Top 10 Purposeful Change Parents Can Make For Their Children

I was a bit frustrated when I wrote my last post.  The thought that parents don’t do or don’t have time to make our world a better place for our children didn’t sit well with me.  I really feel that people aren’t aware and if they knew what was really going on with our world, they would get mad, they would want change, and they would want what’s best for coming generations and the future of the only home we have… Planet Earth.

I am a very passionate person who believes that whatever we want, whatever we can dream up, we can have that, as long as we work at it and put our hearts into it.  I am currently putting my heart into researching information about our food, our environment, toxic chemicals, current events (politics)… I’m working hard at sharing my knowledge, and figuring out solutions so that we all can make better decisions from this day forward.  I didn’t know this would be the path I would travel.  I had no clue that this place even existed, but one turn lead to another and the more I would travel, the more paths would open up, interconnect, wind around in circles and take me so far away from the original source that once I found ‘here,’ I can no longer go back.  Truth has set me free, and I now know what it is that I must do… Be a Mommy Warrior and help spread awareness to all who will listen when it comes to protecting our children.

Our children are currently being attacked from all angles.  The foods they eat are not nutritious for their growing bodies, toxic chemicals in their personal care products such as carcinogens in their shampoo absorbs through their skin, the casual use of plastics such as water bottles interferes with hormones, and reproductive toxicity is at an all time high… the list of harmful ingredients that bombard our children on a daily basis is outrageous.  Now include the destruction of clean water (toxic pesticides, nuclear leaks, coal ash, oil spills), clean air (fracking explosions, industry and manufacturing emissions) and clean soil (toxic pesticides, mono-cropping), and what do we have left that is ‘pure’ to give our children?

I am hoping that these words that are in front of you will encourage you to look deeper into the current happenings that affect your day to day lives.  I am hoping to inspire you to make positive changes for you and your loved ones.  Do something meaningful every day and make it happen.  What?  You’re too busy?  Then consider it an adjustment for the way you think… all these unfavorable topics can be overwhelming, there’s so much to learn and do, just take it one step at a time.  Baby steps until you are able to run a 5K and next thing you know, you’ll be sprinting to the finish line with 3…4…5 productive and worthwhile habits that will have an impact on your life and those around you.

Okay, so now that I gave you motivation to make a difference for our children’s future, what do we do now?  Well, that’s what I’m here for!  I’ll give you a list of purposeful change, but remember, it takes time to adjust to something new.  So start off with one item on the list until it becomes comfortable, then add another and another and so on.  If you prefer to do a different item each day, that’s fine too, there is no rules, just wanting you to get used to doing something positive each and every day.

Let’s get started…

 

• Start reading your labels- This is definitely the hardest part on this list as it is a continual learning, and when I mean labels, I mean all of them.  From foods to shampoos, toothpastes and cleaning products… get used to seeing the different words that can barely be pronounced and one at a time, learn what the ingredients are.  You’d be surprised at what you normally buy gets put back on the shelf because of what’s on the label.  It takes time to understand what’s printed on the labels and I wish when I started, I had an app for that!  There are now many wonderful apps for your smart phone to help decipher these unpronounceable words.  Here’s a link to apps and websites I use that can help you figure out what you’re looking at and save some time in the store aisles.  https://tracymadlener.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/can-you-pronounce-those-toxic-words-me-neither/

 

• Know your GMOs- Memorizing the top GMOs makes it sooooo much easier to read food labels!  When you see the following ingredients on a label, it’s probably a good idea to buy organic.  As soon as you know that about 90% of all corn grown in the USA are genetically modified, easy peasy to know that when the label has cornstarch, corn flour, corn oil, masa, ummm, what else?  Well, you get the point, it’s a GMO.  Buy organic corn.  Almost all soy grown in America, yup, GMO.  Okay, you’re getting it.  Here’s the top GMOs when you go food shopping…

• Corn
• Canola
• Cotton (cottonseed oil)
• Soy
• Sugar beets (sugar)
• Papayas from Hawaii
• Zucchini and Yellow crookneck squash (summer squash)
• Dairy (most animals are fed GMO feed)

 

Clean out your fridge/pantry- I’m not saying to throw out everything you just bought (though I’ve been know to do that!), I’m saying take a look, what’s in there?  Is it a brand that is filled with stuff you can’t pronounce?  Replace it the next time you run out.  Start with one item that is used frequently and find a replacement.  Then the next, and so on.  Please remember, it takes time and the whole family needs to adjust.

 

Clean out your bathroom cabinets– Basically, same as above.  Use your Skin Deep smart phone app and scan your personal care products and find out if they’re toxic or not. (App link up above in the label reading section)

 

Make a phone call- Do you have a favorite food item that you’re not sure if they use GMO ingredients?  Do you want to ask a personal care brand why they put formaldehyde in their product?  Call them!  Almost every product that you buy has a phone number on it.  Bring that item with you when you make the call and just ask.  When you call a business, it does a number of good things.  It let’s the company know that you’re checking on them.  It let’s them know that you’re paying attention and if they have GMOs or other unwanted ingredients, you let them know that you will no longer purchase their brand until they are GMO free or toxic free.  Simple.  This takes about 10 minutes of your day.

 

Write an email- If you like writing better than calling, do!  Almost all businesses are easily accessible on their packaging or very easy to find their contacts online.

 

If you’re a social networker- Leave comments on a business’s Facebook page.  It’s quick, it’s easy, and if you’re online already, take the time to speak up.  Leaving a comment takes seconds.  And while you’re there, share your knowledge with your friends.  Hit the share button on topics that matter.  Not sure of a good page to follow?  Try GMO Free America- https://www.facebook.com/gmofreeamerica?ref=hl

 

Sign petitions- They either come in your inbox or there’s a TON of them online.  Find what matters to you and sign up with those organizations in your area.  When an organization brings 50,000+ signatures to a politician, it speaks volumes.  It’s quick, it’s easy, and every signature counts.

 

Register to vote- Yes!  It does matter!  Find out who your Representatives are and really pay attention to what their views are on our basic needs… clean food, clean air, clean water, and clean land.  There are websites out there that give you the politicians voting records.  No matter what a politician says, it’s their voting history on wether a Bill has passed or not that will give you the truth.  Here’s a link that will help you find who or what for the politics in your area… http://www.usa.gov/Agencies.shtml

 

Join your community’s grassroots organizations- Change starts at a local level and when you connect with others who care like you do, there is a common ground to make great things happen.

 

Speak up- Pretty easy, huh?  Ask questions, talk to the cashier at the grocery store, talk to your neighbors, talk to the Moms while you’re at a park day or waiting to pick up your kid… talk about important matters, the food, the bee die off, fracking, Fukushima, Monsanto, I guarantee that there are others who are just as concerned as you.  When the dialogue opens up, you’d be surprised at how many allies you have to create change for the most important people in the world… our children.

You can do it.  You have to do it.  For our health.  For our future.  For our children.