Friday, January 25, 2008

Toys: What you really have to worry about - Part 1

Ever since the rash of toy recalls we had last year, I've really wondered how it's even possible to choose safe toys for kids. I mean, it's not like you can tell from looking at a toy if it's coated with lead paint or if someone at the factory cut corners safety wise.

According to this article from Safe Kids USA, what we really need to worry about is kids choking on something or falling off something. Know what kids are most likely to choke on?





Balloons.

I wouldn't have guessed that.

I also wouldn't have guessed those colorful letter magnets could be a problem until a friend was frantically moving mine to the top of my fridge and out of her two-year-old's reach. Apparently, her daughter was fond of taking the (choke-on-size) magnet part out of the letter part and sticking the former in her mouth.


But, really, kids will (attempt to) swallow anything you don't want them to - random pieces of stuff from the floor, dog food, crickets. They may not be able to get their vegetables down and definitely not the cold medicine, but they will find away to pry a little black magnet out of a big plastic letter and have that halfway down their little throats before you can say "Heimlich."

Aren't children amazing?

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Edited to add: Sorry, forgot to mention that the balloon photo is by omster-com and the photo of the choking-hazard magnets is by me.

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