[blparent] Safety first

[Veronica Smith]

6 tips for buying safe toys   . Tis the season when millions of parents
swarm toy stores, looking for the latest game or gizmo to give to the little
ones they love. Entertaining and educational often top a parent's wish list,
but safe should be No. 1. About 230,000 toy-related injuries are treated in
hospital emergency rooms every year, according to the Consumer Products
Safety Commission (CPSC). Here are some shopping tips:               Pay
attention to the age on the box. There's a reason Barbie accessories, some
Lego sets and  Hungry, Hungry Hippos  are not recommended for children under
3. They contain small parts that kids like to stick in their mouths.  ( Gab
always stuck everything in her mouth)  Heck, she still does.!
Watch out for toys with button-size batteries and small magnets as well. 

Test out noisemakers. Some musical instruments, toy sirens or squeaky
playthings emit 90 decibels of sound ? that's as loud as a lawn mower. Hold
it close to your ear (as many kids do), and it's more like 120 dB, enough to
hurt your hearing. Listen to the toy in the store; if it's too loud for you,
find something quieter. (LWhen Gab was a baby, I bought a Leapfrog and he
seemed quiet enough until we got him home.  The store was so noisey that
this silly frog sounded quiet.  You can ask to listen to toys outdoors.
Make sure and ask personnel to accompany you right out the door or at least
as close to it as possible)  

Pass on "weapons. Toy guns, slingshots or anything that flies or shoots can
lead to serious eye injuries, even blindness. Skip these types of toys for
younger kids; for older ones, make sure arrows or darts, for example, have
soft cork tips, rubber suction cups or other protective points.  (There is
nothing worse than anyone getting poked in the eye.) 

Measure strings and straps. Cords longer than 7 inches can be a
strangulation hazard. (One time a friend of mine's little boy got his jacket
string stuck on the monkey bars and he was stuck there for a bit.  It was
scarey as the parents worked furiously to untangle him.)  It made me a
believer.)   

Scooters, skateboards and other riding toys are associated with more
injuries than any other toy category. Proper-fitting helmets and pads are a
must. Skip hand me downs. Though recent federal safety rules impose stricter
regulations on lead content in toys, collectibles and older hand-me-downs,
as well as some imported toys, can put kids at risk for lead exposure. Check
for recalls. The CPSC keeps an updated list of toy recalls; visit cpsc.gov.
. 


Related Articles     The best new toys of the season   . 

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