Green Parent Chicago

While You Can, Best Free Things to Do Outdoor With Kids in Chicago

August is already here and for some families kids will soon be heading back to school.

While summer winds down, check out some of Green Parent Chicago's top picks for free and low cost things to do with kids outdoor in Chicago.

-The Grant Park Music Festival completes its season on August 16 at Millennium Park. Pack a picnic dinner and hear the nation's only remaining free outdoor classical music series.

-Take a dip in the lake or build sandcastles together at the beach. Chicago beaches are open for swimming until September 1. Looking for something specific? See this list of beaches with a nearby playground, peace and quiet and even poetry: The Beach Poets series originally in residence at North Avenue Beach now takes place Sunday afternoons at Loyola Beach.

-See a movie in the park now until the end of the month. All movies begin at dusk at various parks around the city.

-Join a Stroller Strut with your wee one and get some exercise, fresh air and learn about nature in the city together. Four dates are scheduled for August, see the Chicago Park District Nature Oasis site for times and location.

-Go fly a kite. Cricket Hill at Montrose Harbor is a grassy plateau which is said to be the highest point on the city’s lake shore and an ideal location for wind "obstruction-free—far from buildings, trees and, most importantly, power lines," says Time Out Chicago's Jake Malooley. Or try Columbia Beach Park also on the city's northside.

Add your own suggestions below!

Marketers Hope They're A Better Influence On Kids Than You Are

With little public outcry in opposition, the tales brand marketers weave about marketing and young people continue to reach bizarre proportions.

In a July 16 article in the British magazine Ethical Corporation, Giles Gibbons marketing director of the PR and marketing firm Good Business argues, not surprisingly, that brands shouldn't fear marketing to kids and can actually can reach children in a way parents and schools are unable to.

Gibbons takes on "commentators" who argue for control of brand marketing. He writes that these commentators "tend to react in a knee-jerk way particularly when it comes to products that can be deemed “bad” for children – whether it is the possible health risks of mobiles phones, or soft drinks and obesity."

Companies themselves are capable of their own regulation, according to Gibbons and "will often rule out activity that would clearly lead to children pestering their parents for unhealthy or expensive products – whether by changing the message or changing the context in which it is found."

"But to suggest that companies should not communicate with children at all is narrow-minded and shortsighted.." he continues.

"Messages on bullying, or the environment, or online safety that come from a cool brand – like Hello Kitty – can have far more impact than the strictures of parents and schools."

Tina Wells, who prides herself on being the queen of tween and teen marketing and leads her own Buzzspotter tween marketing recruits, recently wrote in The Huffington Post about the "new power couple" of celebrities and brands.

Wells hopes consumers believe her argument that celebrity plugs for youth products and entertainment are necessary and actually desired by teens and young people.

"The market has become so fragmented, with dozens of information outlets competing for the attention of savvy young consumers, that traditional advertising simply does not reach them anymore. Even when I was a teen, we were glued to the TV on Thursday nights. Consuming the ads was part of the experience of watching Dawson's Creek and Beverly Hills 90210. When Ali Landry became the new Doritos girl, we actually cared who she was. And we all noticed that the kids on Dawson's Creek wore American Eagle."

Wells, a PR and marketing specialist by trade is the new "author" behind the recent Mackenzie Blue "book series" by Harper Collins Publishing, aimed at 8- to 12-year-old girls. The series features product placement written into the plot. The release of the book was met with criticism by consumer advocacy group Commercial Alert.

A press release from February says tweens will discover more about going "green," learn about the "global" landscape, and be motivated to achieve their goals in the Mackenzie Blue books. 

Chicago scores 4th in Rank of Most Walkable Cities

Walk Score, the site that helps people find walkable neighborhoods, recently announced the most walkable cities in the U.S.

On a scale of 0 (car dependent, drive only) to 100 (a walkers paradise), Chicago scored an overall ranking of 76, with 66% of Chicago residents having a Walk Score in their neighborhood of 70 or above.

2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities were ranked according to the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks and other amenities.

According to the site, Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a "car-lite" lifestyle—not how attractive and scenic the area is for walking,

The top most walkable city, according to the site's rankings: San Francisco, followed by New York, with Boston coming in third.

What about strollers? CTA May Introduce Seat-less Train Cars Soon

Ridership is up on the CTA. Due in part to the rising cost of gas and the CTA's free rides for seniors program that just began in March of this year. Citing the increase Wednesday, CTA officials announced at a transit board meeting that the agency will soon experiment with seat-less cars on rush hour trains to address increased ridership and crowded trains.

While this would serve as one solution to allowing more riders on board, how might this effect the ridership of parents with kids, who may also be carrying a folded up stroller along?

The cars would debut on the Brown Line by fall, according to CTA President Ron Huberman.  An eight-car train would include at least two contiguous cars without seats. Elderly, disabled and pregnant passengers could choose to ride in the cars with seating, Huberman said.

While some parents never bring a stroller along on public transit, opting to travel with a sling or carrier only. Other parents, including many who also bring a sling or carrier tote a lightweight stroller along for their older child or to ease the burden of carrying a diaper bag, lunch and sleeping baby all at once.

Though most parents who ride the CTA during rush hour and other busy times are probably no stranger to crowded conditions, it will be interesting to note what type of extra planning parents may have to consider before boarding a seat-less train. In addition, it remains to be seen if the plan will actually cut ridership numbers of parents with young kids.

We want to hear from you at Green Parent Chicago: would you plan any differently for trips on a seat-less train? If so how? Or is planning as simple as avoiding peak travel times or just leaving the stroller at home?

Do You Waste Food?

Wasted food may seem unavoidable with children who can be notoriously finicky eaters at certain stages and ages.

But parents concerned about food waste can take note of recent tips from the UK. British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has recently launched a campaign to urge consumers and world leaders at the G8 Summit this week to address the problem.

WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), a private company funded by the British government to study environmental waste reduction, discovered 1/3 of food bought in the UK winds up as waste. They've launched a site, Love Food Hate Waste, offering consumers advice on meal planning and using up leftovers in creative ways.

On the U.S. side, journalist Jonathan Bloom, who has been studying food waste since 2005 and has devoted a blog to food waste in the U.S., said "Americans waste more than 40 percent of the food we produce for consumption. That comes at an annual cost of more than $100 billion." His blog lists ways in which groups and organizations recover and recycle wasted food.

Ready to take action? Visit Love Food Hate Waste for shopping suggestions and if you're ready to tackle this week's leftovers, Deborah Taylor-Hough, a mom, author and authority on simple living has plenty of great ideas on her site that will have you thinking beyond soup and casseroles.

What are some ways you cut down on food waste? Post your tips and suggestions in the comments below.

Kids Can Do It: Another Reason to Simplify Your Cleaning Routine

Not only do inexpensive, non-toxic and highly effective cleaners like vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice make the earth's air and water safer for our families, they also make getting kids involved in cleaning tasks a whole lot easier.

Children are always eager to assist parents in grown-up tasks around the house, especially if they can truly be helpful in a hands-on way. Giving kids the opportunity to help take care of the home not only results in less work for parents, but more importantly gives children a sense of responsibility and accomplishment that will grow as they do.

A simple spray bottle, brush and sponge or rag may be all that are needed. For sensitive skin or when cleaning with lemon juice you may want to add gloves. For tons of tips on how to use vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice in your everyday cleaning and household care, check out these links:

Cleaning with vinegar

The Vinegar Institute

Vinegar, Baking Soda and Lemon Cleaning

International Babywearing Conference Comes to Chicago

The 2nd annual International Babywearing Conference will be held June 25 to 28 at DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus.

The 4 day event will offer an array of workshops, exhibitions, activities and community outreach events for families who support babywearing, the parenting practice of carrying your baby or toddler in a sling or other carrier to facilitate healthy growth, development and attachment bonds.

Alice Hollowed, an organizer for the event and a local babywearing instructor, explained the mission of the conference.

"One we are trying to bring together babywearers from all over the world to get people together and brainstorm ideas. Two, we are trying to grow the industry and connect manufacturers with vendors and to bring the sling industry into the mainstream. Three, we are trying to inspire others to wear their babies."

According to Hollowed, this year's conference is expected to include attendees from 38 U.S. states including Hawaii and Alaska.  Countries to be represented include Canada, Russia, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Australia and Switzerland.

New this year will be a Babywearing Fashion Show. Over 60 different babycarriers and babywearing accessories will be modeled in the show. In addition, the conference will host a raffle with over 60 prizes, including carriers and other babycare accessories.  

Free community outreach events will be held on the final day of the conference for those new to babywearing. Special children's activities and afternoon access to the exhibitor hall will also take place on that day.

Children are welcome at the conference and childcare will be available for kids over 1 to attendees with a conference pass. A punch card can also be purchased at $20 for 5 hours of childcare hours or $10 for 2 hours.

Online conference registration at a discounted rate ends June 11. Registration will also be available at the event.

Studies Point To Drastic Rise in Medicated U.S. Kids

A study by Medco Health Solutions, Inc.,which handles prescription benefits for an estimated one in five Americans, reported that 1 in 4 children and teenagers in the U.S. is now on prescription medication.

On Wednesday, an AP report on the study said the number of Americans on medication in general has also risen.   

Dr. Caleb Alexander, a prescription drug expert from the University of Chicago said in a Medill report Wednesday that marketing practices and drug company advertising bear a large responsibility for the rise in children on prescription drugs.

“There’s no question that the pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars on promotion and marketing, which definitely increases the use of prescription drugs,” he said. “In some settings this is good and some it’s bad, since underuse and overuse of prescription drugs are both big problems. The challenge we face as a society is trying to optimize the use of medicine to improve public health.”

“there is a subset of children … that require these [ADHD drugs],” Alexander said, “but I think it’s a legitimate concern that some of these medicines may be overused in children to treat conditions that don’t truly represent a serious deviation from normal adolescence.”

A related study on prescription drugs and children in the U.K released Monday detailed the rise in anti-psychotic drug use among U.S. kids compared to children from the U.K. It is published in the May issue of the journal Pediatrics. American children are said to be prescribed anti-psychotic medication at a rate that is 6 times that of children in the U.K.

Dr. William Cooper, a Vanderbilt pediatrician, who was interviewed for an AP report on the U.K. study said the study's results point to drugs being used "without full understanding about the risks."

"I find it really interesting that we're now seeing increases in other countries besides the U.S., which suggests that the magnitude of this issue is global."

This weekend's Green Fest family highlights

If you and your family are attending this weekend's Green Festival at Navy Pier, here's a list of the green parenting experts who'll be presenting that you may not want to miss:

On Saturday, Marla Rose of the Chicago Vegan Family Network will present Creating New Family Traditions Through a Green Lens.

Sunday, Jenn Savedge, author of "The Green Parent" book will present Green Parenting: Raising Children Without Trashing the Planet.

Jill Riddell and Laurene Von Klan of the Nature Museum's Little Green People show podcast will present Little Green People: Living Large with a Small Footprint.

In addition, kids can meet Mr. Furry Fur Fur, (above) created by Oak Parkers, Christine Ingaldson and Anthony Smith. Mr. Furry Fur Fur is the star of the web show of the same name. The show teaches kids to care for the environment and features a catchy techno-pop theme song along with one very cute raccoon host.

Chicago Moms asks: Is "car free" possible in the city?

Meagan at Chicago Moms Blog posted recently about car free living and wondered if it's actually doable in Chicago. Judging by the variety of responses to the post, it looks like the majority of commenters believe it is. Though the thought of going car free left at least one commenter "sweating just thinking about it."

It may take a different kind of planning to execute successfully, but not necessarily more planning, just of a different variety. For instance, you might need to allow for delays a bit more, in case the bus/train is late, though I've found you can usually make up the delay as you ride, especially if you're on an express bus or the train, which obviously doesn't have to sit in traffic.

You may need to observe bathroom breaks before you depart, as you wouldn't want to be stuck on a train without a potty if the urge presented itself in your child. However, you'd still have to locate one if driving by car and you found yourself in the same situation, right?

My kids always seem to argue and nitpick on each other less on public transit, since there are more interesting things, people to look at along the way than in the back seat of the car. That alone, makes for a much more pleasant trip by far. (Now, if I could just figure out a way to keep my 3 year old from suddenly announcing "I want to get off, I want to get off!" as she was prone to doing last summer.)