We all want our kids and grand kids to be healthy, we do everything we can to see that they are. We bandage their boo-boos, we care for them when they're sick, but do we carefully check out the ingredients that their clothing or toys are made of? What about the plastic that the bottles and nipples are made of, and what do those un-pronounceable ingredients on their baby food labels really mean?

Your baby's sleepwear could be TOXIC. Flame retardants used in baby and childrens' sleepwear is made with bromine which is a persistent, bioaccumulative toxin, related to PCBs and laboratory studies are showing that they interfere with brain development, can alter hormone function, and are linked to cancer. It would be much safer to dress your child in close fitting 100% cotton sleepwear. After all, if the flames are close enough to your child to catch the fabric on fire, it's a pretty good bet that the smoke got there first. Close fitting fabric is safer because if the fabric is loose, it fans the flames and actually attracts the fire to the child. So unless your child smokes in bed or plays with matches in bed, they would be much healthier wearing close fitting PJs without flame retardant as opposed to being poisoned every night.

BBP,BPA,DBP,DEHP,DIDP,DINP and DNOP. Nope, this isn't really bad spelling, these are the alphabet soup of chemicals that are worming their way into you and your kids through the plastics you use every day. Baby bottles, teething toys, kids plastic tableware, water and juice bottles and so much more. If you microwave, wash in the dish washer or reuse these things, you greatly increase the amount of toxins that you and your family ingest. These chemicals have been linked to such things as decreased testosterone levels,an increased risk of miscarriage,breast and uterine cancer,and numerous other problems ranging from asthma to cancer.

The worst you might get from organic baby products and family products will probably be food allergies or allergies to something like wool. Food allergies can be dangerous too but at least it's in the open and you can choose not to eat that food or feed it to your child.Here are some tips to help you get started on making the plastics in your home safer for you and your kids.

1.) Check all of your plastic kitchenware, kids toys etc. If it's a couple of years old. made from a hard, clear plastic and has a #7 recycling code it probably contains BPA and you would be better off to get rid of it. (Parents beware: Most baby bottles and sippy cups are made with plastics containing BPA.)

2.) Get rid of all melamine dishware. Most of those really cute divided plate sets for kids are made of this. The microscopic cracks that develop from normal use and washing will release harmful chemicals.

3.) Do not microwave any plastic or wash it in the dishwasher because the heat releases more toxic chemicals.

Plastics that are safer and reusable include HDPE (plastic #2), low-density polyethylene (LDPE, AKA plastic #4) or polypropylene (PP, or plastic #5). And instead of using plastic water bottles when hiking or biking, try using stainless steel. It's non-toxic, lasts longer and can be recycled eventually.

Organic baby products and products for the rest of the family as well, are becoming more and more popular because they are safer, cause less allergic reactions, and are much better for the environment. Let's face it, if we don't clean up our world, it won't make much difference if we clean up our homes and products. We can start with organic baby and kid products and give our little ones a better start on their lives.

If you're looking for more information about choosing safer, healthier products for your family, I've found an ebook that is packed with information on recognizing harmful and toxic ingredients in baby and child products, what the difference between "natural" and "organic" is, and all kinds of other things that you really should know before buying for your family. There are more than 130 pages in this book that can help you keep your family from being poisoned without you even knowing it. Every home should have a copy of Organic Baby, especially homes with babies and children. You can find a link to it in my Author Bio. It's time we stopped poisoning ourselves, our children, our animals and our world...Let's start at home.

If you don't know where to go to find organic baby and family products, there are some really great places to look right at your fingertips. Go visit our friend Google and look up "Jake and Ella" for some adorable and fun baby and kids toys, or "Lifekind" for comfy bedding, bath toys and even organic bedding for your pets. "Baby Earth is another great place to go for organic food and clothing and "Our Green House" also offers organic diapers,BPA free bottles and great gift baskets. For a list of thousands of places offering organic products and services, check out "The Organic Pages Online" put out by The Organic Trade Association.

I am an activist for the health of our world, all animals and all people. Please visit my blog at: Living The "Green" Life.

Also, please visit my article Help Save The World You Live In and learn why it's so important for all of us to get involved and ways that you can help even if you have no money to donate.