Review: Healthy Child, Healthy World
This book starts out with a warning from the author to parents. Readers are urged to not get overwhelmed by what they are about to read. It’s a lot of information, the author admits, but don’t freak out. I read that part and then continued on to the rest of the book, and promptly freaked out.
Plastic bottles? Don’t use them because they’ll poison you. Lotion? No way; it will seep into your skin and pollute your insides. Don’t even think of the term “aerosol air fresheners” because you might lose consciousness from the anxiety that will undoubtedly ensue.
At least, that’s how it seems at first. I was assaulted with a bunch of information that really made me want to pack up my kids and go live in a cave that was first tested for lead before we moved in. After I got over the initial nervousness from what I was reading, however, I started to digest what was being presented and realized that this is the perfect book for any parents who want to create a better environment for their kids. This isn’t just about how to be greener, but also how to be safer and healthier. After all, if you don’t really care about the environment, my guess is that you at least care about the well-being of your offspring in one way or another, right?
One of the best parts of this book are all the “recipes” for healthy, environmentally-friendly items such as household cleaners and finger paint. Everything is easy to follow and actually a lot less expensive than the stuff you can buy in the stores. It helped me a lot that the author didn’t just say, “Don’t use toxic cleaners!” but instead said, “Use this instead, and you can make it yourself. You’re so clever!” I’m paraphrasing there, by the way.
Another thing I really liked about this book were all the excerpts from famous parents. Some of them were incredibly environmentally conscious while others had changed some things but were still using disposable diapers or hadn’t given up their gas-guzzling cars. The point is that even little changes can make a difference in the health of your children and your impact on the environment, and that’s an incredibly valuable lesson to learn…even if it initially freaks you out a little.
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