NOTE: This page was originally published in 2015 & was last updated in October 2018. When I set out to create this guide for parents, I never imagined it could be so difficult. Several years, several massive hacks and several pieces of legislation later, every parent now has … [Read more...]
EpiPen Is Not the Only Choice: My Switch to an Off-Brand
NOTE: This is in no way intended as a product endorsement, but rather one mom’s experience. Please consult your doctor and insurance provider about any changes in medication --The first time I bought a set of EpiPens, in 2015, I balked at the price.“Did insurance not cover … [Read more...]
“Chemicals Are in Everything, Why Should I Care?”
One of the most common critiques I get about my reporting on chemical flame retardants in car seats can be summed up with this Facebook comment on one of my posts:Look at how many of us survived... using car seats. Then look at the ones who survived before car seats were a thing. … [Read more...]
Investigating Car Seat Chemicals
What began as a NewsMom editorial, expanded into a six month KPIX-CBS investigation exposing alleged false advertising, apparent legal loopholes and outdated federal regulations that systematically expose millions of children to concerning car seat chemicals.First, we established … [Read more...]
Virtual Kidnapping – A New & Terrifying Threat for Parents
Updated: 9-18-16A chill ran through my body and I immediately felt sick to my stomach when I read this NextDoor post from a local mom. The tale of her child's virtual kidnapping is literally one of the most terrifying things I've ever read.For years, we've covered the … [Read more...]
Postpartum Depression: What to Learn From Panettiere’s Return
New motherhood is hard. The sleep deprivation, the hormones, the crying, the body changes, the guilt and the worry can team up to leave moms of newborns feeling harried, wondering: “Is it this hard for everyone? Is my child particularly difficult? Am I simply not cut out for … [Read more...]
When to Skip the Organic Produce
Do I Really Need Organic Produce? We'd all love to feed our little angels an all-organic diet... but who can afford it when organic produce can cost almost 50 percent more? I mean, avocados are currently my daughter's favorite food, and one organic avocado can cost more than a gallon … [Read more...]
Politics Stall Child Credit Freeze Law?
After years of reporting on child ID theft and struggling to freeze my own child’s credit, it was rewarding to learn that California Assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced state legislation based on what I’d found.This week, the bill passed its first test, sailing through the California … [Read more...]
Alba’s Honest, Ergo Baby’s Orbit: Why Green Companies Are Found with Concerning Chemicals!
Here we go again. Independent testing found a chemical in a “green” children’s product that the company itself called “toxic”.The Wall Street Journal reports that it found SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) in the Honest Company’s laundry detergent.Similarly, our recent investigation … [Read more...]
A Car Seat Conversion: Why I’m Changing My Taxi-With-Kids Habits
I have a confession to make: I've let my kids ride in taxis without car seats. It seemed mostly justified at the time, but a recent bump on my chin forced me to reconsider.The United States is the bastion for children’s automotive safety—laws in some states specify how long kids … [Read more...]