Child Toy Safety
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We work so hard to get them the things that they love, and we don’t even think about the dangers and pitfalls that could overcome a child if they are given with the wrong toy or playing with it incorrectly. Sadly, in this day and age just about anything can be a danger to your child when it comes to tiny fingers and tiny objects. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports as many as 150,000 toy-related accidents or injuries annually that are serious enough that they require emergency room treatment. How can you protect your child from these pitfalls? This article will help you implement child toy safety in your home and offer you tips on how to choose the right toys for your child, how to ensure the toys are being used properly, and what dangers to look for in toys.
5,000 new kinds of toys come into the market place every year. Despite the grand efforts that retailers, inspectors, and manufacturers take to ensure safety, not every toy can be examined 100%. It is your job as a parent to pick up that slack and ensure your child is playing with something safe. Using our suggestions, check new toys as well as old toys for potential safety hazards.
How to Choose the Right Toy
These tips may seem like common sense, but sometimes we forget the little things.
• Check Warning Labels. Some toys come with these labels, and it is easy to ignore them, assuming someone else has done the job of ensuring children’s safety. Read and follow all labels on every new toy.
• Sharp Points or Edges. Check new toys for any possible sharp edges or edges with points, particularly if your child is young enough to put it in their mouths. Falling on toys is common as well. Do not purchase toys with sharp edges.
• Avoid Small Parts. Do not buy toys that has loose parts on it or that can come unattached if your child is younger than three. Swallowing small objects is a curiosity for this age group, and avoiding small parts is a fundamental rule in child toy safety.
• Non-Toxic. Again, toys end up going in mouths at some point or another. You want to look for non-toxic toys, particularly in the areas of play dough, crayons, any toy that has liquid in it, or art supplies. Non-toxic should be clearly labeled on the packaging, if it isn’t, don’t buy it.
• Check for Recall. This again seems too obvious, but many parents get lazy about this. Use your Consumer Product Safety Commission, or check Recalls.gov to check all new toys in the house.
How to Teach Your Child How to Use Toys Properly
Some parents may get offended by this thinking they know how to teach their kids to play. As always, when it comes to child toy safety, you can never be too cautious. Have a glance at these tips to ensure you are following all of the necessary steps to teach your child the proper usage of toys. These tips also make learning about a new toy a fun bonding experience with your child.
• Read the instructions with your child and learn how to use the toy together. Kids will model what they see.
• Supervise your children as they play, and try to spot accidents before they happen.
• Examine toys that are used frequently. Look for broken bits, potential dangers, splinters, sharp edges, and things of that nature.
• Outdoor toys should be constantly examined for rust or weak areas.
• Teach children how to tidy up and put their toys in places they won’t get broken, or where people can’t trip or fall on them.
• Check toy boxes for safety as well. The lids should be lightweight and easily opened, even from within. You would be surprised how many children crawl into their toy boxes for hide and seek. Install rubber bumpers on the corners of the toy box so that, should the lid slam shut, tiny fingers won’t get slammed as well.
• Keep toy shelves open and accessible. This allows your child to see where their toys are, as well as where they belong when they are finished with them. Make the shelf accessible for your child’s height, but teach your children not to climb on the shelf. Just in case however, ensure that it is sturdy without the risk of tipping if your child decides they want to climb anyway when they think you aren’t peeking.
Avoid These Common Toy Dangers
• Sharp edges or points
• Toys made of weak plastic, or worse, glass that can break easily and injury as easily
• Tiny parts, anything removable that can fit in an ear, nose, windpipe, etc.
• Loud noises. Anything too loud has the potential to cause permanent hearing loss in young children who are still developing neurologically.
• Projectile toys. Anything that can be projectiled or guided into the air is an accident waiting to happen.
• Electrical Toys. Today’s technology age has turned even the most innocent Fisher Price items into digital works of art. Electric toys carry with them the danger of electrocution if they are not used properly. Discard used batteries, and do not leave old batteries in a toy. All electrical toys should be used with direct supervision.
• Age Inappropriate toys. It is very easy to think that very young children are ‘advanced enough’ to play for this or that toy. They may be, but they are not advanced enough to keep themselves safe. Toys for older children can be extremely dangerous if they get into younger hands.
There are in fact many other issues to consider when it comes to ensuring your home is equipped with child toy safety. These issues highlighted here are the most important things to consider when protecting your child during play time.
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About the Author
Tony and Michelle Ponce are proud parents of 2 boys. Their website at mychildsafety.net offers great parenting tips for parents and children of all ages.
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