Happy New Year!  From greenwashing to controversy over flu shots, we’ve covered a lot of green parenting topics over the year.  The following is a summary of the top ten posts in terms of traffic written on Eco Child’s Play during 2008.

Doctor Recommends Avoiding Flu Shot, Taking Vitamin D Instead:

A cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington recommends avoiding the flu shot and taking vitamin D instead. Donald Miller, MD, says “Seventy percent of doctors do not get a flu shot.”

The Ultimate Greenwashing: Barbie Goes Green:

“Barbie is always a reflection of current cultural trends and issues, and girls are increasingly aware of making a green statement,” said Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Media and Entertainment, Worldwide, Mattel Brands. That’s right, Barbie is reflecting the trend of going green. Mattel realizes it wants a piece of the eco-friendly toy pie, but this ploy screams of greenwashing, especially considering the line will only be sold at Toys R Us.

The French Ban TV for Children Under Three:

Showing infinite wisdom beyond Americans, the French have banned French television programs designed for children under three-years-old.

Television viewing hurts the development of children under 3 years old and poses a certain number of risks, encouraging passivity, slow language acquisition, over-excitedness, troubles with sleep and concentration as well as dependence on screens.

16 Health Tips for Coping with Cold and Flu Season:

You can’t avoid every cold going around, but you may be able to minimize your family’s risk. By following some of these health tips, maybe you can make it through the flu season unscathed. Some are common sense, and some might take some effort, but the payoff of a healthy family is definitely worth it.

So, What’s in that Happy Meal Besides the Cheap Toy?:

Ever wonder what’s really in your fast food meal?  Those ingredients are food additives. Additives are chemical compounds that are used to enhance or preserve (enhance being a relative term) color, texture, flavor and shelf life of a manufactured food. Some additives are safe, at least as far as the FDA is concerned, in small quantities. However, there are many that just don’t belong in food despite what the FDA says.

How to Make a Gingerbread House: Recipe, Instructions, and Video:

The holidays have the aroma of pine trees, spiced cider, candles, and woodsmoke to me. The smells bring back memories of Christmas traditions from my childhood, mostly food-related: we baked a lot of cookies and made a lot of fudge, popcorn balls and caramels for parties and friends.  Easily the most exciting tradition for us was making gingerbread It seemed like a long process back then, but really, it’s just two days. Perfect for a weekend family project.

The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears Offers A Safer Vaccine Schedule:

The big question for new parents was to either breastfeed or formula feed, but now a days with concern over side effects of vaccination and supposed link to autism; the bigger question remains, should you vaccinate your child? For some states such as Mississippi and West Virginia, there is no choice for parents to make, it’s a resounding yes. But over 20 states allow children to be unvaccinated and almost all states allow unvaccination for religious reasons.

Nursery Water Not Good For Babies – Bottled Water With Added Fluoride Under Fire:

While the experts disagree on whether added fluoride in small amounts is necessary, companies as diverse as toothpaste manufacturers and more recently bottled water distributors have jumped on the bandwagon. Now one of them, Nursery Water, is under scrutiny by major environmental action groups.

Why is There Lead in My Balsamic Vinegar?:

Do you ever read the fine print on your vinegar? I certainly did not, until one day I noticed my organic balsamic vinegar had a Proposition 65 warning!  In fine print, the label reads:

This product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.


10 Ways To Avoid Toxic Plastic – BPA, Synthetic Estrogens and Your Child

BPA has been in the news recently; a New York Times article discusses Canada’s proposed ban, and parents have become more and more aware of the adverse effects of using baby bottles, pacifiers and soft rubber toys with their babies. But, the danger of synthetic estrogen can effect us all. So what can you do to avoid this toxin and provide a safe home for your family?

So what was your favorite Eco Child’s Play story from 2008?

Image:  SqueakyMarmot on Flickr under a Creative Commons License