I hate to break it to you, but there are so many toxins in our environment nowadays that your kids are exposed to chemicals and endocrine disruptors on a daily basis. I know — scary, right? Luckily, they have YOU to help do something about it. Now, you cant change everything, but as parents, you do have a great deal of power over what your kids put in their mouths and on their skin. You probably know you need to feed them the best quality food you can afford, but what about the quality of the clothes, toys, and diapers you buy for them?

Clothing and bedding: Make sure your kids pajamas, bedding, pillows, and mattresses do not contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of flame-retardant chemicals. They pose potential health risks to children — theyve been linked to thyroid disruption, learning and memory problems, hearing damage, decreased sperm counts in later years, and birth defects. Choose organic bedding and clothing thats free of these chemicals, and your body, your kids bodies, and the planet will be much happier.

Toys: The phthalates DEHP and DINP are added to plastics to make them flexible. But they pose a health risk to you and your children because they are endocrine disruptors. Many manufacturers and stores have pledged to remove phthalates from their toys, but if the recalls on toys from China tell us anything, its that we cant be 100 percent sure about the products we buy. Instead, choose unpainted wood and organic fabric toys.

Bottles and diapers: Dont put endocrine disruptors directly into babies mouths or on their bottoms. Instead, use glass bottles and unbleached diapers, such as Seventh Generation chlorine-free diapers or gDiapers.

Lice shampoo: You dont want to pour toxic pesticides on childrens heads. Adopt ...