Mother’s Day this month has gotten me thinking a lot about what it means to me to be a mom. I became a mother almost four years ago and it’s an awe-inspiring job.

I get to have the amazing experience of watching my kids grow and change each day, make sure they get all the food, sleep and love they need, and do everything I can to protect them and keep them safe. It is the keeping them safe part that has prompted me to write today.

Over the last four years I’ve learned that despite all I do, I can’t protect my kids from harmful chemicals. Even though I constantly spend my time wading through a sea of scientific data about harmful chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), lead, mercury, formaldehyde, and phthalates that are linked with serious health problems and yet found in many children’s products, I still can’t know if the many products I buy my kids contain one of those chemicals.

Thanks to weak laws that don’t protect my kids or the rest of my family from toxic chemicals, these toxins have invaded our homes in seemingly harmless products like crib mattresses, carpets, soup cans, clothes and even shampoo. As a parent, I’m left powerless, as the companies who make these products don’t even have to tell us what chemicals are in their products, nor do they have to prove that the chemicals they use are safe!

But there’s hope. A new bill called The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 was just introduced in the U.S. Senate to help fix America’s outdated chemical laws. It will help make sure only the safest chemicals can be used in consumer products so that parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief that their children aren’t being exposed to toxic chemicals.

That’s why I’ve asked Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray to stand up with moms like me and help us protect our families from unsafe chemicals by co-sponsoring the Safe Chemicals Act. I urge you to do the same.

The chemical companies have strong lobbyists who are working hard to convince lawmakers that this new law is not necessary. But as a mom who has spent countless hours researching these chemicals and the products they are used in, I know that I need the support of my senators and laws like the Safe Chemicals Act to help me protect my kids. It will have a huge impact on the health of our kids and future generations.

Erin Naumowicz, Kirkland