Among environmentalists, a common rallying cry is to protect the planet “for our grandchildren.” It’s a lovely sentiment, and a powerful notion — that the choices you make today affect generations yet to come. But what about the generation spattering spaghetti sauce on your walls right now?
In this special series, Grist turns its focus to parenting, offering articles and advice for navigating the increasingly common and confusing environmental health issues every parent faces. As news emerges on everything from toxic plastics in toys to substandard food in schools, we take a look at the intersection of parenthood and planethood.
Which concerns should you lose sleep over, and which ones can you ignore (or at least push off till next week)? What’s the best way to balance the health of your children and the health of the environment? Over the next two weeks, we’ll offer expert advice, helpful guides, Q&As, and more. From twinkle-in-your-eyehood to tweenhood, we’ll help you rest a little easier.
Welcome to the Jungle: General Thoughts on Parenthood
- Reflections on protecting your offspring without losing your sanity
- Photos and advice from Grist readers and staff
- A few of our favorite parenting links
- How four green parents deal with the plastic scare
- This family is sticking with eco-alternatives
From the Grist vault:
- Baby steps to green parenting
- Can a mother survive without antibacterial wipes?
- A review of Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood
- Pedal parenting: my bike and kids
- Are greens overlooking a key constituency?
The Fertile Prescient: Reproduction and Pregnancy
From the Grist vault:
- Ask Umbra on having kids
- Ask Umbra on having kids, revisited
- When it comes to having kids, this global citizen can’t bear it
- Is too few people the new ‘population problem’?
Little Bundles of Joy (and Terror): Babies and Toddlers
- Easy, affordable recipes for baby and toddler food
- An interview with Mary Brune, founder of Making Our Milk Safe
- A guide to buying non-plastic baby products
- An interview with green pediatrician Alan Greene
From the Grist vault:
- Ask Umbra on plastics and kids
- Ask Umbra on diaperless parenting
- Ask Umbra on setting up a baby nursery
- Ask Umbra on baby gifts
- Watch out for scary chemicals in plastic toys for tots
- Fed up with breast-milk contamination, mothers form a national activist group
- An interview with the founders of gDiapers
They Grow Up So Fast: School-Age Kids
- Can a crusade against crap toys ever succeed?
- Where to turn when you’re sick of disposable doodads
- An illustration and explanation of today’s tainted toys
- A chat about Congress’ effort to restore environmental education funds
- Ecologist Sandra Steingraber explores the eco-causes of early puberty
- Time to reinvest in the school-lunch program
- The road to disodium inosinate is paved with good intentions
- Umbra on kids’ birthday parties
From the Grist vault:
- An interview with Richard Louv about the need to get kids into nature
- Do parents lose or gain by taking kids outdoors?
- Maverick chef Ann Cooper aims to spark a nationwide school-lunch revolution
- Searching for food in the school cafeteria
- Children, anxiety, and global warming
- Ask Umbra on synthetic clothing and kids
- Ask Umbra on water bottles
- A review of Silent Scourge: Children, Pollution, and Why Scientists Disagree
