The Green Mama

Less than one month after Mayor Robertson's re-election promise to provide 500 new daycare spaces, the city licenses the first flexible occasional care centre, providing for the part-time needs of up to 90 families at once according to a Buddings Flexible Childcare press release.

Fannie Smith has found an answer to a problem faced by hundreds of Vancouver families: what to do when her son's preschool hours don't cover the time she needs for her part-time job and other commitments. The need for more licensed childcare spaces in the city is so well-known that addressing it was part of Mayor Gregor Robertson's re-election platform, and in addition to more spaces, there is also an increasing demand for more flexible options, and varying schedules.

"I left my full-time job and inflexible schedule," Smith explains. "Now I spend three days a week in an office, do contract work from home and manage two other projects on a volunteer basis, all of which require uninterrupted work hours. We can't afford a full-time nanny, and since things are in constant movement, it doesn't make sense." 

It's school time again, and in every school bathroom across Vancouver you can hear the "splat, splat" sound of anti-bacterial soap squirting onto the hands of school children everywhere. So, what does the science tell us about anti-bacterial products and just how bad are they for our children's health?

The Green Mama’s guide to backyard compost piles, composters, tumblers, vermicompost (worm bins), and electric-assist composters

I love composting. I know, organic decay isn’t a turn on for everyone, but it does have the potential, and for good reason. Organic items — things you can compost and turn into soil — make up 40 per cent of the garbage in most homes, and are the largest single category (unless you are a parent, and then disposable diapers might win as the largest single item.) If done right, a good deal or ALL of your kitchen waste can be turned into soil. 

Composting made simple

Does the Vancouver Sun have something against mothers? Or human rights? Maybe both?  It would be easy to conclude yes after a January 14th editorial by Shelley Fralic of the Vancouver Sun ridiculed a mother who was asked to leave a Vancouver store because she was breastfeeding her baby.

Here’s the situation: the mother goes shopping with her three young children in tow. After a while, the baby kicks up some sort of fuss, and, flustered, the mom looks for a private corner of the store. No one is around, so she tucks in and starts nursing.

Then, the owner comes up and asks her to stop because she is offending the customers. Apparently, they don't understand the etiquette of looking the other way if they find the sight of a legally protected activity disturbing.

Understandably, the woman is embarrassed and upset.