A simple general rule of thumb:

If you act in the best interest of the environment, you will be acting in the best interest of the youngest members of your family and as often as not, your wallet.

Some Specific Guidelines:

1) MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING SUPPLIES

While there are many less toxic cleaning products on the market these days than there used to be, it is much more environmentally sound and cost effective to make your own cleaning products using very simple ingredients. Among these are vinegar, baking soda, water, lemon, coarse sea salt, essential oils of lavender, lemon, tea tree oil, etc., Dr. Bronner's Certified Organic Castille Soap, and borax. Many DIY recipes exist to make even your own laundry detergent with ingredients as simple as castille soap, borax and washing soda that cost pennies per load. Toothpaste is a good silver polish. A combination of lemon and salt is a good Formica countertop stain remover.

2) SEARCH SKIN DEEP

Run a search through Environmental Working Group's excellent Skin Deep database to check on the toxicity of any products you use not only on young family members, but on yourself - i.e. shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, sun screen, etc. In my family, we don't purchase anything that ranks above a "2" on their 1-10 scale of concern. I basically treat my skin and my son's skin like mouths. Our skin is our body’s largest and most porous organ and everything we put on it gets absorbed directly into our bodies. As a result there is plenty I don't use - makeup, chemical sunscreens, nail polish, etc. I stopped dyeing my hair years ago because of my concern about the porosity of the scalp. I breast feed my son and so try to diligently remember that anything I come into contact with, my son does also. Minimizing my exposure to toxics in body care products protects my young son as well because I limiting transfer through my breast milk. By remembering to forego many of these products, I help limit my family’s unnecessary exposure to toxins, reduce the waste that goes into our landfills and save my family a bundle of money every month.

3) WHEN POSSIBLE, EAT ORGANIC

My family believes in the importance of organic from both a philosophical and nutritional standpoint. We embrace the fact that this expense is not only better for our bodies, but is vital to survival of the planet. In the very near future, industrialized agriculture will no longer be a tenable model with which to nourish and sustain the planet. Shopping at our organic co-op is where we spend about 40% of our monthly budget. It would be cheaper to buy conventional, but there have been very well-done studies demonstrating that organic produce is not only more nutritious than conventional, but also has much lower levels of pesticides and other harmful substances While organic is more expensive than conventional, if a family eats mostly fruits, vegetables and meals made from whole foods prepared from scratch, they will save money by avoiding value-added, prepackaged food. They will also reduce the waste that goes into our landfills.

4) REMEMBER “THE DIRTY TWELVE” AND “THE CLEAN FIFTEEN”

When it is not possible to eat organic, remember the Environmental Working Group's "The Dirty Twelve," a list of the twelve most pesticide-laden types of produce and "The Clean Fifteen," a list of the fifteen fruits and vegetables with the lowest detectable levels of pesticide residue.

The "Dirty Dozen" 1. Peaches 2.Apples 3.Sweet Bell Peppers 4.Celery 5.Nectarines 6.Strawberries 7.Cherries 8.Kale 9.Lettuce 10.Grapes (imported) 11.Carrots 12.Pears

The "Clean 15" 1. Onion 2.Avocado 3.Sweet Corn 4.Pineapple 5.Mango 6.Asparagus 7.Sweet Peas 8.Kiwifruit 9.Cabbage 10.Eggplant 11.Papaya 12.Watermelon 13.Broccoli 14.Tomato 15.Sweet Potato

5) LIMIT THE AMOUNT YOU EAT OUT OR TAKE-OUT

We try to limit the amount we eat out, not only because we are going to such expense for the food in our house, but also because the quality of the food we buy is much higher than anything we can get in a restaurant, short of eating at niche organic restaurants that cost an arm and a leg. This reduces exposure to pesticides from conventional produce, antibiotics from conventional meat. It also reduces the amount of waste generated by take-out boxes and cutlery, etc.

6) AVOID CANNED FOODS

Try to eat as many whole foods as you can, while avoiding canned options. I find it infuriating that most cans for food and soda alike have a resin lining that contains BPA. This even includes cans used to hold powdered and liquid infant formula. The thought here is that the resin lining protects acidic foods from eating into the metal, but the BPA levels found in the cans are sometimes TWO HUNDRED times the level deemed safe by the FDA. For this reason and because of the general freshness factor, we try to avoid food from cans. It is hard when purchasing canned tomatoes though. Eden Organics is the only company we know of that does not use the BPA in its linings. We support them when we need to buy canned food. Not even they have canned tomatoes in a BPA-free can.

7) CLOTH DIAPER!

If you have a young one in diapers, use cloth diapers and cloth wipes. While it takes a little more effort than disposable diapering, using cloth is a no-brainer that benefits your young child, the environment and your wallet. Using cloth wipes is simpler than using the disposable variety when cloth diapering because you can simply toss the used wipe in the bin along with the soiled diaper rather than disposing of the wipe in the trash separately from the diaper. From the standpoint of protecting your young ones from toxics, the dangerous chemicals contained in disposable diapers are well documented. Disposable diapers can contribute to asthma and childhood respiratory problems from inhaling chemicals contained in the diapers. Disposables contain carcinogenic dioxin and sodium polyacylatem, a chemical linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome. One of the most toxic substances ever made, tributyltin, has been found in disposables. This substance is linked to sterility in young boys. It is also believed that because disposable diapers heat up the penis and testicular area in young boys, they stop the testicles from developing properly. Disposables also contribute to UTI infections in baby girls. The initial outlay of cash spent to build a supply of cloth diapers, covers and wipes is nothing compared to what families spend on disposables while their child is in diapers.

8) LIMIT PLASTIC WHENEVER POSSIBLE

By limiting plastics like polycarbonate and PVC in the home environment, you reduce your family’s exposure to the endocrine disrupting substances Bisphenol-A and phthalates, which have been shown to cause reproductive defects. Limit plastic toys, plastic cups and plates, plastic food storage. In my home, we don't store food in plastic and when I can't breastfeed him while I'm at work, my son doesn't get a bottle in plastic. While you can get BPA and phthalate-free plastics in these products, I just don't trust that they won't find some other substance in it some day soon that they'll have to start warning against. We store food in glass and bottle feed in glass. Purchasing from the thrift stores with aisles full of glass storage and dishware helps limit the expense of making the switch from plastic to glass. Buying quality toys made of natural fibers like wood, wool and organic cotton can be more expensive than buying plastic toys, but it is better for your child’s health, the health of the environment and it provides an important developmental benefit to your child.

Children deserve the beautiful in order to develop an appreciation of what's beautiful. Put another way, children need to use beautiful and natural items so they learn value. They need to experience beauty through their senses of touch, sight, and smell. Items made of wood, wool, silk, cotton provide them with this experience. Crayons made of beeswax provide a deeper sensory experience by creating warmer images than their petroleum-based cousins. I really connect with that idea. Our children deserve the best we can give them. That said, I think I would limit glassware and ceramics to a safe, carpeted environment for children. To limit the expense associated with eliminating cheap plastic toys, look to nature. Stones, shells, leaves and pinecones can provides for hours of limitless open-ended play. Find appropriate items in thrift stores. I’ve found many dear homemade wood toys for my son in thrift stores. Cultivate your innate craftiness as a parent. Learn to knit, sew, work with wood and work with your hands. The experience of making something with and for your child will provide them will memories that will warm them for a lifetime.

9) BREAST FEED!!

If you have young ones, breast-feed!! Not only is breast milk nature's first complete food, providing the best start in life for your precious baby, it does not carry any of the contamination risks of formula feeding. It benefits your child’s brain, digestive and emotional health. It does not require any preparation, does not cost a dime to make and helps establish a lifelong bond between mother and baby. Simply the best!

10) USE FAMILY CLOTH

For the truly environmentally committed, try Family Cloth! Many people purchase recycled paper products like toilet paper believing them to be the best choice for the environment. Little do they know toilet paper with recycled content contains high levels of BPA. The recycled content comes from things like credit card receipts and the thermal ink used in the receipts is made using BPA. It then gets into our water systems from being excreted from our bodies and from the toilet paper we flush into septic systems. A vicious cycle. Making the transition to family cloth is really quite easy for those families who cloth diaper a young child. Simply have some cloth wipes and some "Diaper wipe juice" on hand in the bathroom. My family uses LuSa organic diaper wipe concentrate to make our wipe juice. A bottle lasts for months because you only need a little bit to prepare a gallon of wipe juice. There are also lots of economical DIY recipes for creating your own diaper wipe juice. Once you are finished cleaning up after using the toilet, deposit the used wipe in the diaper bin to be washed with the rest of your child's cloth diapers. While we keep a supply on hand toilet for the more squeamish in the family, we’ve saved money because of a reduced need for toilet paper.

These are only a few ways you can help your family limit toxins. I’m sure I will think of more. As I do, I will try to add them. Feel free to lend your suggestions in the comments section.