Spit that Out!: The Overly Informed Parent¿s Guide to Raising Healthy Kids in the Age of Environmental Guilt

by Paige Wolf, Alysia Reiner (Foreword by)

Overview

From BPA in baby bottles and asbestos in crayons to misleading "natural" labels—it can despair even the most steadfast parent.

Lighthearted yet authoritative, Spit That Out! cuts through the information overload, sorts cloth from disposable, and empowers readers to make simple but impactful changes.

Featuring real life anxieties and advice from celebrities like Alysia Reiner and Kaitlin Olson, to activists such as Robyn O'Brien and Stacy Malkan, to everyday super moms, Paige Wolf assures you that you aren't alone.

Hot-button topics include food, toys, breast milk and diapers, clothing, the hidden toxins in schools, and how to spot greenwashing from a mile away. Bursting with valuable advice on green vacations, how to handle unsupportive friends and family, and how to be green on a budget.

Paige Wolf is a publicist, author, advocate, and eco-chic green living expert. Paige regularly appears as a green living expert on television, in print, and at conferences across the country. A widely read author, she's received national acclaim from People.com, Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. Paige lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two children, where she runs Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations, a certified B Corporation offering communications services to clients who contribute to a sustainable world and positive change. To learn more, visit www.spitthatoutthebook.com and www.paigewolf.com.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865718302
Publisher:	New Society Publishers
Publication date:	08/30/2016
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Paige Wolf is a publicist, author, advocate, and eco-chic green living expert. Paige regularly appears as a green living expert on television, in print, and at conferences across the country. A widely read author, she’s received national acclaim from People.com, Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. Paige lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two children, where she runs Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations, a certified B Corporation offering communications services to clients who contribute to a sustainable world and positive change. To learn more, visit www.spitthatoutthebook.com and www.paigewolf.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword Alysia Reiner xiii

Preface xvii

1 Did What Our Parents Never Knew Hurt Us? 1

Navigating the New Normal

2 Can an Apple a Day Keep Fast Food Mascots Away? 9

Managing a Clean, Green Family Diet

3 The Precarious World of Poo Maintenance 21

Trickier Than Changing a Diaper With One Hand Tied Behind Your Back

4 Your Breast Friend-Or Worst Enemy? 29

Making the Most of What Nature Gave You

5 How About I Just Let Them Go Naked? 41

Shopping for Itty-Bitty Socks Used to Be Much More Fun

6 Maybe It's Safer to Go Play in Traffic 51

When Knives Seem Safer Than Rubber Duckies

7 Out, Damned Spot! 63

Baking Soda Versus the Superbug

8 A Better Home Through Chemistry? 73

Or, Is My Kitchen Going to Kill Me?

9 Learning Your ABCs and PCBs 81

Can School Be More a Setback Than a Safe Haven?

10 Can I Afford to Be This Conscious? 93

Making the Most of Every Green Dollar

11 Aw, You Shouldn't Have. No, Really, You Shouldn't Have 105

When Family and Friends Won't Support Your Green Habit

12 Four Coach Seats and a Million White Cotton Towels … 117

Can One Flight Undo All Your Green Good?

13 Made With Real Ingredients 125

When Greenwashing Has You Completely Soaked

14 When Best Intentions Backfire 133

Can Your "Green" Changes Be Less Than Eco-Friendly?

15 Green Guilt: The Jury's Verdict 143

Is There a Way to Ease Eco-Anxiety?

Notes 153

Resources 159

Acknowledgments 163

Index 165

About the Author 173

Editorial Reviews

10/03/2016
Addressing parents' concerns about how to keep their children healthy in a toxic world, Wolf is a calm voice of reason. Quotes from other parents remind readers that they are not alone in the struggle to balance children's desires for plastic toys and gummy worms with healthier alternatives. Wolf discusses various means of diapering, breast milk versus formula, organic and hand-me-down clothing, natural cleaners, and even toxic school environments, with action steps and tips for easy implementation. Her book will be useful to readers who know almost nothing about these matters as well as those who feel that they are drowning in information. Given a somewhat bleak subject, this is an entertaining and surprisingly positive read. Wolf never preaches but writes appealingly from the perspective of a regular mother trying her best. She provides direction and focus, advising parents where to invest limited energy and money so as to have the greatest impact on their children's health. Her work is enlightening and frightening, but also empowering and practical. For readers seeking advice on how to ditch guilt and be proactive when it comes to making healthy choices for their children, Wolf's book ought to become the go-to guide. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

For readers seeking advice on how to ditch guilt and be proactive when it comes to making healthy choices for their children, Wolf’s book ought to become the go-to guide. – Publishers Weekly

...candid and humorous…a clear and comprehensive guide to navigating debates, understanding risks, and making informed decisions. - Treehugger

From the Publisher

11/01/2016
Ecofriendly living and desire to raise children solely on organic, non-GMO (genetically modified organism), "green," and pesticide-free products is not a new thing. Writer and "eco-chic green living expert" Wolf seems to add to the "environmental guilt" she purports to lessen with experiments such as heating up non-Crayola brand crayons to release asbestos and then publicly panicking on the Internet about it. The narrative is filled with unrestrained quotations, ranging from fellow parents to prolific bloggers, who ultimately arrive at such foregone conclusions as their inability to "possibly do everything to reduce [our] carbon footprints and remove toxins entirely from [our lives]." The most valuable offering in Wolf's book is the chapter-ending tips, which succinctly cover the topic addressed (detoxing your home, tips for safer cleaning, etc.) in five to ten brief bullet points. VERDICT While the intent is heartfelt, this work ultimately appeals to a limited audience. Purchase only for demand.

Library Journal