By Liza N. Burby
All those toy and crib recalls are enough to make the already concerned parent on edge. As we head to the stores for the holidays, our children’s safety becomes more important than all those sales flyers. How do you check to make sure what you’re buying for your child won’t be harmful? Follow our advice:
Check for Recalls. Toy safety experts advise all parents to be knowledgeable about what they’re buying this season. To that end, before you start shopping research the products that have been recalled. You can sign up for e-mail recall alerts from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov or call 800-638-2772 for a newsletter to be mailed to your home. You can also get information from The Toy Industry of America (TIA), www.toyinfo.org; American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), www.astratoy.org; and Kids in Danger, www.KidsInDanger.org.
Buy Locally. Kathleen McHugh, executive director of ASTRA, recommends shopping at local specialty and independent stores rather than large retail stores. “Going to a reputable store you trust, where they hand-pick the items they sell and can tell you where they bought the item from can help make parents feel more comfortable.”
These stores also tend to focus on items that are less about the hit toy of the season and more about what’s best for children’s creative and developmental play, says Michael Timko, owner of Fun Stuff Toys in Seaford.
Read Labels. Pay attention to the labels indicating the age-appropriateness of a toy, particularly when it comes to small parts. Nychelle Fleming, spokesperson for the CPSC, says the leading cause of toy-related deaths among children is from choking on small parts. “But know your child. If you have a four-year-old who still puts things in his mouth, don’t buy a toy even if the package indicates his age level,” she says.
In addition, McHugh says to read the package contents to make sure there are no sharp edges, that all seams are tight and that there are no strings that can go around a young child’s neck.
Supervise Your Child. When it comes to fears of lead poisoning in particular, McHugh says the manufacturers’ toy recalls due to traces of lead have been beneficial. “Because manufacturers are now testing and retesting, this is probably the safest time to buy toys. But there’s no replacement for supervision,” she says. “If you have a child who likes to mouth toys, make sure you’re there to remove them.”
Finally, Fleming recommends that parents be vigilant about checking the products they already have at home. “If you learn of a recall, be sure to take advantage of the manufacturers’ offers to repair, replace or refund. In this way, the contents of your child’s toy box will be safe.”
