Did you know that five of the nine most common pesticides used in the production and fabrication of cotton (trifluralin, propargite, naled, dicofol, and cyanazine) are considered cancer-causing chemicals?
Mass-produced wood products are often little better, with many being sprayed with pesticides and herbicides or containing other dangerous chemicals. BPA even makes plastics scary, and we all know about the problems inherent with toxic paint.
For adults, it’s better and safer to use natural and organic products, but for the most part, we’ll be okay with just a little bit of exposure. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for babies, and making sure that they have toys that are as natural and safe as possible is especially important.
Why should you go organic and eco-friendly with your little ones’ toys? Read on!
Because you know it’s going to go in their mouths. Parents of babies and toddlers know that one of the first things their tot is going to do with a new toy is discover how it tastes. Babies do, after all, have priorities, and you can’t really be sure about something until you plop it in your mouth. Unfortunately, this makes things like toxic paint and other potential poisons even more worrisome. With natural, organic toys, this is something you won’t have to worry about.
Because babies are smaller. What does this mean, beyond stating the obvious? Think about those dangerous toxic chemicals as a drop of food coloring. You put that drop in an adult body and it has lots of places to spread out and lose its effectiveness, but because babies and small children simply have less volume than we do, the concentration – and the contamination – will be much higher. In short, this means that babies don’t have to be exposed to as much bad stuff as adults do before a problem can develop.
Because kids and their toys are joined at the hip. Not only does it take less quantity for little ones to be harmed, there’s also a greater chance of it happening because kids at this stage often choose favorite toys and want to be around them 24/7. If that toy happens to be one with toxic materials, your child is being exposed every second they are with it.
Because only .5% of the world’s cotton is organic. How does this affect your kids? Well, the more people who buy organic and eco-friendly products, including plush toys made from organic cotton, the likelier it is that businesses will pay attention and start behaving in healthier, more environmentally friendly ways. That will make it easier for you to buy products for your kids, knowing they’re safe, as well as making life better for the people who work on and live near farms that are currently non-organic.
Because you’ll have less clutter. This is a nice way of admitting that organic and eco-friendly toys tend to cost more than their less-safe alternatives, but it’s also very true. How often have you impulsively bought random toys for your little ones only to return home to a messy playroom and wonder where you’re going to put them? The fact that organic toys are more expensive means that you’ll want to put more thought into what you buy and probably get fewer things overall, leaving your tot more time to use the toys he or she has creatively.
Ultimately, though, it’s about peace of mind. Don’t you want to make sure that you’re keeping your kids as safe as possible?
