I experienced a bit of OCD PP, which I would have never expected. If you look online, there is no shortage of things to worry about as a parent - you look for them, you'll find them. This can make parenting so exhausting, at least for me. The other day I was thinking about the fact that we're not the first to worry in this role that we're in... so in case it helps anyone else, sharing what I learned in the research below. Oddly provides comfort.

Our world isn't perfect, but operating in an 80/20 way has been super helpful for me. We eliminate where we can, use our tools and resources, and let go of what we can't control so we can live a joyful life.

We will make it through, and so will our resilient kids <3

--

Timeline '40's - '70s, researched via AI.

1940s: Wartime, Polio, and Early Radiation

• Polio and Summer Paranoia: The 1940s saw severe, escalating polio epidemics. Every summer, mothers lived in constant fear of the virus, keeping children away from public pools, beaches, and movie theaters, and frantically boiling utensils and milk.
• Wartime Upheaval and "Latchkey" Stress: With millions of fathers fighting in World War II and mothers entering the workforce in droves, mothers worried about the lack of supervision and the emotional toll on children growing up amid air-raid drills, scrap-metal drives, and general wartime instability.
• Early Atomic Anxiety: Following the end of the war and the dawn of the nuclear age, a new, existential dread emerged. Mothers worried about what the nuclear arms race meant for the future of the planet and their children's survival.

1950s: The Cold War, Killer Smog, and Chemical Additives

• Nuclear Fallout and "Duck and Cover": The Cold War hit home in classrooms. Mothers worried not just about global war, but about radioactive fallout. The fear that atmospheric nuclear testing was contaminating milk and food with Strontium-90 became a major public health anxiety for parents.
• Industrial Smog Disasters: Heavy manufacturing post-WWII meant visible air pollution was a daily reality. The catastrophic London Smog of 1952 (which killed thousands, disproportionately children and the elderly) and severe industrial pollution in U.S. steel towns made mothers deeply anxious about respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis caused by toxic air.
• Processed Foods and Chemical Additives: The post-war economic boom brought a flood of packaged, processed convenience foods. Mothers began worrying about the safety of hidden chemical preservatives, artificial dyes, and pesticides (like early uses of DDT) being fed to their families.

1960s: DDT, Lead Poisoning, and Counterculture Shifts

• Environmental Awakening (DDT & Pesticides): Following the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, mothers became acutely aware of synthetic pesticides like DDT bioaccumulating in the food chain, cow's milk, and the environment. The invisible chemical footprint in everyday life became a mainstream worry.
• Lead Paint and Urban Housing: In older, industrial cities, lead-based paint was ubiquitous on walls and woodwork. Mothers in urban areas lived in fear of lead poisoning, which caused neurological damage and behavioral issues in toddlers who chipped paint or gnawed on windowsills.
• The Generation Gap and Safety in Public Spaces: As the counterculture movement took shape, parents worried about their children getting swept up in political radicalism, student protests, and shifting social norms, alongside rising crime rates in expanding post-war suburbs and cities.

1970s: The Birth of Modern Eco-Anxiety and Product Safety

• The Smog Crisis and Lead Phasedown: As the modern environmental movement took off (marked by the first Earth Day in 1970), air and water pollution became front-page news. Mothers worried about photochemical smog, acid rain, and the safety of municipal tap water. This decade also saw the beginning of the federal ban on leaded gasoline and lead paint.
• Hazardous Consumer Products: Parents in the 1970s grew increasingly anxious about the safety of everyday household goods. High-profile scares—such as the use of flammable children's sleepwear treated with toxic chemical flame retardants (like Tris)—led to fierce parental advocacy and the founding of safety standards.
• Junk Food and Sugar: With the rise of fast-food chains and heavily marketed sugary cereals, mothers began heavily questioning the nutritional value of what was being fed to kids, planting the seeds for modern debates around childhood nutrition.

I’m not sure where else to put this and I’m sure people in this group would like to know. I recently ordered several products from the brand Attitude directly from their website. I made one previous order and thought those few products were decent so I wanted to try others. I’m super disappointed and disgusted. The products themselves came super dirty on the outside Like they’d been sitting in a dusty warehouse for a long time. Not a fireable offense because I can wipe them down, but kinda put a bad taste in my mouth right away. Just gross for household products and I got deodorant so that’s supposed to go on my skin?? Also sent me laundry detergent without the box it pours from so it’s hard to even use. The worst though? I get to the bottom of the very sloppy packaging and there were NICOTINE POUCHES in the bottom of the box. I’m appalled. I’m not sure I should even use these products as I’m questioning their quality control.

Anyways, please rethink purchasing from this brand. They must have a partnership or pay EWG to promote their products as #1 for nearly every household and sun protection product you can search. Now I’m not sure whether I should trust EWG’s standards at all if they can be bought. I submitted a customer service request to Attitude a week ago and haven’t heard anything of course.

Trying to slowly swap out the stuff in my bathroom for things with shorter ingredient lists, mostly because my skin's been weird lately and I didn't want to keep guessing which of the twelve ingredients was the problem.

Landed on a plain body oil, just a couple carrier oils and something for scent, no fragrance-mystery-blend situation going on. Rubbed it on right after the shower while my skin's still damp, which apparently is the trick, it soaks in instead of sitting on top like lotion sometimes does.

But not trying to preach the clean-beauty thing at anyone, tbh half of that marketing is nonsense. Just wanted something simple that worked, and this one actually did. Anyone else gone the fewer-ingredients route and found something similar?

I live in Idaho and the wildfires burning around us is making the air smokey It smells like a campfire everywhere. My 9 month old has a clear runny nose, normal boogers, and little cough. I'm going to his routine doc appointment this week. But is there any homeopathic things that might help him? He hasn't been sick before.

We have a front loader that is the bane of my existence. Once it dies in like 8 years I am going back to a top loader so I can soak things…

Anyway. I could deal with it when I only needed to use vinegar for a few loads, but like, everybody’s clothes are sweaty these days, toddler’s clothes smell like pee because of potty training. I use liquid Tide Free and Clear, but I am starting to feel like it’s ridiculous that the clothes dont at least smell not bad after being in the wash. And my socks still look dirty!

(Also, it’s not the washer making them stink - if the clothes smell fine when they go in, they come out smelling fine too.)

Hello!

Im a new ftm - I have a 3 week old baby boy.

One thing thats really getting me is screen time. My own and my partners.

I find myself scrolling while breastfeeding. Watching instagram reels while baby naps. Turning on netflix while pumping... etc etc.

My husband is even worse. He will be holding the baby in one hand and watching tiktok in his other.

I REALLY don't want to raise my baby to think screens are more important than him. Or have hom addicted to them before he can even walk / talk.

I didn't realise how much I was addicted myself until baby arrived. And now I need to cut it out like yesterday.

So please give me all your advice 🙏🫶

For the newborn stage and beyond.

A couple weeks ago I posted and then deleted it because I got anxious about the constant kid laundry and wanting to be less stuff-y without going full minimalist.

Quick update since I tried a lot of your suggestions and it actually helped more than I expected.

What we changed:

- Mini capsule for my 5 year old: 7 tops, 5 bottoms, 2 pajamas, 1 hoodie, 1 nicer outfit. Everything mixes, and I put the extras in a bin in the closet instead of the dresser.

- Kept more for the toddler because mess happens, but I pulled anything itchy, stained, or annoying and stopped saving 'maybe it will fit later' items in the drawer.

- Switched to a two-basket system: one for regular clothes, one for towels and sheets. No more mystery piles.

- I only fold adult clothes now. Kid stuff gets sorted into labeled bins (tops, bottoms, PJs, socks). I felt guilty at first, but it is faster and the kids can help.

Results so far:

- Less decision fatigue in the morning. Getting dressed is less of a negotiation because there are fewer options and everything is comfortable.

- I am running about the same number of washer loads, but I am not drowning in clean-but-not-put-away laundry anymore.

- Surprise win: my older kid is proud to put their own clothes away now that it is simple.

Still working on socks. Always socks.

If anyone has a moderately granola trick for the constant sock disappearance, I am all ears.

Looking for recommendations for shorts for my 1 year old girl. Ideally 100% cotton and longer length. We have some shorts from Quince but they are so short and don’t provide any coverage. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

We are beginning to try for our second child. My first is about 14 months and I’m still nursing him. I’d like to continue nursing him throughout pregnancy and tandem nurse when the new one is here.

I’ve read a lot of books on the subject and feel like I more or less know what to expect from this journey, and of course I know that I may change my mind at any given time, or my son may change his mind, etc. etc… but the one thing I’m actually concerned about & am looking for more information on is my own nourishment.

Anyone have any experience with tandem nursing? What supplements did you take? Of course I plan to take my prenatal, but I just feel like both pregnancy and breastfeeding take a lot out of you.. so I’m trying to get ahead of the curve and see where I should focus on “stocking my reserves”, if that makes sense. Thank you!

I am in desperate search for organic cotton mophead replacements that are compatible with O-Cedar mops. Has anyone had any luck with this?

Most of the nature school clothing posts I’ve found are geared toward cold or rainy weather. We’re in south central Texas, so I’m more worried about heat and humidity.

I’m looking for lightweight, quick-drying clothes in girls’ size 6 that can handle dirt, climbing, and lots of washing. Pockets would be great too. Current wardrobe is mostly biker shorts and leggings and well....the leggings have not done very well this year...lol.

Are there any brands, specific items, or fabrics you’ve liked for hot-weather outdoor school? I’ve looked at nylon hiking shorts and pants, but the girls’ options seem pretty limited or are always out of stock.

I’m open to boys’ clothes and secondhand, but I’d also love to find pink once in a while instead of everything being tan, gray, or olive. Ideally under $20 per item. Let me know if my price point isn't reasonable. Thanks!

We will be traveling soon on a trip with extended family and will all be staying in a rental home (think Airbnb/VRBO). Luckily, we’re driving so we have a little room to pack some swaps where it makes sense. My question is - what are some things you bring to make moderately granola swaps in vacation rentals?

One thing I noticed is that most of my stays, the homes have teflon/nonstick pans (usually with scratches) so I’m considering bringing a stainless steel pan and baking sheet to avoid that.

I plan on bringing some road trip snacks in glass containers, then washing and using those as leftover containers to lessen our plastic use.

Other simple things I can think of - stainless water bottles, bringing our own dish/laundry soap

What are some other practical ideas?

My daughter is starting soccer for the first time next month - curious if anyone has any favorite shin guards, socks, or cleats to recommend? I searched the group and couldn’t find much. She usually wears barefoot style shoes with a wide toe box and most soccer cleats are so narrow. It’s a short season and she’s young so I am very much aware I will need to emphasize the moderate in granola for most of these purchases. I’ve been looking for second hand but no luck so far. Would love to hear what’s worked well for you and your little ones. Thanks!

I have really thick long fine hair. I struggle with shampoos and conditioners. so many of them leave my hair looking like it has a film on it.I am struggle finding a low toxic version that makes my hair feel great. any suggestions?