Green Parent Chicago™

Working Families Face Transit Crisis in the City and Suburbs

The Chicago Reporter, local watchdog investigative news mag on race and poverty, this month takes on the area's transportation crisis currently effecting families and working parents.

The issue's cover story, highlights the extent of the  problems which could result in the loss of "more than $750 billion in lost worker productivity and excessive fuel consumption if congestion costs were to increase at the same rate during the next 30 years as they have since the 1980s."

A related article in the same issue describes working mom, Nicol Lee, of northwest suburban Algonquin, who used to face a 2 hour commute daily by car to the city for years before deciding to switch to the Metra train for her travel. The mom of two spent 12 years commuting by car.

"Lee spent close to $800 monthly filling up the Pathfinder’s gas tank, about $400 to park and often ate on the run at fast food chains like McDonald’s. And she often ended up getting home too late spend quality time with her son, Keith, 5, and her daughter, Chloe, who is 19 months old," according to the article.

She credits her decision to switch to public transit for adding years to her life and enabling her to spend more time with her two children.

"During the rides, Lee reads, knocks off tasks for work and listens to tunes on her recently purchased MP3 player. More efficient at work, she actually has more time to spend with her family and has taken up yoga with her extra time."

The CTA recently released its own performance report card on May 15 revealing problems the agency is facing due to delays and old equipment. According to a recent Tribune analysis, "the transit agency is failing to meet its goals in reducing train delays, bus-bunching and equipment breakdowns." Rail delay occurrences are also failing to meet monthly goals.

CTA ridership however, especially among seniors, who now receive free service on all buses and trains, is up from last year. Military personnel, as of May 1, also receive free service on the CTA.

(-photo courtesy of A Chicago Sojourn)

Nature Museum One of the City's Greenest Family Museums

Most parents in the city are well aware of the family friendly atmosphere at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Smaller in size than others, the museum seems just right for young attention spans. Exhibits on animals and nature geared to hands-on exploration fill the rooms. A tunnel slide and tiny cave don't hurt either.

Within the past month, the museum has unveiled a new use for their 2nd floor North Gallery. Ordinarily used for group and rental events, the space now houses a craft/activity center with volunteers leading recycled craft activities and nature themed activities. Related books, puzzles and artifacts are on display, too. The room also has a quiet corner with comfortable seating for enjoying the books together.

But beyond exhibits, the Nature Museum is one of the city's greenest museums in many other ways. A winner of the 2003 Green Roofs Award for Excellence, the museum takes a positive approach to recycling and environmental education. This April, the Nature Museum listed their "green facts" online to bolster their public reputation as "walking the walk" on environment.

Facts listed include: Lincoln Park’s only recycling drop-off center located on Stockton Drive directly in front of the museum's entrance, used batteries and old crayon recycling containers just inside the front entrance, and the use of paper products (napkins, paper towels and printer paper) from recycled sources. In addition, the museum cafe also serves natural, organic and locally produced foods.

Lincoln Park Zoo Debuts New Organic Cafe

This past weekend Lincoln Park Zoo unveiled their new "Cafe at Wild Things" which will now offer an organic, sustainable and locally grown menu.

Cutlery and cups at the cafe will be made of biodegradable, cornstarch-based plastics.

The menu will also offer organic kids meals, including items such as turkey dogs and organic mac and cheese.

According to a recent story in the Sun-Times, the new cafe is part of the zoo's 5 year plan to reduce their "negative environmental impact,''

The zoo has increased recycling, has planted seven heat-reducing green roofs, and installed more-efficient water recirculating systems in the polar bear and sea lion pools.

Conservatory staff respond to Green Parent Chicago breastfeeding article

By Christine Escobar

In addition to the email Green Parent Chicago reader Lori received from the Garfield Park Conservatory (posted in the comments of the original article below), I received a call from Zvezdana Kubat, press office spokeperson, for the Chicago Park District this afternoon.

Kubat told me Mary Eysenbach, Director of Conservatories for the Chicago Park District and Eunita Rushing, President of Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, have spoken to the security guard and the conservatory staff about the "innappropriate" way the guard responded to the mother nursing her baby.

According to Kubat, Eysenbach and Rushing "had a conversation with everyone and sat them down and let them know." Kubat elaborated further saying the talk between Rushing, Eysenbach  and the employees specified that "a mother is allowed to breastfeed (at the conservatory) wherever she chooses."

2008 Chicago beach season begins

Chicago's beaches are now open for swimming, sandcastle building and more. The 2008 beach season runs Friday, May 23 to Monday, September 1. Swimming is permitted and lifeguards are on duty at all beaches from 9:00 a.m.  to 8:30 p.m. daily.

New this year is the city's beach smoking ban. Those caught smoking within 15 feet of a city beach could be fined up to $500.

A list of all Chicago beaches and lakefront parks can be found here. Information on health alerts and water quality reports issued daily can be found on the park district's swim report page.

Breastfeeding Mom Yelled at, Asked to "cover up" at Conservatory

It seems the Garfield Park Conservatory may need to review Illinois breastfeeding law with their employees. This past month, a Chicago area mom (who asked not to be named for privacy) encountered hostile treatment from a security guard while nursing her baby.

The mother, who was enjoying a visit to the conservatory with her infant son and 4 year old daughter, gave this account of the exchange:

"I was sitting in a chair, in the hallway outside the bathroom, just off the foyer entrance. There were two chairs and a bench. My friend was opposite me on the bench, and our older girls were playing nicely by us. I was nursing (baby) and chatting with my friend, when a female security guard came across the foyer and yelled out to me, about did I have a blanket, and if I wanted to do “that” I had to get a blanket and cover up. I was utterly surprised and told her, no, I did not have a blanket and no, actually, I did not need one. She screeched that she could see my breast! I looked down. YES! I CAN SEE YOUR BREAST! She was pretty much yelling at me from about 12 feet away."

"My friend, who was as shocked as I was, asked if there was a manager we could talk to, instead. The Security Guard said she was extremely happy to go find her. By the time the manager appeared, (baby) was done nursing. First the manager asked my friend what was wrong, but Security Guard ran over and said it none of my friends business, it was all ME. The manager turns to me. I said, well, I was just sitting her in this chair, nursing my son. The manager said something to the effect of, I should understand the Guard was just protecting the other patrons and that it is a busy and public place. I looked around, it was empty, not busy at all! She told me that there were Professors (!) and children around. I told her that state law says that I can breastfeed anywhere I have the right to be, including this hallway. She told me that certainly I was allowed to feed my son, but that there were other areas in the conservatory that were better and more private. I said that I was just fine where I was and that it was inappropriate for the guard to reprimand me, and that furthermore, if discretion was the goal, then the guard shouldn't be yelling at me from across the foyer."

"The manager left after that, but I don't feel encouraged at all that other breastfeeding mothers will be safe from being bothered there. At least by that guard. I had earlier nursed my son in several other areas of the conservatory, surrounded by other parents and children in the craft area, in full view of several other employees, with no problem."

A call placed by Green Parent Chicago editor, Christine Escobar to Mary Eysenbach, Director of Conservatories for the Chicago Park District, regarding the incident has yet to be returned.

The Illinois "Right to Breastfeed Act" provides that a mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be. In addition, the state law declares breastfeeding exempt from public indecency laws.

39 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws specifically allowing women to breastfeed in any public or private location.

The mother in the incident said though she felt unsettled, plans to continue breastfeeding publicly throughout the city.

"I know my rights and I know how I feel about meeting my children's needs, and I have not been cowed! I have continued to breastfeed my son wherever and whenever he needed, in restaurants, museums, parks, and stores," she explained.

Kids show for gay and lesbian families to screen in Chicago

Dottie's Magic Pockets, billed as the first children's program for kids in gay and lesbian families and their friends, will be screened for the first time in Chicago on June 7 at 10 a.m. at the Hoover Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted.

According to a recent press release, the series, which is already available on DVD, is targeted for kids ages 2-7 and was created by independent production company Pink Pea. 

The show features the character, Dottie (played by actress Jen Plante) a lesbian mom who leads her puppet friends as they sing, laugh, and help each other through wacky adventures. The show also includes images that represent gay families -- such as a cartoon with purplish-pink Princess and her two Dads -- as well as visits with real-life families to help children understand and appreciate how unique kids and families can be.

Admission to the Chicago event is $5 per family.

Farmers Markets Return to Chicagoland

Farmers markets will begin in the next several weeks throughout the city and suburbs. Here's a quick list from the City of Chicago of city neighborhood locations, downtown markets and some privately run farmers markets that sell locally grown and raised fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, honey, herbs, flowers and more.

In addition, several suburban communities host their own farmers markets as this exhaustive list of city and suburban markets by the Tribune attests.

You could check out a new farmers market nearly every day of the week with this list from the Chicago Reader of markets that take place on weekdays from Monday thru Friday.

Children especially love to shop at farmers markets. It must be the novelty of shopping outdoors and having a hand in picking their own fruits and veggies. Many locations offer food to go for an impromtu picnic. Some area farmers markets, such as Green City Market and the Oak Park Farmers Market, host live music and special family days as well. Check with the local organizing group for more information on times and dates.

Here's the typical produce you might find each month (courtesy of the Reader):

May Leafy greens, green onions, radishes
June Asparagus, peas, rhubarb, strawberries
July Blueberries, cucumbers, raspberries, summer squash, snap beans
August Blackberries, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes
September Apples, beets, carrots, melons, potatoes
October Cabbage, leafy greens, winter squash

 

GPC Editorial: Attached Families As The Sleeplessness Culprit

When writers fail to come up with reasons to explain the multitude of ways families make sleep work for them, it seems they default to blaming other parents to make sense of children who don't fit into a neat and tidy sleep category. Stay at home parents and working parents are all too well aware of the "mommy wars" manufactured by mainstream media to gain ratings and readership.

These types of parenting wars only fuel the distrust of families toward each other and increase parents' insecurity about their own instinctive parenting skills. Concerned parents find themselves relying on outside "experts" and "coaches" to give the answers that conscious parenting reveals simply through one on one communication.

In recent months, within these same parent writing circles, there appears to be a stronger backlash against attachment parenting families who co-sleep, with some writers scapegoating this choice as the bad seed that starts a spiral of failure for all parents. To validate their own arguments, these writers feel the need to downplay and denigrate other families' choices, going so far as to throw statistics around loosely in desperation.

Chicago Parent magazine recently ran an article on the dangers of adult lack of sleep in this month's issue and discussed establishing a nighttime routine for your baby at about 8 weeks. Wisely, the writer of the article, Christy L. Bonstell, suggested the routine include proven calming strategies such as a warm bath or reading before bedtime. But, unfortunately Bonstell began the same article with yet another co-sleeping "horror story" we see too often in parenting advice articles: one that described parents Jennifer and Dan who allowed their child to co-sleep with them in their bed.

The parents later compromised and realized their daughter would fall asleep if they "stayed with Lily in her own room until she fell asleep and then backed away." Although they say they are planning to prevent the same experience with Lily's new sibling.

More than bashing co-sleeping as a valid parenting method, Babble, the online magazine that bills itself for "a new generation of parents" recently ran an article titled, "The Sleepless Generation", which unfairly targeted co-sleeping as a menace to families' physical and mental health. The article used statistics irresponsibly and thankfully, commenters quickly retaliated as writer Melissa Rayworth indicated co-sleeping as the culprit for everything from parental guilt to why children don't nap regularly. Rayworth cites contradictory and downright misleading information several times in the article to back her argument on repercussions of allowing co-sleeping.

Illinois' Green Clean Schools Act Takes Effect

Passing with a 52-5 vote in the Senate last spring, Illinois became the second state in the nation to enact legislation requiring green cleaning in schools.

Now as of May 9th this year, all Illinois public and private elementary and secondary schools with 50 or more students, are required to comply with the Green Cleaning Schools Act.

Six different categories of cleaning products are required to be purchased "green" by schools.

These include:
bathroom cleaners, carpet cleaners, general purpose and hard floor surface cleaners, glass, window and mirror cleaners, hand cleaners and hand soaps and paper products

Healthy Schools Campaign, an Illinois organization that supported and advocated for the legislation explains the requirements on their website.

"products in the chemical categories are required to be certified by Green Seal, Environmental Choice, or USEPA Design for the Environment. Paper products are required to be certified by Green Seal, Environmental Choice or the USEPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. Schools can also choose products certified by parties that meet or exceed the standards of those listed certifications.

However, schools are not required to throw away any products currently in stock and may use existing inventory before purchasing green replacements until the inventory is depleted.

New York is currently the only other state that requires green cleaning in schools.