Do you read the warning labels on your child's toys?
The annual Top Ten most dangerous toys list is up, including a pull-toy duck with a cord deemed too long at 33 inches, and so carrying the risk of strangulation.
Every year, a small percentage of toys is recalled from the market as the playthings are deemed potentially (or actually) harmful towards children.
Before you consider the joy on your kid’s face when he unwraps a present, think about the possible mayhem which could ensue, too.
Or don’t. You know, I have often struggled with buying toys for my kids. Having more than one child has always made it hard to stick to the “Suitable for Age 3 and Up” slogan. The younger child has always had access to his big brother’s marbles, cars and action figure sets with small, pointy bits and other recipes for disaster.
Against the odds
I can remember being given chemistry sets, carpentry sets, pellet guns and knives at a very young age. I managed to survive with just a few barely visible scars on my knuckles, shins and scalp.
Go-carts, skateboards, scooters, bicycles. Even climbing trees. It’s amazing any of my generation made it.
We do live in a more safety-conscious society, which isn’t all bad, but how much notice do you take of the warning labels on the boxes of the toys you give your children? Is safety your responsibility, or does it belong to the manufacturer?
By: Scott Dunlop