A Toy That is Safe, What More Could a Mom Ask for?
I have recently wrote about all the toy and baby gear recalls and how frustrating it has made me, and I am sure I am not the only Mom. When the Fisher Price recalls came out I sat and thought about all the Dora and Diego toys I had that were being recalled, hundreds of dollars worth of toys. I found out later that my toys were not effected because they were purchased before the recall dates. I was not that relieved.
I sat in my children’s playroom and looked at all the toys that could be dangerous for my children; Thomas trains, plastic food for their kitchen, superhero dolls, dress up jewelry and baby dolls.
What was I to do?
Now that Christmas is coming up I am really reevaluating what I have in my house already and what I need. I am compiling lists of websites that only sell toys made in the USA. I am suggesting clothes, books or savings bonds instead of toys for family to give them. I am trying to buy handmade items for people on my list.
With a new baby on the way I have thrown out my Avent bottles and I am researching safer bottles, bibs and baby gear.
Maybe this was my wakeup call that my kids have too much, that we all have too much. The simple toys, blocks, puzzles books, arts & crafts and games are usually the best anyway. Does my daughter really need a life size Barbie? Does my son need 1000 Thomas trains?
The answer is no.
I hope you will join me in the fight to make our children’s toys safer, you can start here.
I hope you will try to buy handmade items or make them yourself this holiday season. I hope that someday soon I can buy something for my baby or preschoolers and not have to research it for weeks first, or find out it was recalled a week later.
I hope all of our children are safe.
What are you doing to keep your kids safe this holiday season?
This post was for a Parent Bloggers Network blog blast “get the lead out”.
Check out the Consumers Union to learn more and take action!
safe toys, toy recalls, safer toys, lead in toys, parenting, parenting children, safer toy guide, Consumers Union, kids, toddlers, baby gear recalls, demanding safer toys
November 9th, 2007 at 9:40 am
[...] A Toy That is Safe. What More Could a Mom Ask For? [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 11:59 am
It’s pretty amazing how scary this all is. Handmade seems to be the way to go.
November 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I am making my son a doll for christmas. I think he would enjoy the dressing and diapering of it since he likes to imitate mama.
I put my entry up here
http://mamaknj.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-toy-warning.html
November 9th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
[...] A Toy That is Safe. What More Could a Mom Ask For? [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
[...] Why Handmade Gifts? by Summer M. One of the reasons I feel that buying or making handmade toys is so important is that it is a way to provide safe toys for our children. I have always been a bit picky about what toys my children play with. Plastic is a big concern in our home, for safety as well as environmental reasons. As the toy recalls grow larger and larger it seems that making our own toys is the ony way any mom can guarantee safe toys for her kids. [...]
November 10th, 2007 at 9:57 am
I’m still not sure what to get my younger daughter, but my older one’s may get a video game console.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:22 am
[...] Original post by Erinn [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
I am going to make my kids each a blanket this year…i just hope i have them done in time. since my sewing machine seams to have taken a dump on me I don’t think that is going to happen.
However I am getting them books, CD’s, puzzles, blocks and clothes this year for christmas! And anything that I can find that is homemade between now and then!
December 4th, 2007 at 10:18 am
[...] this to anyone looking for a gift for a young child this holiday season. It doesn’t have any lead and parents will appreciate it more then another stuffed animal or toy they do not have room for. [...]
December 12th, 2007 at 9:54 am
[...] have had many emails asking me how can parents know if their child’s toys are safe, so I decided to write some tips you can look for when you are buying toys. Chances are if you have [...]
February 4th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
http://chloekeiser.memory-of.com/
February 4, 2008
Dear,
Meet Chloe, my Daughter. Exactly one week before Christmas 2006 a television (27″)fell on her and she was flown to cooper hospital where john and I were told that her chances were slim and Chloe probably wouldn’t make it. John and I sat with Chloe and decided that if she didn’t make it we would donate her origins. Well Monday after all of the test were run on Chloe to determine that she was brain dead john and I signed the papers to donate her organs. Well at 4:10 pm Chloe crashed and the doctors and nurses tried to bring Chloe back. It was so hard to see what they were doing to her little body that john and I made the decision to make them stop and let Chloe be our Christmas angel. John and I sat with Chloe while the nurses stopped all of the machines to keep her going and just held her and told her what a good girl she was and at 4:15pm Chloe took her last breath. As a mom no one wants to go through this so please help us.
May 7,2005 - December 18,2006

18 months old, beautiful baby girl gone just like that. I cry everyday, because she is gone and I want her back. because I never got enough time with her or got to see her grow into a beautiful woman.
Unfortunately, there is no law anywhere that would protect parents and caregivers against furniture tip over.
However, we hope to change that and with everyone’s help we can.
As it stands now there are no laws mandating that warning labels be placed on tip able pieces of furniture or tethering devices to be provided. Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz of Pa hopes to change that. She introduce The Katie Elise and Meghan Agnes act back in 2005 which would require furniture manufactures to provide these warning labels and tethering devices. Unfortunately, the bill did not gain much support from the republicans and it just sat in Congress. The congresswoman plans on reintroducing the bill this coming February and we all hope that with the new congress, the bill will gain more support.
http://www.petitiononline.com/HR1861/petition.html
The Katie Elise Lambert Foundation was established to help protect children both inside and outside the home. If this bill HR 4266 would have been passed one year ago this might have saved our Chloe Girls life.
Please take the few minutes to make the difference and maybe save someone else’s beautiful and precious life.
Sincerely,
John A. Keiser Jr Chloe’s Daddy
Erin F. Keiser Chloe’s Mommy
March 12th, 2008 at 10:04 am
[...] Wool Felt Mail Box for kids three and up would be perfect for my kids. It includes a mailbox, a flag, drawstring 12 x 16″ mail bag, shipping box, 3 postcards, 2 [...]