All Natural Mommies

Archive for the ‘Natural Parenting’ Category

With the recent concerns of Bisphenol A leaching from plastic bottles, many parents have turned to brands like Sigg to limit our children’s exposure to BPA.  However, Sigg’s CEO Steve Wasik has recently announced the brand’s bottles manufactured before August 2008 contained a trace amount of BPA in the liner. 

But how do you know that the bottles you bought in January 2009 were not manufactured before the switch to the new “EcoCare” liner?  The company has helpfully provided pictures comparing the two liners.  The new liner is a dull beige color.  The old liners is a brassy metallic.

EcoCare Liner:	Former Liner:

It is important to note that leaching is the main issue with BPA.  Sigg’s website sites tests on the old liners that show absolutely no leaching of BPA.

If you find that the bottles you have contain the old liner, you may be able to contact the company for a replacement.  Email liners@mysigg.com or call them at (203)321-1220.

To add to the postpartum depression post, I’m posting an article from our main website, All Natural Mommies.  The article talks about ways to soothe a new baby.  A crying baby is a big source of frustration for new parents.  I hope this article gives you some new tools to help deal with a fussy baby.  Enjoy!

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It’s a fact that’s difficult to ignore.  Babies cry.  Sometimes a baby will cry because a need is not being met; i.e. he’s hungry, or he needs a diaper change, or he’s not comfortable and needs a change of position or scenery.  And sometimes he’ll cry because he craves attention.  The first and must difficult step in calming the baby is figuring out what he needs. 

According to the teachings of Teresa Kirkpatrick Ramsey, BSN, LMT, of Babies First Massage, there are two types of cries – The Talking Cry and the I Need Help Cry.  These can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.  The Talking Cry may change in tone but the pitch stays the same – almost like the baby is talking.  The I Need Help Cry, however, becomes higher pitched, and louder, until the baby’s needs are met.

                There are other signs to help you figure out if your baby is just trying to communicate.  If the baby makes eye contact and can hold your gaze, he probably just wants attention.  Let him talk!  Hold the baby close so he can see your face, make good eye contact, and listen.  He may continue to cry for several minutes or make gurgling sounds.  Talk calmly to him and let him know you’re there to listen.  Click here to continue reading…

Raising an Eco-Friendly Child

The world’s inhabitants have finally started to wake up.  Most people in today’s society have been totally apathetic to the world around them.  But with the new “green” movement, people are becoming more aware of the effects society’s actions have on the planet.  However, children who haven’t been raised with Reduce/Reuse/Recycle drilled into their brains, may have a hard time pulling away from the video games long enough to tend to the environment.  Depending on your child, it may be hard to get them to show an interest in the world around them. However, there are easy, effective ways to help show them how to care about the earth, especially if you start early and take small steps. You probably will not be making a big difference overnight; however, any and all changes you make WILL make a big difference in your child’s life time.  After all, you will be teaching them how to treat the earth for a lifetime, not just a childhood.

The first step to raising eco friendly children is to be eco friendly yourself. Honestly, you can tell your children to respect their environment all you want.  But if it’s all lip service, it’s not going to get you (or them) anywhere. You don’t have to be all Captain Planet, instead start with small steps, and get involved yourself – it’s easy and fun! Follow the practices of the 3 R’s – reducing, reusing, and recycling. Another good way to become more eco friendly is to use natural and environmentally friendly products (even places the big box stores are getting on the eco friendly band wagon, so it’s easier today than it’s ever been). Another fun thing that you can do is get involved with local organizations that help protect the environment.

Once you’re taking an active roll, and being more eco friendly, start getting your kids in on the fun. You can start out simple by having them put their own recyclables into the bin, or even have them ride along with you when you take your bin to the recycling center. You can have them help you build a compost pile, or even be on the look out for organic foods and clothing items when shopping. When I was a child, something we used to do was pick up random trash others left behind. It’s easy and can mean so much. Just remember to start small, and have fun.

Often the people who do the most to help the environment are the ones who know the most about it. That’s another reason why it’s important to start teaching your child about the world around them as early as possible. Many zoos and nature centers offer educational classes for children as young as three years old. These programs can be an invaluable resource, to help aid small children, who are just starting to learn about their environment as well as to help expand their knowledge, as they get older.

Another fun, eco friendly idea is to get your child involved in volunteering. If you volunteer for an environmental activist group (or even your local church), get your children involved as soon as they are old enough. Many areas offer volunteer organizations for teens and young adults. The most important part is teaching your child to get involved on a larger scale, reminding them to be eco friendly all of the time not just within your family. This also helps them meet peers, they might not have met otherwise, who are also eco friendly.

Teaching your child about the world around them, and how to be eco friendly, will be present you give them, that will last a lifetime.

How are you helping your children go green?