Homemade Pop Tarts! I've been itching to try these and fill them with real jams instead of the painfully sweet stuff they use now.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/homemade-pop-tarts/
Teaching is a way of life for some. This is a news article about a 12 year old girl living in an Indian slum who goes to school and in her spare time teaches everything she knows to the children who can't attend.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7100868.ece
The BEST way to find a serious nanny or babysitter (also pet sitters and home care). With craigslist being what it is I recommend this free site.
http://www.sittercity.com/
Who doesn't love shoes? These comfy shoes are amazingly light on your feel and form fit to everyone. Also they won't break the bank and you're doing a good deed by buying a pair. For every pair purchased, another pair is donated to a child in need.
http://www.toms.com/
A new kind of book, these funny stories aim to teach manners and polite behavior to kids. In a society where opening the door for someone is becoming a thing of the past, I think these are great for any parent to share with their child.
How To Behave and Why and Manners Can Be Fun
Adorable little aprons for young ladies. I have to admit...I kind of want one for myself.
Cupcake Apron Polka Dot Apron Stripe Apron
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Blog Comments
Apparently there is an issue going on with blog comments. I "moderate" mine so I am notified when there is a new one. I always publish them (with the exception of a few that were downright rude) but they still don't seem to show up when I go to the blog comments to respond to them.
I assure you I am not deleting or ignoring your comments...blogspot just seems to have a very annoying glitch.
I assure you I am not deleting or ignoring your comments...blogspot just seems to have a very annoying glitch.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Kid Recipe Reviews: Veggie Pasta&Cheese
Right off the bat I have a problem with this recipe. Its basically a light macaroni and cheese with little bits of broccoli and cauliflower mixed in. The name "veggie pasta and cheese" implies that the pasta itself is made from vegetables, when really it's pasta with veggies and cheese.
Sorry that's just one of my biggest pet peeves...
Anyways, the picture looks really good so I decided to try this one next. I had most of the ingredients the only thing I bought out of the ordinary was the tiny bowtie pasta...but honestly I was itching for an excuse to buy the piccolino pasta by Barilla.
I don't normally put my ingredients in plastic baggies, that was just the easiest way to transport everything from one town to another.
So here are the ingredients and my inevitable alterations:
4 florets of broccoli, cut into smaller florets (I buy the organic frozen mini florets because that's what I like)
4 florets of cauliflower, cut into smaller florets (Again, just bought the mini florets)
1 cup small penne or farfalle pasta (Bowtie=farfalle)
1 1/2 tbsp. sweet butter or margarine (I used salted stick butter because that's what was in the fridge)
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 cup of whole milk
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (Didn't have that...whoops)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (Had a bag of 4 cheese Italian I didn't want to waste)
Once again I was forced to deviate from the original preparation directions because frankly I found them to be very strange at parts.
Directions:
Steam the broccoli and cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until tender. (I just dumped them in a bowl with some water and nuked them in the microwave for 5 minutes)
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, then drain.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Gradually add the flour, beating well to form a smooth paste. (Mine didn't make a paste...just a thicker buttery liquid) Cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well to prevent any lumps from forming, then stir in the oregano. Simmer for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy, then mix in the cheese.
I stood there whisking and stirring because the last thing I wanted to do was burn the cheese sauce, this is not a realistic goal with hungry children at your feet. I've made a lot of home made mac and cheese in my day and I don't really think making a roux is necessary for a dish so simple. I always just toss bits of whatever cheese is in the fridge, half a babybell gouda, a laughing cow wedge of spreadable swiss, some sandwich cheese and a little butter and milk...its not rocket science.
The next step was to add the pasta, broccoli and cauliflower to the cheese sauce...but they told me to use a small pan so I used a small pan. There wouldn't have been enough room for all that. I read the rest of the directions and it says...
"Add the cooked cauliflower, broccoli, and pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well. Finely chop or mash the mixture."
What? You want me to mash up miniature pasta? What was the point of buying mini pasta that a baby can pick up and eat if I'm going to mash it like potatoes on Thanksgiving?
Once again...I went AWOL. I drained the steamed veggies and tossed them onto a the cutting board where I took a few whacks with the largest knife I could find (very carefully of course...) I finely chopped the mixture so that it would be easily stirred into a pasta sauce.
It looked delicious to me once I stirred it up, almost like a really thick broccoli and cheese soup.
I added the sauce to the pasta and got a surprise. The cheese I used contained Mozzarella...which didn't seem to want to blend and melt as well as I thought it should. the cheese sauce was stringy and not really coating the noodles. I pushed some of the globs of cheese aside and served up the pasta, which was now more of a butter and veggie dealio. The kids absolutely love it though, I'm not sure if it was the excitement over the little bowties or just hungry but both had second helpings and didn't even seem to notice the veggies.
I scooped out a little bowl for myself (with the cheese) and found it a little...lumpy.
I wound up fishing out all the mozz before I put the leftovers in the fridge. What I got was a large ball of messed up cheese that I was afraid to even put down the garbage disposal. This one was all my fault, the recipe clearly said cheddar cheese but the prospect of buying those expensive bags of grated cheese when I had the perfect amount leftover in the fridge from earlier in the week was too tempting.
Learn from my mistake...mozz doesn't make good mac and cheese.
Sorry that's just one of my biggest pet peeves...
Anyways, the picture looks really good so I decided to try this one next. I had most of the ingredients the only thing I bought out of the ordinary was the tiny bowtie pasta...but honestly I was itching for an excuse to buy the piccolino pasta by Barilla.
I don't normally put my ingredients in plastic baggies, that was just the easiest way to transport everything from one town to another.
So here are the ingredients and my inevitable alterations:
4 florets of broccoli, cut into smaller florets (I buy the organic frozen mini florets because that's what I like)
4 florets of cauliflower, cut into smaller florets (Again, just bought the mini florets)
1 cup small penne or farfalle pasta (Bowtie=farfalle)
1 1/2 tbsp. sweet butter or margarine (I used salted stick butter because that's what was in the fridge)
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 cup of whole milk
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (Didn't have that...whoops)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (Had a bag of 4 cheese Italian I didn't want to waste)
Once again I was forced to deviate from the original preparation directions because frankly I found them to be very strange at parts.
Directions:
Steam the broccoli and cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until tender. (I just dumped them in a bowl with some water and nuked them in the microwave for 5 minutes)
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, then drain.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Gradually add the flour, beating well to form a smooth paste. (Mine didn't make a paste...just a thicker buttery liquid) Cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well to prevent any lumps from forming, then stir in the oregano. Simmer for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy, then mix in the cheese.
I stood there whisking and stirring because the last thing I wanted to do was burn the cheese sauce, this is not a realistic goal with hungry children at your feet. I've made a lot of home made mac and cheese in my day and I don't really think making a roux is necessary for a dish so simple. I always just toss bits of whatever cheese is in the fridge, half a babybell gouda, a laughing cow wedge of spreadable swiss, some sandwich cheese and a little butter and milk...its not rocket science.
The next step was to add the pasta, broccoli and cauliflower to the cheese sauce...but they told me to use a small pan so I used a small pan. There wouldn't have been enough room for all that. I read the rest of the directions and it says...
"Add the cooked cauliflower, broccoli, and pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well. Finely chop or mash the mixture."
What? You want me to mash up miniature pasta? What was the point of buying mini pasta that a baby can pick up and eat if I'm going to mash it like potatoes on Thanksgiving?
Once again...I went AWOL. I drained the steamed veggies and tossed them onto a the cutting board where I took a few whacks with the largest knife I could find (very carefully of course...) I finely chopped the mixture so that it would be easily stirred into a pasta sauce.
It looked delicious to me once I stirred it up, almost like a really thick broccoli and cheese soup.
I added the sauce to the pasta and got a surprise. The cheese I used contained Mozzarella...which didn't seem to want to blend and melt as well as I thought it should. the cheese sauce was stringy and not really coating the noodles. I pushed some of the globs of cheese aside and served up the pasta, which was now more of a butter and veggie dealio. The kids absolutely love it though, I'm not sure if it was the excitement over the little bowties or just hungry but both had second helpings and didn't even seem to notice the veggies.
I scooped out a little bowl for myself (with the cheese) and found it a little...lumpy.
I wound up fishing out all the mozz before I put the leftovers in the fridge. What I got was a large ball of messed up cheese that I was afraid to even put down the garbage disposal. This one was all my fault, the recipe clearly said cheddar cheese but the prospect of buying those expensive bags of grated cheese when I had the perfect amount leftover in the fridge from earlier in the week was too tempting.
Learn from my mistake...mozz doesn't make good mac and cheese.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Potty Training
There are so many tricks and tips for helping kids potty train, I'm sure anyone who has been through the situation has heard them all, stickers, m&m's, presents, making the bathroom a "happy place" blah blah blabbity blah.
Truth is you can move the moon and stars for a child, it won't make them potty train if they aren't ready. The normal age I've seen is exactly 2 and a half. When I worked in a toddler room we did a large amount of potty training (8 kids at a time). We did our best to follow whatever method the parents were doing, but when you have to do this for 8 kids it can get difficult. If a parent uses bribes at home the child may not be able to get his or her treat while they are there. Stickers are also rarely used in a daycare because they don't stay on clothes...ever.
If a child is older than 2 and a half and still resisting potty training it may be a simple matter of "they-don't-want-to-ism". Diapers now wick away so much moisture wearing a diaper is barely uncomfortable. Besides the fact diapers are all they know and sometimes they see no reason to change. My favorite method is the "sit-in-it". Seems a touch mean but the trick is to switch things up and to make not being potty trained uncomfortable and a little embarrassing. The idea is to keep them out of diapers all day long and to make a big deal about the underwear, favorite character/color whatever, so when they inevitably have an accident they are upset about it. Eventually they'll hate the idea of being wet/messy and see the potty as the wonderful alternative.
My dad's favorite story is about my youngest brother who wouldn't potty train, so one day he took him out for ice cream and he pooped his pants. He was mortified, he wanted to be home and clean and cried the whole car ride. He never had another accident.
I guess what my point is, don't be afraid to make a drastic move (and a lot more laundry) if you feel it's warranted.
Truth is you can move the moon and stars for a child, it won't make them potty train if they aren't ready. The normal age I've seen is exactly 2 and a half. When I worked in a toddler room we did a large amount of potty training (8 kids at a time). We did our best to follow whatever method the parents were doing, but when you have to do this for 8 kids it can get difficult. If a parent uses bribes at home the child may not be able to get his or her treat while they are there. Stickers are also rarely used in a daycare because they don't stay on clothes...ever.
If a child is older than 2 and a half and still resisting potty training it may be a simple matter of "they-don't-want-to-ism". Diapers now wick away so much moisture wearing a diaper is barely uncomfortable. Besides the fact diapers are all they know and sometimes they see no reason to change. My favorite method is the "sit-in-it". Seems a touch mean but the trick is to switch things up and to make not being potty trained uncomfortable and a little embarrassing. The idea is to keep them out of diapers all day long and to make a big deal about the underwear, favorite character/color whatever, so when they inevitably have an accident they are upset about it. Eventually they'll hate the idea of being wet/messy and see the potty as the wonderful alternative.
My dad's favorite story is about my youngest brother who wouldn't potty train, so one day he took him out for ice cream and he pooped his pants. He was mortified, he wanted to be home and clean and cried the whole car ride. He never had another accident.
I guess what my point is, don't be afraid to make a drastic move (and a lot more laundry) if you feel it's warranted.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
YOGURT!
Can I just say I hate yogurt? I never developed a taste for it, I remember eating yogurt as a kid and not liking it, I even remember when gogurt came onto the scene and I still didn't like it. My mother tried in vain to help me like it, we added granola, fresh fruit, dried fruit, frozen fruit, nuts, even candy...I still didn't like yogurt. The texture is slimy to me and usually tart in flavor which reminds me of spoiled dairy for some reason.
Until today.
For years I have happily shoveled yogurt into the mouths of babies, I know how healthy it is and how much growing children need the calcium and vitamin D. Today I cracked open a cup of baby banana yogurt from Trader Joe's (my new favorite store) and saw the smear of yogurt on the foil lid. The parents had mentioned a few times it was really, really good...so I licked it.
I've gotta tell you I'm in love...I really enjoy the flavor of bananas but I seem to have a mild allergic reaction when I eat real bananas that causes my mouth and throat to itch in a very annyoing way. I took a full bite to check the texture and it was very much like custard, not the gloopy stuff.
So here's what's in this magic yogurt: Pasturized Grade A Milk, Sugar, Cream, Banana Puree, Modified Corn Starch, Whey Protein Concentrate, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavors, Kosher Gelatin, Turmeric and Annatto (for color), Citric Acid, and Active Cultures.
The second ingredient is sugar...that's kind of shocking considering I didn't find it to be overly sweet, but when you think about it yogurt is probably 90% milk and then whatever else. I like that it's made with real banana puree and natural flavoring and coloring. The fact that I know what all of these things are is pretty cool, no mystery preservatives and fillers. And the kosher gelatin...I forget that gelatin is actually an animal product, kosher gelatin is still made from "animals" (I won't get into it because frankly it's kind of a gross thought). But I'm glad they make the effort to include people who follow the kosher lifestyle. To me that shows responsible manufacturing.
Side note: All of Trader Joe's products are made by companies that follow strict manufacturing guidelines. So ANYTHING with an allergen is only made on equipment that is used for other foods containing allergens. You will never see the warning message "Made on equipment that may have handled tree nuts, eggs, whatever." Unless of course the food itself containins these things.
Here are some more nutritional facts about this heavenly yogurt.
Serving size: 4oz.
Calories: 140
Fat cal.: 50
Total fat: 6g
Sat. fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 55mg
Total carb: 19g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 16g
Protein: 4g
Ok so this isn't a low cal yogurt, but considering it's for growing kids and not me on a diet I'm ok with that. Although I am kind of always watching what I eat calorie and carb-wise I will sacrifice more calories for something I know is healthy, like cheese or nuts. I'd rather have 140 calories of this yogurt than 100 calories of ice cream or a packet of minature cookies.
The amount of sugar also surprises me since it's such a little container, and like I said it's not really sweet (and I know sweet). A tube of gogurt is 2.25oz and has 10g of sugar, a Trix yogurt cup is the same 4oz and has 14g of sugar...and I've tasted those and they taste much sweeter than this stuff. My only theory is that since they use real banana, that boosts up the calories and sugar content because a banana itself has a lot of natural sugars and is one of the more calorie-rich pieces of fruit.
Not that it matters to me, I'm still going to go buy a pack this weekend and make it part of my everyday diet. Maybe now I can replace those Kellogs shakes with actual food.
(By the way...have you seen the list of ingredients for those things? Scary.)
Until today.
For years I have happily shoveled yogurt into the mouths of babies, I know how healthy it is and how much growing children need the calcium and vitamin D. Today I cracked open a cup of baby banana yogurt from Trader Joe's (my new favorite store) and saw the smear of yogurt on the foil lid. The parents had mentioned a few times it was really, really good...so I licked it.
I've gotta tell you I'm in love...I really enjoy the flavor of bananas but I seem to have a mild allergic reaction when I eat real bananas that causes my mouth and throat to itch in a very annyoing way. I took a full bite to check the texture and it was very much like custard, not the gloopy stuff.
So here's what's in this magic yogurt: Pasturized Grade A Milk, Sugar, Cream, Banana Puree, Modified Corn Starch, Whey Protein Concentrate, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavors, Kosher Gelatin, Turmeric and Annatto (for color), Citric Acid, and Active Cultures.
The second ingredient is sugar...that's kind of shocking considering I didn't find it to be overly sweet, but when you think about it yogurt is probably 90% milk and then whatever else. I like that it's made with real banana puree and natural flavoring and coloring. The fact that I know what all of these things are is pretty cool, no mystery preservatives and fillers. And the kosher gelatin...I forget that gelatin is actually an animal product, kosher gelatin is still made from "animals" (I won't get into it because frankly it's kind of a gross thought). But I'm glad they make the effort to include people who follow the kosher lifestyle. To me that shows responsible manufacturing.
Side note: All of Trader Joe's products are made by companies that follow strict manufacturing guidelines. So ANYTHING with an allergen is only made on equipment that is used for other foods containing allergens. You will never see the warning message "Made on equipment that may have handled tree nuts, eggs, whatever." Unless of course the food itself containins these things.
Here are some more nutritional facts about this heavenly yogurt.
Serving size: 4oz.
Calories: 140
Fat cal.: 50
Total fat: 6g
Sat. fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 55mg
Total carb: 19g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 16g
Protein: 4g
Ok so this isn't a low cal yogurt, but considering it's for growing kids and not me on a diet I'm ok with that. Although I am kind of always watching what I eat calorie and carb-wise I will sacrifice more calories for something I know is healthy, like cheese or nuts. I'd rather have 140 calories of this yogurt than 100 calories of ice cream or a packet of minature cookies.
The amount of sugar also surprises me since it's such a little container, and like I said it's not really sweet (and I know sweet). A tube of gogurt is 2.25oz and has 10g of sugar, a Trix yogurt cup is the same 4oz and has 14g of sugar...and I've tasted those and they taste much sweeter than this stuff. My only theory is that since they use real banana, that boosts up the calories and sugar content because a banana itself has a lot of natural sugars and is one of the more calorie-rich pieces of fruit.
Not that it matters to me, I'm still going to go buy a pack this weekend and make it part of my everyday diet. Maybe now I can replace those Kellogs shakes with actual food.
(By the way...have you seen the list of ingredients for those things? Scary.)
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Great TV Debate
This is a topic I'm sort of mixed on. My generation was raised on tv, we were sort of the pioneers of Nicktoons and Disney during the day then Simpsons at night, and I have to admit I'm pretty addicted to tv. I have a nightly line up every night and before I was blessed with a DVR the thought of missing a tv show stressed me out. During the day I'm not really concerned with whats on and I struggle to keep it that way so it won't affect my work. I refuse to be the nanny that watches tv while the kids play because the parents are paying me to interact with their children.
Children's programming is a whole other ballgame. I am thoroughly impressed with the tv being produced for children these days because I can see the learning outcomes. In my classes where I learn to write lesson plans we break down activities into what we are teaching, for example, cleaning out a pumpkin is sensory exploration, fine motor muscle control, science, and cause and effect. Other activities that day may represent math, reading, cognitive, sequence, large motor...etc, so the day is educationally rounded. A lot of planning goes into executing this correctly. When I watch a show like Dora the Explorer, I can pick out things that really are educational in a subconscious way, like how they lay out their trip and repeat it several times (BRIDGE! GOOEY GEYSER! DORA'S HOUSE!) then revisit the sequence once they need to go to the next location. Other things like problem solving, the little games where the have to pick out whats big and whats small...all extremely beneficial to a child. Don't get me wrong, the map song grates my nerves like no tomorrow, but shows like Dora are engineered so perfectly it would be a shame not to expose a child to them. I don't condone hours of tv watching at all, but a half an hour show here and there can be an educational tool.
When I am with my 2 youngest kiddos (1 and 2) I break up the tv time so they're not couch potatoes. Our typical day is something like this:
8:00- Wake up/breakfast
8:30-9:00- TV/cuddle time
9:00-10:00- Nap for the baby and play time for the toddler
10:00-12:00- More play time, outside if possible
12:00-12:30- Lunch
12:30-1:30- TV and relaxing
1:30-3:30- Nap time (I'm really lucky...they actually sleep that long or later)
3:30-5:00- Walk around the block and play time
5:00-5:30- Dinner
5:30-6:30- Play time or TV if they're cranky
Usually after dinner they start getting really crabby and wanting their parents, I can relate, so I do whatever needs to be done to make that last hour a peaceful one. Sometimes they really want to be in their playroom and sometimes they just want to watch some tv. As long as it's age appropriate children's programming I have no problem with that and neither do their parents. At the MOST they would have 3 hours of broken up tv time a day. Being still for 3 hours really isn't a healthy behavior for young children, but a half hour or hour at a time can help them re-energize and learn to focus. In a classroom environment kids are expected to be still for that amount of time when they're in pre-k, so I would see that as a little bit of preparation.
Sometimes I like to keep the tv on while we're playing in another room, the sound of clear speaking and conversations can benefit a child's language development. You can essentially talk to a child all day but it would be difficult to not be repetitive. In my opinion having it as background noise on occasion is a good thing.
Children's programming is a whole other ballgame. I am thoroughly impressed with the tv being produced for children these days because I can see the learning outcomes. In my classes where I learn to write lesson plans we break down activities into what we are teaching, for example, cleaning out a pumpkin is sensory exploration, fine motor muscle control, science, and cause and effect. Other activities that day may represent math, reading, cognitive, sequence, large motor...etc, so the day is educationally rounded. A lot of planning goes into executing this correctly. When I watch a show like Dora the Explorer, I can pick out things that really are educational in a subconscious way, like how they lay out their trip and repeat it several times (BRIDGE! GOOEY GEYSER! DORA'S HOUSE!) then revisit the sequence once they need to go to the next location. Other things like problem solving, the little games where the have to pick out whats big and whats small...all extremely beneficial to a child. Don't get me wrong, the map song grates my nerves like no tomorrow, but shows like Dora are engineered so perfectly it would be a shame not to expose a child to them. I don't condone hours of tv watching at all, but a half an hour show here and there can be an educational tool.
When I am with my 2 youngest kiddos (1 and 2) I break up the tv time so they're not couch potatoes. Our typical day is something like this:
8:00- Wake up/breakfast
8:30-9:00- TV/cuddle time
9:00-10:00- Nap for the baby and play time for the toddler
10:00-12:00- More play time, outside if possible
12:00-12:30- Lunch
12:30-1:30- TV and relaxing
1:30-3:30- Nap time (I'm really lucky...they actually sleep that long or later)
3:30-5:00- Walk around the block and play time
5:00-5:30- Dinner
5:30-6:30- Play time or TV if they're cranky
Usually after dinner they start getting really crabby and wanting their parents, I can relate, so I do whatever needs to be done to make that last hour a peaceful one. Sometimes they really want to be in their playroom and sometimes they just want to watch some tv. As long as it's age appropriate children's programming I have no problem with that and neither do their parents. At the MOST they would have 3 hours of broken up tv time a day. Being still for 3 hours really isn't a healthy behavior for young children, but a half hour or hour at a time can help them re-energize and learn to focus. In a classroom environment kids are expected to be still for that amount of time when they're in pre-k, so I would see that as a little bit of preparation.
Sometimes I like to keep the tv on while we're playing in another room, the sound of clear speaking and conversations can benefit a child's language development. You can essentially talk to a child all day but it would be difficult to not be repetitive. In my opinion having it as background noise on occasion is a good thing.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Diaper Woes
I'm not a fan of diapers, not because of poop or anything, but because of some interesting facts I have picked up along the way.
It all started in preschool, my aunt ran a home daycare (it runs in the family) and I can remember the staggering amounts of trash, most of it diapers. It was disgusting, and since it was a private residence and not a daycare with a dumpster the trash would be in the can outside for an entire week. Quite the smell let me tell you.
With the impending recall of Pampers due to the chemical burns this topic has been on my mind over the past few days. Its really a frightening thought that a diaper is in contact with some seriously sensitive skin for at least 2 years of a child's life. Day and night every single day this product is used and yet we know very little about them.
I found these facts online that may be quite shocking.
Environmental:
In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.
It all started in preschool, my aunt ran a home daycare (it runs in the family) and I can remember the staggering amounts of trash, most of it diapers. It was disgusting, and since it was a private residence and not a daycare with a dumpster the trash would be in the can outside for an entire week. Quite the smell let me tell you.
With the impending recall of Pampers due to the chemical burns this topic has been on my mind over the past few days. Its really a frightening thought that a diaper is in contact with some seriously sensitive skin for at least 2 years of a child's life. Day and night every single day this product is used and yet we know very little about them.
I found these facts online that may be quite shocking.
Environmental:
In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.
No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.
Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.
Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.
The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.
Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.
Chemical effects on babies:
Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.
Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.
In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.
Certainly was an eye opener for me. Considering everyone is so "ecofriendly" and "green" lately...why isn't more being said about cloth diapering?
What if some of the horrible things happening to humans like autism, cancer, fertility problems and SIDS are actually caused by prolonged disposable diaper use?
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