Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home is now available in paperback! Healthy Child, Healthy World is a great organization that fights to make the world a safer place for our children. This terrific guide helps parents make their homes and surroundings as safe as possible for their children. I can’t recommend this book enough. Even better, it’s only $10.88 on Amazon.
Healthy Child, Healthy World Book Now in Paperback
Featured Do-Gooder: The Soft Landing
From time to time Smart Family Tips will feature an organization that is a “Do-Gooder”: a group that works to help both people and the environment. The Do-Gooders may be companies, nonprofits, or any organized group that focuses its efforts on making the world a better place.
The Soft Landing was created by Alicia Voorhies, a “recently retired” RN who began by looking for non-toxic feeding items for her own three children and her nephews. What started as research turned into a great business that provides an array of 100% BPA, PVC and Phthalate-free products from over 45 manufacturers. As the company has grown, the product line and the website have expanded. In addition to the comprehensive line of products for babies and kids, The Soft Landing now carries non-toxic lunch products and water bottles for grown-ups as well as safe gear for pets.
Alicia runs an informative blog that highlights the ongoing research she’s conducting. The blog also provides updates on issues related to chemicals and product safety. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook as well.
I’ve bought several products from The Soft Landing over the years and have been extremely pleased with all of them. We bought The Safe Sippy last year and my girls really like them.
I’d like to point out that I’m not receiving any compensation from The Soft Landing for this post. I genuinely like their products and the effort Alicia puts forth to ensure that each item they sell is truly safe for kids (and grown-ups and pets).
Preschoolers’ Chore Charts
It’s no surprise that young children operate better on a schedule. Their lives go more smoothly when there’s a routine, when they know what to expect.
As they get older, there’s also an advantage in having them take on more responsibilities — chores for them to complete as they learn to become more independent. We’ve created a few charts for our 3 1/2 year old twin daughters that help them establish a routine while encouraging them to do more for themselves.
As of now, there are no rewards or punishments connected with completion (or lack of completion) of the these tasks. These are simply things that are expected of them and the charts serve as guides for what comes next. It took a bit of time to put these charts together and it occurred to me that others may be interested in them as well.
I’m including links to the charts [PDF] below. Feel free to use them and adapt them however you wish. If you decide to forward them along to others, which I encourage, all I ask is that you please provide a link to this site.
Preschoolers’ Before School Chart
Preschoolers’ After School Chart
How do you handle chores and activities with kids this age? I’d love to hear some feedback on what other parents are doing.
If you’d like more help with creating routines and raising happy, well-adjusted children, below are some resources you may be interested in:
Happy Child Guide – How To Get Any Child to Listen and Be Respectful











