretty strong statements. Mother’s milk is completely natural (minus the toxins present from environmental contaminants), is produced without using resources (except for the resources used to produce the food the mother eats), and it creates no pollution. Breast milk comes from the mother’s body and bottles are not required, unless a mother is pumping because of work schedules, etc. There is never any waste with breast milk, as healthy mothers produce the right amount of milk a child needs based on the principle of supply and demand.

In contrast, the production and packaging of infant formulas uses natural resources and takes up landfill space, all of which contribute to climate change. According to Dia Michels, author of Mother Nature Loves Breastmilk, “If every child in America were bottle-fed, almost 86,000 tons of tin would be needed to produce 550 million cans for one year’s worth of formula.” Furthermore, these tin cans can leach BPA into the formula. The Environmental Working Group tested infant formula and found, “For 1 in 10 cans of all food tested, and 1 in 3 cans of infant formula, a single serving contained enough BPA to expose a woman or infant to BPA levels more than 200 times the government’s traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals.”

Most infant formulas are dairy or soy-based. The dairy business uses tremendous amounts of resources and land, as well as creates pollution. Cow flatulence produces 100 million tons of methane every year, approximately 20% of the earth’s total emissions. Chemical fertilizers used to grow feed pollute soil and ground water. Deforestation occurs to create grazing land for cows. Soy-based formulas aren’t much better. Soybeans require high amounts of fertilizers and water, as well as are responsible for deforestation for cropland in countries like Brazil.

Preparing infant formula uses water and energy. Bottles must be sterilized and formulas must be heated to the proper temperature. Breastmilk comes from the mother’s body safe for consumption already at the perfect temperature with the perfect mix of nutritients for the child. In contrast, there have been about two dozen recalls of infant formula for health and safety issues, including seven recalls that were classified as potentially “life threatening”.

It is true that some breastfeeding women use plastic baby bottles; however, typically formula fed babies use far more plastic bottles than their breastfed counterparts. The production of such bottles uses vast quantities of energy and natural resources, as well as contributes to pollution. Plastic baby bottles are made from nonrenewable petroleum resources and are part of the larger plastic industry. According to the Green Guide, “Toxic releases from the plastics industry represent 7% of the 5.7 billion pounds of toxic chemicals released or transferred by all manufacturers each year.” Furthermore, plastic feeding bottles, nipples, and pacifiers in our landfills can take 200 to 450 years to break down. Your child’s baby bottle will outlive your child!

There is also the issue of a breastfed versus formula-fed baby’s excrement and the environment. If you have ever changed a diaper, especially a cloth diaper, you know the difference! Breastfed baby’s waste is much easier to wash from a cloth diaper, as well as the odor is less offensive. When considering the energy and water involved in washing cloth diapers, breast is definitely best!

There is overwhelming evidence that breastfeeding benefits children, in fact the American Academy of Pediatrics urges mothers to breastfeed for at least a year and beyond, “for as long as mutually desired.” For my children, this was about two and half years. Not only does breastfeeding benefit children and mothers, but the environment wins as well. As Mothering Magazine states, “Breastfeeding is not just a lifestyle choice; it is a health issue for mother and infant, a social issue, and an environmental issue…Because of the far-reaching positive ecological, health, and social impact breastfeeding can make on our planet, it is imperative for anyone interested in protecting our children and our environment to do whatever possible to support, protect, and promote breastfeeding.” Celebrate Breast Fest today and view The Great Breast Fest Montage!

“There is no better name for our brand than Tea. Tea, the drink, is shared in nearly every culture around the world—offering inspiration, warmth and mindfulness…We want to bring the beauty found in cultures around the world into the lives and homes of families in our own backyard. We believe that if the foreign is familiar – it is no longer foreign. It helps us remember that we all more alike than we are different. We design beautiful lifestyle collections that introduce a subtle, but important global perspective: colors, textiles, or silhouettes that are undeniably beautiful. In that beauty, we can all find a common ground of respect, awe and inspiration. ”

Tea Collection graciously sent us two sample products, a beautiful sweater (Llama Jacquard Zip Sweater) and pair of cargo pants (Tacna Ticking Stripe Cargo Pants). The fabrics are luxurious and I truly wish they came in my size. After washing these items, they felt soft and durable, like they would still look new after many, many launderings. Tea Collection clothing is well made and truly worth the investment. As I wasn’t sure on the sizing, I requested sizes too large for my son, or else you would see him pictured here in the beautiful outfit they sent. The sweater has a classic design, including elbow patches reminiscent of college professors. The fabric of the pants is so beautiful, with fine pin striping juxtaposed with cargo pockets. I covet this fabric and wish these pants were mine!

Tea Collection is a socially responsible company, supporting many organizations. They have teamed up with the Global Fund For Children in creating the Little Citizens collection. 40-50% of all profits from the Little Citizen’s Collection are donated to the Global Fund For Children! That is a high percentage demonstrating Tea Collection’s commitment to their “goal to reflect warmth and a generosity of spirit in our products, actions and interactions.”

My favorite items currently offered by Tea Collection are the Inca Hooded Pullover for boys and the Journey Canvas Jumper for girls. Although Tea Collection’s prices are more than I am used to paying for children’s clothings, they are so well made, I am convinced they will last through several children’s hand me downs and still look good! The website does offer sale items too.

One thing I have become aware of recently is that cheap prices create the concept of fast fashion in this country, which is not good for our environment. According to the Daily Grist,

“A globalization-fueled glut of cut-price clothing has inspired many consumers to think of their duds as disposable. It’s a phenomenon some are calling “fast fashion” — the apparel equivalent of fast food. Most fast fashionistas are oblivious to the downsides of the trend, including the energy-intensive, polluting process of creating synthetic fabrics; the fact that cotton fields are heavily water- and pesticide-dependent; the emissions implications of sourcing labor overseas; and the health effects on workers of processes such as blue-jean distressing. The average American throws away more than 68 pounds of clothing a year, and castoffs that aren’t tossed often end up in developing countries, where some worry they interfere with local textile economies.”

For more information about fast fashion, its environmental effects, and some graphic images, visit “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry“.

The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond could end after the alphabet is over, but there is much, much more! The “Beyond” portion of The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondprovides recipes, fun facts, geography, links to other great children’s literature on the letter or fruit/vegetable, jokes, tongue twisters, etc. This is a great resource for parents, teachers, homeschoolers, etc. to extend the nutritional and alphabet lesson.

ABC books are great for young children. They offer an enjoyable method to expose children to the alphabet. The more exposure children have to letters, the more they will notice their characteristics, etc. ABC literature is an effective method for letter introduction and reinforcement, and it is much more developmentally appropriate method than direct instruction. The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyondoffers a fun way for children to learn about nutrition in the context of the alphabet. I can’t way to try out some of the recipes!

There is evidence that special needs children may especially benefit from yoga. For example, often children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cerebral Palsy have poor muscle tone. Practicing asanas offers a gentle method to build strength. In addition, yoga calms the mind, eases tension, and teaches children coping methods. These skills are especially important for children with special needs. Joshua Betts, a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, writes of his yoga experiences:

My mom loves yoga. Since she loves me so much, she wants me to do yoga too. She says that yoga keeps her happy and not stressed. I learned some yoga poses. I must say they are not as bad as I thought they would be. My body felt weird at first: very shaky and wobbly. My mom made me do this yoga stuff a lot and I actually started liking having my head upside down! I also liked when my mom told me things to think about while I was doing the poses. She told me to think about being a warrior and being brave and strong when I am doing some of the poses. Sometimes when I am bored at school, I think about these stories to make the time go faster and to stop myself from flapping so much. The weirdest thing my mom makes me do is breathe in strange ways. Mom said that the breathing could help me stop flapping when I am not supposed to. I used to flap at the bus stop all the time, because I was bored and nervous about the school day. Mom told me to take some breaths and she breathed with me. Since I was thinking about my nose and air coming into my body, I could not think about flapping at the same time.

Like Joshua’s mother, I love yoga too. From the time my children were growing in my womb, they have been part of my practice (some Hindu texts say that children practice all 108 asanas in utero). As my children grew into toddlers, they would alternate between playing with my body, such as crawling under my downward facing dog, to imitating my poses. In fact, my daughter would get upset if I skipped my daily practice.

Young children’s attention span for yoga is not that of an adult; thus, many yoga products have been created to entice children to practice. There are many videos, games, and books available to introduce children to yoga. My favorites kids’ yoga products are the children’s book Babar’s Yoga for Elephants, which offers advice as to where to place your trunk during certain asanas, and the Yoga Garden Game, a cooperative game where players work together to plant the flowers before nighttime falls.

Children don’t need specially designed products to learn yoga, but they do need a teacher to guide them. As an elementary school teacher, I regularly incorporated asanas into our physical education program. In addition, the whole class would form a circle and complete the sun salutation each morning. We called this the “Good Morning Stretch,” and it was a wonderful way to begin our day of learning together.

It is important that children learn that yoga is a gentle practice, in order to avoid injuries. According to Cookie Magazine, “In yoga, children’s natural gifts, agility and enthusiasm, are also their curse: Many are so bendy that they may not recognize their limitations and overstretch, inadvertently injuring muscles. Kids can also get hurt in efforts to compete with their friends, impress the teacher, or try advanced poses before they’re ready.” Children must be taught that yoga is not a competitive sport!

Yoga practice with children is definitely different than practicing with adults, but children deserve opportunities to experience this ancient tradition. If you decide to include children in your practice or volunteer at a local school, be prepared for giggles and silliness. You might even find yourself joining in the laughter with the little yogis and yoginis!

For more information on Yoga for Kids, please visit Yoga Journal.

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The Carrot Seed has just celebrated its 60th anniversary! This simple, almost Zen-like story tells of a young boy’s determination to grow a carrot, despite his family’s doubts and opposition. The little boy tends the seed, ever patient, keeping his expectations high. In the end, he is rewarded with a carrot so large, it has to be hauled with a wheelbarrow. Not only does this book teach the basics of growing a plant from seed to harvest, but also children learn how to persist in the face of opposition. It is unfortunate that the boy’s parents are not supportive of his efforts, but the boy triumphs in the end. Crockett Johnson’s simple illustrations, reminiscent of his other famous work Harold and the Purple Crayon, match this minimalist tale of gardening and positive attitude. Planting carrot seeds, especially in a root viewer, is a great extension of the story in the classroom.

For more great children’s literature reviews on gardening books, please visit Green Family Values: Children’s Literature on Gardening/Green Options.

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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is also known as “crib death”, and 1 in 1000 children die from it, according to a SIDS Foundation of Washington. The causes vary, and one researcher in New Zealand claims toxic nerve gases in crib mattresses are to blame. Other studies claim an abnormality in the brains of children that prevent oxygen release is to blame. No matter what the cause, it is definitely advisable to place babies on their backs and to remove bedding, pillows, etc. that can cause suffocation.

Cosleeping is not to blame for children’s deaths, but unsafe bedding practices, whether in cribs or adult beds pose a threat. In fact according to Healthy Child, “The benefits of co-sleeping are enormous as co-sleeping positively affects a baby’s emotional and physical health. When safe co-sleeping guidelines are followed, SIDS rates for co-sleeping infants are actually lower than for crib-sleeping infants. Breastfeeding is known to reduce the risk of SIDS, and co-sleeping definitely allows for more frequent breastfeeding. Some doctors and researchers believe that during co-sleeping, the physiological regulation of the baby’s breathing and heartbeat with the mother’s makes co-sleeping safer regarding SIDS. Mothers who sleep directly next to their babies can sense the proximity of their babies in order to avoid smothering them. The sleep studies done in the laboratory of James J. McKenna, Ph.D. of cosleeping/bed-sharing mother and infant pairs (2 to 4 month olds) reveal that both breastfeeding mothers and their infants are extremely sensitive throughout the night - across all sleep stages - to the movements and physical condition of the other. Mothers who sleep with their babies can readily respond to changes in the baby’s status - such as if it were choking or struggling to breathe.” They also provide Guidelines for Sleeping Safely With Your Baby.

I cannot imagine the tragedy of losing a child to a preventable situation families experience; however, I believe that the media should not place blame where blame is not due. Cosleeping does not cause death. Unsafe conditions that may exist in adult beds and cribs can cause death, especially if the child is prone to lack of oxygen release.

Although I do not have any experience with DVDs or classes on the subject, I do have some personal experience. After taking a two week break from labor, I gently began my yoga practice. Mostly, I would try to practice yoga when the baby was asleep, but with two children, there was always one around. I allowed the children to find ways to play while I practiced. During downward facing dog, they would crawl under my inverted body. During bridge pose, they would sit on my belly and enjoy the lift up. Sometimes this was very challenging and required me to let go of my previous notions of yoga as a quiet and peaceful time; however, I still felt the benefits afterwards in my body and mind. In addition, as my children grow, they love to imitate my asanas, and I encourage their practice. My three-year old son lying next to me in corpse pose is very sweet. There are times when they try to play that are not appropriate, such as when I am doing a difficult pose and fear I may fall on them or I need all my concentration to stay balanced. They have learned there are times they can play with me when I am doing yoga, and there are times when they need to give me space. It does get easier as your children grow.

I did a little research for Cathy, and some communities offer classes for mommies and their children, usually up to age five. One class I read about consists of 2/3 of the poses include children with their mommies/daddies. In addition, the children are allowed to explore the childproof room and socialize with one another. According to Dr. Feldman of Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital, “When you do yoga with children, what you are doing is introducing them to the language of the body, the structure of a class and to space in general and how the child fits in that space. It’s giving them a sense of pleasure and doing it through accomplishments of the body.” There are even mother and baby yoga retreats!

I found the following titles on Amazon that may help, although I do not have personal experience with any of them:
Yoga Mom, Buddha Baby
Baby Om: Yoga for Mothers and Babies
Yoga Mommies: Mommy and Baby Yoga DVD
The New Method: Baby and Mom: Postnatal Yoga DVD

"Whether you buy organic fruits and veggies, drive a hybrid car, or teach kids to recycle, our products are another way to celebrate your way of living. Little Green Star is about inspiring kids to learn about the world around us and to develop their own ideas on ways to care for the earth," says the company's website, where you can peruse and purchase items from their entire collection. Though the graphics are simple, they are also adorable, featuring statements like "My dad recycles more than your dad," "Water pollution makes me crabby," "Future geologist," "Growing up green," and a number of others.

On top of their swank designs, LGS' website also features a collection of links to green activities. "[We are] on a mission to provide families with unique educational resources that promote the exploration of nature and the interest in science. We have gathered some information for you, so have fun!" Special links are devoted to major metro areas, specifically San Francisco, LA, New York, Honolulu, Chicago, Atlanta, and Portland. Spending "quality time" with your kids doing sustainable and educational activities will empower them more than any eco-documentary could ever hope to, and these resources do a great job of getting the ideas flowing.

With affordability a consistent factor when clothing your kids, I'm happy to say that Little Green Star's line is quite accessible. Priced at $24 for any item, free shipping is provided on all orders shipped within the United States (extra bonus). Still unsure about ordering? Check out the many positive reviews for LGS on OrganicPicks.com.