[blparent] Safety first

[Anjelina]

Thanks V for these great reminders.
What types of toys are other parents looking for this year?

Anjelina
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Veronica Smith" <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2010 10:17 PM
Subject: [blparent] Safety first


>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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