Friday, June 1, 2018

Stop Ruining Things

There was an article that went viral a couple years ago, in response to the EWG sunscreen report. The EWG report was one of those "deadly products that you probably use EVERY SINGLE DAY" article, and the response was basically "I am so tired of this nonsense".

I felt so viscerally connected to the mom who wrote the response. My kids are at the pool and on the tennis court and outside basically ALL summer. I found a spray sunscreen a few years ago that got the job done quickly and easily and effectively, and I've been bulk buying it ever since. I keep it in the pool bag, I keep another at home, and even though I am far from perfect at remembering to use it - especially on myself - I felt like I had checked "sunscreen" off my to do list.

Then a person who I swear is on Facebook just to share scare inducing panicky articles shared this EWG post and tagged me in it because they knew that - guess what - my particular favorite was in the top ten worst sunscreens, and I just about lost my mind. I didn't write about it, but when I read that someone else had, I wanted to hug her hard. 

My kids are sunscreened. My kids have not burned, despite being out all day long. And yet, unless I go online and buy some thick paste that costs ten times as much, comes in a much smaller package, is a pain in the neck to apply, and quite frankly, based on the handful of times I DID try something similar, doesn't work all that well. But now that I HAVE THIS INFORMATION, now that I KNOW BETTER, I must DO BETTER. If I keep using what I'm using, knowing it's on the list, I am clearly in the wrong and putting my family at risk.

ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!1

Scare articles annoy me SO MUCH. Somebody posts the dangers of Diet Coke, or drinking from a water bottle once left in a car, or sunscreen, or a packaged food that's been a lifesaver for on the go, and suddenly, I'm the bad parent. Never mind that when I go online myself and find actual scientific articles and studies that show that the alarmist articles are a bunch of...hogwash.   

 People are determined to ruin things. 

Can it be bought in a big box store? Probably wrong.
Can it be bought in bulk? Probably wrong.
Can it be stored in a car/basement/beach bag/purse? Probably wrong.
Does it make your life easier? Probably wrong.

I know, that's a gross oversimplification. And it might sound bitter. But this whole "the danger that's probably lurking in your house right now" smacks of someone trying to ruin a mom who thought, just for one moment, that she was doing OK.

Just stop.
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