2015 Hazardous Toy Alert and Safe Shopping Tips, Too

 

Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah everyone. The shopping season is in full-swing, and even on Thanksgiving, bargain hunting trumps family nowadays. So shop we will, and that means toys for all the children on our lists-purchased in stores and/or online--so beware of the dangers lurking behind the colorful packaging.
The consumer safety organization W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) reminds us that the toy industry is big business, indeed, and brings in some $2 billion in sales every year in just the U.S. alone. The group also says that, "... while there are dangerous toys being sold in retail stores and online, awareness this holiday season and year-round can truly save lives."
Need some convincing? Well, here you go:

• From 1990 to 2011, toy-related injuries increased by 40%.
• In 2013 alone, there were more than 25,000 toy-related injuries.
• A child is treated in U.S. emergency rooms every 3 minutes for toy-related injuries.
• Between 2010 and 2013, 50 children died in toy-related incidents.

So, be well-advised about the possible dangers lurking on toy shelves-both the brick and mortar and virtual kinds-and think twice before purchasing...

1. Battery-operated riding vehicles that might unexpectedly accelerate.
2. Items from China, such as dolls, that might contain potentially toxic phthalates, chemicals that make plastic more flexible.
3. "Fashion jewelry" from China that may contain harmful heavy metals.
4. Items that contain small, rattling beads that can pose a choking hazard.
5. Toys with attached small, easily removed parts, such as eyes on stuffed animals, that can pose choking hazards.
6. Stuffed animals for the very young, as they can pose a suffocation hazard.
7. Toys with easily opened battery compartments.
8. Toys with small but strong magnets; if swallowed, these can cause internal injuries.
9. Toys that use button batteries that, if swallowed, can leak toxic compounds.
10. Toys made of easily broken or shattered plastic or glass, such as porcelain dolls.

Moreover, use the age recommendations on the packaging as a guide, but keep the child you're gifting clearly in mind, too. For instance, does everything he can get his hands on go in his mouth? Is she a bit reckless with toys? Does he tend to pull apart toys and stuffed animals? You get the idea... Purchase accordingly.
Also, Dr. Young-Jin Sue, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, reminds us: "In general, toys small enough to hide inside a cardboard toilet paper roll may present the most risk for choking. Try to avoid these items and stick with larger toys with few detachable parts."
And check out Sarah Mazzone's madeinusachallenge.com, too, for help on sticking with American-made toys--and other products, as well--as they are more rigorously regulated and inspected than those made outside of the USA.

The bottom line: To keep the merry and happy in this gift-giving season, take heed for safety's sake.

Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy University and Ursinus College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year. Carol also writes for examiner.com; find her articles at http://www.examiner.com/wise-parenting-in-philadelphia/carol-josel. For more information, go to http://www.schoolwisebooks.com.

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