Simple ways to create a healthy home for baby

I can’t protect them from everything. Not even when they grew tiny toes inside my own body… not when their soft skin emerged into this world… certainly, not now when their tiny hands explore every nook and cranny at home and abroad.

No. We can’t protect our babies from everything. And that sometimes scares me.

I watch my children’s small bodies growing and know they are more vulnerable than I am to chemical and environmental exposure.

Chemicals are found in umbilical cord blood. Lead has been found in many children’s face paints.

But how can we protect them from everything? We likely can’t. But there’s tons of simple steps we can take to minimize exposure for our children. After sitting in on a virtual chat sponsored by Seventh Generation, Healthy Child, Healthy World, and Stonyfield Farms, I came away with fresh ideas for removing more chemical and environmental risks for our family.

Take off shoes in the house – we do this… when we remember. I’m going to set up a better shoe-take-off area to improve our habits

Use safer body care products – avoid products with ingredients like parabens, synthetic fragrances & triclosan. I am pretty good about this with the kids but I still sometimes buy products for myself that aren’t the best.

Eat whole foods – we are making good strides in this area, but could do more especially when eating out of the house. We know that processed foods are loaded with sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings, and synthetic preservatives. These foods lack nutrients and many are linked to health issues like ADHD and cancer.

Open the windows – indoor air is actually more polluted than outdoor air. Unbelievable! We run air purifiers and also try to open the windows a few minutes to a couple hours every day.

Avoid canned goods – ugh. As I like to plan ahead for meals, this is hard for me, because you can get great deals on canned foods. However, most cans have BPA in the plastic resin lining. So it’s best to buy packaged foods in glass jars or frozen.

Avoid register receipts – Did you know most register receipts also contain BPA? It can rub off on your hands and if you recycle it, the BPA can contaminate the whole batch of recyling! Ask for e-receipts or decline receipts where possible.

Check sunscreen has non-nano particles – I’m especially concerned about sunscreens for my babies because those go on the whole body repeatedly in the summer. Seventh Generation has a nice Wee Generation sunscreen with a low rating (that’s good) on the EWG Guide to Sunscreens.

Every day, I watch my children grow and play. And I try to think of one more small way to keep them safe from hidden dangers in their world. I also talk to my toddler about good hygiene and healthy eating so my kids will form good habits for a healthy lifestyle from the start.

What are some simple ways you’ve minimized chemical and environmental dangers in your home? I’m always looking for more ways to “clean house”!

This is a sponsored post for Seventh Generation and TheMotherhood. All opinions are 100% my own.