Extreme Enough?

We've all heard about Extreme Parenting these days, right?  Well here is a non-toxic mama going to extreme lengths to keep the toxins out of her home.  I came across the article when researching those little metal cars my 16 month old seems to flock to and covet on the playground, music class, etc.  No matter which one of the cars I bring for him to play with, they don't seem to have the demand that those little metal ones do and it is not easy getting him to give them back.  He will say "a car" over and over again while hugging six or seven of these little stolen gems.  But I am still afraid to buy them for him.  I'm scared of lead or other heavy metal concerns.  And then I began to second guess myself.  Would one little metal car or bus hurt him? He's playing with them anyway right?

The attached article chronicles a mom from Alexandria, VA on her quest to detox her home and make it a safe place for her children (or the safest it can be).  I feel just like her and yes, I did the same thing with the vinyl wall decals above my little one's crib - who knew?  The article list several websites, books and even a documentary on the subject.

Here it states "In lieu of a hazmat Onesie, the household chemical purge may be developing into a ritual of new parenthood, a counterpoint to the traditional baby shower. Talk to pediatricians, medical historians and environmental scientists, and they will tell you the social phenomenon hasn’t been studied much. Depending on whom you ask, it’s a media-induced mass hysteria, an eco-marketing trend, a public health campaign or a stealth environmental movement — possibly all of the above."

Either way, in my mind, rather safe than sorry.  We can't escape all the chemicals out there completely.  But if I can keep them out of my home as much as I can, then I am going to continue doing so.