Mothers make a difference everyday in shaping the future of our planet - from wiping noses to raising kids who care about the world they live in.

Nothing is more powerful than the drive to protect one’s child. When Stella’s lead levels were high, a SWAT team of motivated and genuinely concerned inspectors crawled all over our house to find the source – but they didn’t. I did. Why? Because I was insane with concern and up all night checking every possible source, until I discovered the antique chair with red leather cushions, which I realized were painted. (Red paint has one of the highest levels of lead.)

We stop at nothing to protect our children. But in this age of over-information and endless choices, one of our biggest jobs is to stop ourselves from going crazy with worry.

Talking with other parents and creating or joining neighborhood parent listservs where people can solicit ideas and feedback are great ways to build common knowledge and benefit from the wisdom of the group. Other resources, like simple suggestions to reduce exposure to toxins, as well as links to lists of fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide amounts, can be found at SafeMilk.org

Do you have tips or ideas that you’d like to share? Please pass them along!