It's back to school for many of us. It can be exciting, but for many parents, I know it can also be a source of anxiety. And this applies if you've got smaller children ready to start daycare as well. Because when they're at school or daycare, they're spending 6+ hours in a building and with people you have zero control over.
This can feel overwhelming, especially if you're earlier in your toxin reduction journey. You've worked so hard to try to reduce your kids' exposure to things at home, but what happens when they enter somebody else's care?
If you're feeling anxious or just a touch worried about this, I'm here to hopefully put your mind at ease in this episode. And I want you to know that you are certainly not alone. I hear from so many people about their worries, fears, and anxieties that I want you to know whatever you're feeling, your feelings are valid. I want to help you acknowledge them, while helping you move past the worry about things you can't control.
Some of the common concerns I hear from parents when sending their kids off to school or daycare are:
- The hand soaps and cleaning supplies aren't what I would use. Is that a concern?
- The staff use bleach to clean toys and surfaces, is this safe?
- This one is more recent as I'm recording this a year and a half into the covid-19 pandemic, and that is, are the hand sanitizers they have to use toxic?
- These are the big ones, but I also address some other issues not to add more to your plate, but to help you make more informed decisions that are in alignment with the work you're doing in your own home.
Links Mentioned
Women's College Hospital Scent-Free Spaces Overview: https://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/health-centres/environmental-health/healthy-environments/scent-free-spaces/
Scent-Free School Resource: https://casle.ca/school-scent-free-programs/
EPA Design for the Environment Safer Choice Program: https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice
Guide to Choosing a Water Filter: https://greenathome.ca/waterf
Green at Home is no longer an operating business, as its founder, Emma Rohmann, has gone back to her engineering roots in large-scale green building consulting. She is keeping her free resources, including the podcast and blog, live but you will find other links to resources are likely broken in these show notes.
Thanks for being here!
