Hanging By a Thread

Glitterama: Why I Hate My Kids’ Birthday Parties

I hate throwing my kids' birthday parties. It's not the planning or the prep work. I actually enjoy all of that. And I love my kids despite their oblivion to all the work we've put into the simple, understated birthday affair and are intent on wrecking the setup, dipping into the food and creating new messes in the one or two hours before the event begins. But the chaos, the mess, the destruction, the mess, the craziness, the mess is what makes me regret the simple party-at-home idea.

In theory, it always sounds nice. In theory, it's manageable and organized. In theory, I must be crazy. I never learn my lesson either; for a few years I remember and I hold the party "off-campus." Then, I forget and I start to theorize again; and that's when I get into trouble.

Darling 2 couldn't decide on a theme for his 4^th birthday party. He batted around ideas for Ninja Turtles, super heroes, Angry Birds and more. So, I had a big, bright idea; a big, bright, dumb idea. How about we have a costume party and decorate masks? We could have a mish-mash party in celebration of all masked/costumed characters, with a Ninja Turtles cake made by me and super hero plates and napkins, etc.; he loved the idea.

In theory, this sounded good. We plotted and planned together. We raided my basement closet with art supplies, holiday décor and past party provisions. We hit the Dollar Store, Target's Dollar area and Michael's. I had stickers, paper, scissors, glue sticks, tape, popsicle sticks, feathers, flowers, ribbons, glitter glue, rhinestones, markers, crayons, fancy pipe cleaners, pom poms and glitter; yes, glitter.

I was proud of my creative organization and my artful designs. And for a few moments, I must have forgotten that I have two boys and all the reasons that I hate doing art in my home; all the reasons that I paid for art classes when Darling 1 was little.

Now, to be fair with myself, I had originally planned to throw this shindig outside. But Mother Nature had other ideas, and this weekend we had our first freeze, making it a little too chilly for a backyard bash.

So, as I stood back and calmly watched glue and glitter and toys and cake and wrapping paper and packaging litter the floor and cover the tables and spill onto the chairs and creep across the room, it all came back to me.

Like a light bulb above the head of a character in a comic strip; ah yes, these are the reasons I don't have parties at home... especially artful parties at home...involving glitter.

I do this to myself. I almost always make the invitations and cake; and each year their expectations, designs and demands get higher; and if held elsewhere, I cart along cake, supplies, decorations, etc. to the location of the parties, often a park for the July birthday of Darling 1, where there are no amenities provided; and I try to be creative with the food, activities and take homes treats; all making me exhausted and crabby by party time.

Now, it's important to note that the children involved in the merry-making did indeed enjoy themselves during the costume wearing, mask making, toy playing, piñata smashing and cake eating events. And the birthday boy had a wonderful time with his dear friends.

And that puts a smile on my face, even as a wiped cake from the chair cushion and swept up glitter from the floor, sorted toys and re-organized all the art supplies...downstairs...high above the reach of little boys, but still within reach of creative concoctions.

I wonder how long it will be before I forget again why I shouldn't have birthday parties at home. Over and out....

Anna

Rough and Tumble: State Concussion Laws Protecting Young Athletes

My Big Boy

My baby is 3 years old today. It's hard to believe that the last 3 years have gone by so quickly, but it's also hard for many to believe that my little one is only 3 years old. Darling 2 is big, tall, strong, tough, fast, a quick study and charismatic. He's the size of most 4 year olds and some 5 year olds. He's not afraid to tackle or be tackled. He'll most likely be a football coach's and a hockey coach's dream. And that's got this mama worried.

Friday Night Lights

I grew up in a small town in Texas. Almost every boy in the town played football. The whole town turned out for a home game on Friday night. It didn't matter what the record was, year after year, the crowd was there to support. We had a big, nice stadium to show for it too.

My brother started playing football in 5^th grade. He had a number of injuries over the years, none that stopped him for long. I recall many classmates on crutches, in casts, etc. after a Friday night collision on the field. It was just part of the game.

Studying Concussions

In the past year or so I've been reading a lot about the dangers of concussions as specifically related to football injuries. It started with NFL partnering with Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy in an attempt to research and better understand repetitive concussive injuries. Hundreds of former athletes, including a number of retired and active NFL players have agreed to donate their brains to this research program. There are about 70 brains banked at Boston University now.

Then, as this program began finding significant links between repeated head trauma and suicide and neurodegenerative diseases, the immense sacrifice that athletes are asked to make in order to play well, get scholarships and make millions begin to emerge. This issue slowly became more mainstream news and more and more athletes have put their names on the registry pledging to have their brains picked for any clues that might lead to a safer game or better helmets or improved precautions and care. This research program and its results calling for added safeguards have had a trickle-down effect and the information is now reaching young athletes.

Austin Trenum

But not before Austin Trenum suffered a concussion during a football game last fall and subsequently and totally unexpectedly committed suicide two days later. Austin was a high school senior in Virginia with a promising future. Austin's brain was sent to Boston University and was found to have structural damage; among the areas damaged were the parts that affect judgment and impulse control. While the doctors can't say with complete certainty what made Austin commit this devastating act, they do feel there is strong circumstantial evidence. Austin's parents have worked hard to educate others about these dangers and how to prevent this from happening. I'll be talking more about Austin this week.

In response to deaths like Austin's and the findings of Boston University states have been passing new laws requiring better care for young athletes who have suffered a concussion or even display the warning signs of a concussion and providing for education for coaches, parents and medical personnel.

Minnesota's New Concussion Law

On September 1, 2011, Minnesota's new concussion law went into effect. MN's law says that if a young athlete under 18 is showing signs of a concussion, coaches must not let that athlete play again until a medical provider clears him or her. The law also requires all coaching personnel receive periodic training about signs of concussions, dangers, treatments, etc. The law further provides that parents will have access to important information regarding warning signs, dangers, how to treat these injuries, etc. The MN law includes not only school athletics, but also youth sports organizations not associated with schools districts.

State Concussion Laws

MN joins more than 30 other states that now have laws that offer additional protection for young athletes who may have suffered from a concussion. Many of these states have rushed to pass these laws in the last year. As of March 2011, there were 15 states with such laws.

Texas passed a law in 2007 providing that coaches must complete a safety training course as developed by the Commissioner of Education. Then, in 2009, both Oregon and Washington state passed laws that require young athletes be sidelined until a medical exam and release to return to the field. The majority of these new state laws, which were passed in 2010 and 2011, followed in the footstep of OR and WA. TX passed a new law this summer that requires coaches to take an athlete off the field if they suspect a concussion until medical personnel clears the athlete. You can find more information about the state laws in place here.

The Scoop

As a mom to two Darling Boys, I was hoping to avoid the sports that are most likely to cause concussions; that is, football and hockey. With each passing year, as my tall, muscular boys keep growing bigger and taller, I realize that I will probably be in the stands, or pacing behind the seats, as my boys play these rough sports in the years to come. I'll be discussing how to educate yourself about the dangers of concussions, what to watch for and how to properly treat them, etc. the rest of this week.

Can you tell from these photos which sport we love? Over and out...

Anna

A Passion for Consumer Safety: Safety Tips for Bounce House Jumping

Making it Personal

I recently had a conversation with a friend who also authors a blog. In discussing a new endeavor she made the statement that my new project would be more personal than Motherly Law. I didn't argue this point with her and brushed it aside at the time. Later I thought about this statement again. I know that she meant nothing by it, but it really bothered me. I think Motherly Law is quite personal, actually.

I could never sell Motherly Law or pass it off to someone else. Motherly Law is unabashedly me. Motherly Law posts contain my heart and soul. I write what I am passionate about.

Motherly Law is not a stiff "just the facts, ma'am" kind of place. This is a place with enthusiasm for the law; a place with ardor for informing parents; a place with eagerness to connect with other moms; and a place with loads of emotion concerning all of these things.

Consumer Safety & Bounce Houses

One of the things that I am quite passionate about and I take quite personally is consumer safety and kids. As I mentioned on Monday and as every parent knows, kids love to jump and bounce on any surface they can. Bounce houses have become the norm for kid activities everywhere. These structures are fun and seem as safe if not safer than most equipment on the playground.

The problem is they can be quite dangerous depending on the set up, the weather conditions and the number, ages and sizes of kids. In 2004, there were 4,900 injuries reported. Numerous deaths have been reported of young children, teenagers and adults. One orthopedic surgeon in Texas reports that he treats people with bounce house injuries 5 to 10 times a month, many requiring surgery.

Safety Tips

If you're still OK with allowing your kids to frequent a bounce house after that last paragraph, then try to implement these tips to make the bounce house experience safer:

1. Make sure the bounce house is securely staked to the ground and weighted down;
2. If it's windy or there's other inclement weather, keep everyone out of the bounce structure. Some inflatable should be taken down at 15 mph gusts and others can withstand 25 mph gusts; that's not much;
3. Check for an inspection sticker. Not all states require an inspection; in fact, only 19 require it. But if an inflatable structure has an inspection sticker you know that the operator is complying with the state law or has gone the extra mile to ensure the structures are safe;
4. Be sure to have age limits as to who can jump together at one time; just 2 and 3 year-olds and then 4, 5 and 6 year-olds, etc. This can be more difficult when out in public in a bounce structure that is not monitored, but you can self regulate a bit when it comes to when your kids can jump;
5. Watch your kids. Many parents think it's a safe place for kids to be and wander off to chat with friends at a party, etc. and don't watch who is jumping and what's happening in the bounce house; if it's a backyard party, make sure there is a one adult monitoring at the door at all times;
6. Read the rules posted outside of a bounce house; if there are rules. This way your children will be reminded of appropriate behavior in the bounce house each time they play there; and
7. Lastly, a reminder from yesterday's post; always have your kids wash hands and face after jumping to be sure to wash away any lead dust from the vinyl of the bounce structure.

Source: www.ivillage.com

The Scoop

Before you run out and try these tips, read my post tomorrow on liability issues. You may decide it's simply not worth the risk of allowing your child to bounce or renting an inflatable bounce structure for a party, etc. I'm really considering avoiding them altogether, if that's possible, after doing this research. What are your thoughts on this? Over and out...

Anna

Ready, Set, Jump: Bouncy House Safety

The Joy of Bouncing

What is it about jumping that brings such joy to kids? When Darling 1 was just a few weeks old he starting bouncing in my lap; he loved to bounce, bounce, bounce. Darling 1 was such a bouncer that we bought him a Tigger Halloween costume when he was 3 months old. Both the Boys still love to bounce whether it's at Skyzone on a trampoline, on a bed at home, or in a bouncy house.

Nearly every mid to large size town now has a inflatable bounce structure business that's all about jumping, climbing and sliding. These are prime birthday party locations; great indoor play areas when the weather is foul; and fun for the whole family. These structures have made appearances in thousands of yards for all kinds of celebrations; they're present at fairs, festivals and carnivals; and a sure thing at church events and school activities.

Safe Jumping

So, what's the big deal? It's fun to jump; the surfaces aren't hard or sharp; and the kids are safe, right? The answer is tricky. Lately, the seemingly innocent and fun bouncy structures have been getting a lot of bad press. A preliminary search quickly found these incidents: a gust of wind has picked up a bouncy house and flung it into a roof or several yards over or straight up in the air; kids summersault or fall or jump into each other; kids knock into people standing outside the bouncy structure; and kids are exposed to lead in the plastic of the bouncy house. In each of these accidents, people were killed or injured, some were catastrophic injuries.

A Collapsing Bouncy House

This past weekend, we attended a fun end of the summer party in the backyards of our friends and their neighbors who live behind them. Partygoers wandered back and forth. There was live music in one yard, food in one of the houses, drinks at both houses, and a bouncy house in one yard. The Boys immediately gravitated to the spectacular, Toy Story themed, giant bouncy structure. There was a slide, a basketball hoop and several "rooms" for jumping. We finally cajoled them to get out to come eat.

Later, when it was dark, they asked to go back to the bouncy house in the other yard. DH went with them and about 10 minutes later, I walked over to check on them. When I got past the shrubs that divide the yard, I heard Darling 2 crying and saw DH crawling in to find him. At that same time, I noticed the spotlight that had been trained on the bouncy house went out, along with other outside lights. I went around to the side where Darling 2 was to check that he was OK and with DH.

It was then I noticed the bouncy house was deflating... and quickly. Then, it dawned on me, the breaker had flipped with the bouncy house compressor, spotlight and outdoor lights all on; it was too much for the breaker. By this point, the kids were screaming because they realized it was coming down. I yelled to the people standing by the house to flip the breaker and get a flashlight. Since DH was in the bouncy house, he was able to grab our Boys and corral the rest of the kids and get out. He told me the kids were having a hard time trying to get out because the top was falling on them and the deflating floor had big sink holes and gaps in it and it was totally dark.

All the kids did get out {as well as DH}. No one was injured. But that was enough excitement for us. We were done with the bouncy house. And it made me start thinking about bouncy house safety. I had heard a few stories of the structures taking flight after a big gust of wind or on a windy day, but with just a little digging I found a lot more.

This week I'm going to be discussing the various dangers, liability issues and rules for staying safe when it comes to inflatable bouncy structures. Should you boycott them altogether? Well, that's up to you, but I know that I will for sure never rent one for my yard, and I will think twice before allowing my kids to jump in one. I'll be back with more tomorrow. Over and out...

Anna

The List: Essentials for Road Tripping with Kiddos

We're leaving on our road trip. I'm a chronic over-planner, over-packer, over-thinker, and I always have been. So, this doesn't make it easy when getting ready for a family trip. I usually do pack more than we need, but I'd rather have too many than not enough underwear, snacks, toys, clothes, etc.

Part of preparing for this trip is thinking of as many time occupying activities that can be done while strapped into a seat as possible. We have many hours ahead of us on the road. This is important!

Now if I can just make it all fit in the car and work out logistically as we travel along.

 

Here is my list:

1. Snacks, snacks & more snacks {I'll have mashed fruit, cheese crackers, pretzels, yogurt covered raisins, wheat thins, dried berries, string cheese, Pirate Booty & a wee bit of chocolate};
2. DVDs {Our preferences at the moment: Curious George, Diego, Cars & Cars Toons, Clifford, Muppets Take Manhattan & Bob the Builder};
3. Apple Juice & Milk {Packed in a cooler with ice, along with the string cheese and our picnic lunch};
4. Books {I'll scavenge the bookshelves and ask the kids to do the same and fill two totes bags, one for each kid, with a variety of books. I like to take books that have not been read recently and may have been forgotten about, as well as current faves. Lately, they have been all about the Elmo & Sesame Street books I've gotten over the past year from the $1 area in Target.};
5. Small Toys {In our case, Pixar Cars & McDonald Happy Meal Super Hero Figurines};
6. Music CDs {A mix of everything, but ABSOLUTELY NO KID MUSIC. That's just how I roll. We have a brand new mix CD that our sweet friends Jan and Hilary made for us to start the trip off with.};
7. Water & Caffeine for Mama;
8. A Few New Toys from my stash of sale items and Target $1 Area toys {It's always good to have a few toys they have never seen before to pull out at dire moments.};
9. Two Lap Desks {for coloring & drawing, playing cars, eating a snack and looking at books while driving.};
10. Coloring Books, Activity Books, Stickers, Notebooks, Pencils & Crayons;
11. Small Backpack for Each Child {filled by the child with whatever essential toys he deems necessary for the long trek in the car};
12. Favorite Snuggly, Stuffed Animal of the Moment;
13. Lots of Wipes & Target Bags for wet/dirty clothes and diapers.

I am going to arm my 5 year-old with the toy pincher/grabber thingy and a butterfly net for picking up dropped items from the floor. We experimented with this technique, and it's working about 50% of the time, depending on the object. The biggest issue while driving may prove to be all the dropped items they can't reach and want me to get right away, not when we stop in an hour or two.

I also plan to have a reserve of car games in my head for emergency diversions. I Spy is always a good one. One of our favorite made-up games is looking for cars that resemble Pixar Cars characters. This can be played in the city or on the open highway.

I am hoping and praying that Darling 2 sleeps in the car, at least on occasion. I have no hopes of Darling 1 sleeping in the car at all. I have strategically planned stops for eating and getting out for active play. Of course, we'll also stop 18 million times to go to the bathroom along the way.

OK! We're off and away and about to have a great adventure! I'll be checking in on Thursday. Over and out...

Anna

Winning the Jackpot: A Girl Can Dream

Maybe it was watching the royal wedding, maybe it's the rain or maybe it's my mood, but I've been thinking and planning in my head. If I won the lottery, and mean a giant pot, like Mega Millions or the Powerball, this is what I would do: 

1. Pay off mortgage, car and debt;
2. Get an office space away from my home for me and DH;
3. Get a babysitter & go on a weekend long date night {Money's been tight; it's been a while since we have had a date night of any length.}
4. Put the house on the market;
5. Start looking for our modest dream home;
6. Pay cash for our new home;
7. Put college money in annuities for the boys;
8. Put retirement money in annuity for us;
9. Go on a real, honest-to-goodness family vacation every year {never have}
10. Sit down as a family and decide to which charities we wish to make large donations. Two of my favorites: St. Vincent de Paul and Minnesota Public Radio;
11. Send my parents on their dream trip;
12. Buy my parents a home in the Twin Cities so they can visit for months at a time;
13. Have two washers and dryers installed in new dream home;
14. Have two dishwashers installed in new dream home;
15. Go visit our families more often;
16. Sign up for a yoga class {my first};
17. Get a pedicure more than once a year;
18. Get DH a massage more than once a year;
19. Revamp my wardrobe, nothing too extravagant, just good quality, stylish, well fitting clothes;
20. Not work so much, which would enable me to;
21. Exercise more, sleep more, volunteer more and do more with my kids;
22. Randomly pay for people's coffee, gas or lunch; fill parking meters when low; and
23. Take boxes of pizza or sandwiches to homeless and domestic violence shelters on a regular basis as a family.

It never hurts to dream about what it would be like to have enough money to not have to worry about paying bills or unexpected costs or go on vacations or randomly help others, etc. Dreaming is what keeps me going each day.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Have you ever made a mental list or even gone as far as I have and typed it up? Do you buy lottery tickets? Do you have a strategy to picking the numbers? Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket. I'll be back to legal issues next week. Over and out...

Anna

You might also like:

President’s Day 2011: Holiday Or Snow Day? {2012 Repost - Not a Snow Day This Year}

Who is Being Honored on President's Day?

Today President's Day or Presidents' Day or George Washington's B-day, depending on where you live. Regardless of what it's called in your neck of the woods, the original intent of Congress in creating this federal holiday in 1880 was to celebrate George Washington's B-day.

George Washington's actual birthday is February 22^nd, but in 1971, the holiday was shifted to the 3^rd Monday in February. According to Wikipedia, it was in the mid-1980s that the term "Presidents' Day" began to show up commercially after advertisers began to push for this. Now, about a dozen or so state governments have officially re-designated the holiday as Presidents' Day celebrating both Washington and Lincoln. Some states celebrate this day in their own way:

• In Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday" on the same day as the Federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual "Presidents' Day" proclamation on May 29 honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy.
• Alabama uniquely observes the day as "Washington and Jefferson Day", even though Thomas Jefferson's birthday is in April.
• In Connecticut, Missouri and Illinois, while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln's birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week.
• In Washington's home state of Virginia, the holiday is legally known as "George Washington Day."

Source: www.Wikipedia.com

Washington and Cherries

My childhood recollection of celebrating Washington's birthday involves my mom making little cherry fried pies to represent the story of young Washington chopping down his father's beloved cherry tree with his new little hatchet and coming clean about it. The story is well known, but it's now thought to be total fabrication by book peddler and author, Parson Weems. Regardless, the story now sticks in my memory, and I will forever associate cherries {or little cherry fried pies} with Washington.

Trivia Links

Even though this holiday is really meant to only celebrate Washington on his birthday, I have collected some sites with of trivia involving all 43 of the U.S. Presidents (While President Obama is our 44^th President, there have actually only been 43 U.S. Presidents; President Cleveland was elected twice in nonconsecutive terms.):

• The National Parks Service has tidbits on each of the Presidents;
• Interesting Presidential Trivia;
• The Cherry Tree Story; whether fact or fiction it's a nice parable;
• More Presidential Trivia; and
• President’s Day Children’s Activities.

The Scoop

Today, most schools, government offices and banks will be closed in observance of President's Day. Here, {in 2011} in Minnesota and other parts of the country, it will also be a snow day after receiving more than a foot of snow on Sunday and more forecast for Monday. So, whether you're at home because you get a holiday today or because the snow has you trapped in; or you have sick kid {OK, maybe that's just me} enjoy a bit of Presidential trivia and eat something with cherries, just for the sake childhood nostalgia.

{2012 update: Today it looks nothing like last year. We've having record highs and very little snow this winter. So, this year, the Darlings will likely go play at the park. Be sure to check out the Cherry Chocolate Cookie recipe that I made last year for President's Day.}

Anna

You might also like:

Patron Saint of Lovers: History of St. Valentine’s Day

Thanksgiving Traditions: The Pilgrims’ Laws

Never Take Candy from Strangers….Except on Halloween: Tips forTrick-or-Treating Safely

Impromptu Giveaway: Sky Zone Minneapolis Passes

Listen up, Twin Citians! I have 4 (1 hr.) passes to Sky Zone Minneapolis to give away (valued at $48). I will randomly pick at 10 PM Monday, January 3rd.

Don't know what Sky Zone is? Sky Zone is an indoor trampoline park. This location just opened and is owned by our friends, David and Robyn Hustrulid. Sky Zone Minneapolis is located in Plymouth. We have been there a few times already and love it!

Sky Zone is not just for kids either (although they do have toddler time 2X per week). There  are dodge ball games and SkyRobics for adults. And just jumping is tons of fun. Sky Zone is  a great way to balance fun and fitness; de-stress and shake out the sillies; fun for the whole family. Check out Sky Zone Minneapolis' Facebook Page for more information re: directions, hours, etc.: http://www.facebook.com/skyzonempls

Want to enter to win? Leave a comment below about what you are doing in 2011 to create a balanced lifestyle. For additional entries go to Facebook and  "like" SkyZone Minneapolis, "like" Motherly Law; go to Twitter and follow @SkyZoneMPLS and/or @MotherlyLaw.

Good luck! Wishing you a balanced 2011! Feel free to stick around check out some great posts! Over and out...

Anna

 

 

Too Many Toys: Tips for Buying the “Safest” Toys & Checking for Recalls

Child Psychology In Reverse

Two years ago, I bought the book "Too Many Toys" by David Shannon, thinking it would be a good way to start a dialogue on giving away toys that aren't played with anymore. Wrong. I thought we had too many toys then. Wrong again. That was two year ago, Darling 2 was just a few weeks old. He had not even begun to add his own toys to the stash. Now, here we are, two year later, still with too many toys! (Please note this is exclusively the opinion of the parent in this case)

The premise of the book is that the boy, Spencer, has too many toys. Yes, I 'm sure you got that part already, but there's more. He gets toys from everyone, from grandparents to the dentist. Spencer never gets rid of any of them. That is, until one day when his mom has absolutely had enough of stepping on the toys, and then it's much more difficult than she ever imagined because Spencer begins to negotiate what stays and what goes. It's a cute book, and I thought it was a good tool. And it was, but not in the way I had planned.

Darling 1 quickly caught on to what the story was really about and what I was trying to do. And even more quickly memorized the book, and still, after two years, uses Spencer's lines against me. His favorite, "but I LOVE ALLLLLLL my toys" (said with big, sad eyes and in a pleading, drawn out, pitiful voice). This scene is played out every time I ever say anything about all of their toys and how we should go through them to see if there are any toys we could get rid of.

How Many is Too Many?

The thing is, my Darlings do have too many toys, but they do play with them all. And as soon I think there is a toy that they haven't played with in a while, along comes one or the other and plays with that toy for 2 days straight. Mind you, I said, as soon as I think it. It's as if they can read my thoughts (well, actually sometimes I think they can, but that's another story). I have managed to smuggle a few things down to the basement and hide them away until they can be donated, etc.

They won't even get rid of the broken toys. Case in point, Buzz Lightyear, see photo from Monday's post. He is now headless, wingless, missing one hand, wrapped in masking tape and tied up with a yo-yo, but don't you dare for one intergalactic moment think he's headed for the trash. Oh no, Darling 1 is working on making him a new head and thinking of how to give him a new hand. He'll be as good as new very soon, or so I'm told.

Now don't get me wrong. I love to watch the Darlings construct elaborate storylines and play with the hundreds of stuffed animals, hordes of Little People and McDonald Happy Meal Movie Character toys, legions of cars, trucks and planes and every single Pixar character in their play room, um, I mean, my living room, but I have to draw the line somewhere. I just don't know where that line is yet.

The Dangers of Toys

What I do worry about is lead paint covered toys, tiny batteries, magnets and other small ingestible items. I try to watch for recalls and inspect our toys for loose pieces (or broken off heads and hands, etc.), chipping paint and other dangers. There have been so many toys recalled in the last several years. Many of the recalls were due to the level of lead in the paint used.

Fortunately, the U.S. has responded to these recalls and other issues by tightening the standards and has seen promising results.

Tips for Buying Safe Toys

Here are CPSC's Top Safe Shopping Tips for this year:

• Magnets – For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. If swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
• Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
• Ride-on Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly. Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.
• Projectile Toys – Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and sling shots are for older children. Improper use of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.
• Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.

CPSC also recommends using the following tips to help choose appropriate toys for children:

• Be a label reader. Look for toy labels that give age and safety recommendations and use that information as a guide.
• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
• For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.

Once the gifts are open:

• Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become dangerous play things.
• Keep toys appropriate for older children away from younger siblings or neighbors.
• Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery chargers. Some chargers lack any device to prevent overcharging.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07032.html

Additional tips from CPSC:

To help keep what has been called the most wonderful time of the year happy and incident-free, CPSC is encouraging consumers to adopt a three-pronged safety approach."

1. Which Toy for Which Child – Always choose age appropriate toys.
2. Gear Up for Safety – Include safety gear whenever shopping for sports-related gifts or ride-on toys, including bicycles, skates, and scooters.
3. Location, Location, Location – Be aware of your child's surroundings during play. Young children should avoid playing with ride-on toys near automobile traffic, pools or ponds. They also should avoid playing in indoor areas associated with hazards such as kitchens and bathrooms and in rooms with corded window blinds.

Source: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11042.html

Websites

• Check the CPSC's site for recalls: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html
• Check The Toy Association's site for all kinds of toy information, from safety to top toys to recalls to parent discussions on playing and toys: http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=TINFO_Home
• For Toy Standards from around the world and agency contact information , check the International Council of Toy Industries site: http://www.toy-icti.org/info/toysafetystandards.html

The Scoop

It's trite and often goes unheeded, but CPSC swears by its "small parts regulations" that have been in place for more than three decades. You know, the warning on toy packaging that cautions of small parts and gives the age the toy is inappropriate for. It's a simple warning, and I have to admit, I rarely look at those warnings on packages. However, I do check toys for small pieces and put those away for a time when the Darlings are older. It's difficult with two children of two very different ages on the development spectrum. At age 2, Darling 2 is still likely to "mouth" small objects.

So, be cautious, be vigilant and have fun shopping this holiday season. How do ensure your kids' toys are safe? Do you watch for recalls? Does it matter to you whether a toy is made in the U.S. or China or New Zealand or Timbuktu? I feel like it mattered more to me when the Darlings were babies. Now it seems like it's all about which toys they want – plastic, commercialized, made in China!

Check back tomorrow for the $40 Caribou Coffee Gift Card Giveaway! On Friday, I post a bit of Motherly Advice. Over and out…

Anna

You might also like:

Risk Management: Tips for Preventing Choking and What to Do if Someone is Choking

The Cautious Approach to Life: Tips for Teaching Your Kids Gun Safety

The Days Keep On Rolling: Great Websites for Getting the Best Fit for Your Child’s Car Seat

Black Friday Temptations: U.S. Toy Safety Standards

Late Night Foray

Laugh if you will (and I can almost guarantee you will by the end of this story), but I decided to brave the cold and go out to Toys R Us when it opened at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. The sales flyer was enticing; 50% off this and that, buy one, get one free, and on and on. The possible savings were too good to pass up.

I decided that I should arrive by 9 p.m. in case of a line. But if you know me, you know that I'm always running late. So, I arrived at 9:30. I noticed a line, but it didn't look too bad. And the store opened in 30 minutes. No sweat. It turns out the line that I could see was just the part on that side of the building. But still, it wasn't too far around the other side.

And then the cold wind reached me. I knew it was single digit temps, but I decided not to check my handy-dandy weather channel app on my phone to find out the actual temperature and wind chill. That would just make me feel colder. I did know that the wind chill earlier in the day, when the sun was still up, had been below zero. I plunged my gloved-hands deep into my warm coat pockets and did what I do best; I struck up a conversation with the two lovely ladies in front of me and nice couple behind me. We talked; we stomped; we hopped up-and-down in place, waiting, waiting, waiting for those doors to open.

People continued to arrive and get into line. The employees working the line estimated more than a 1000 people were there. I was approximately 250 in line. They let about 5o people in every 5 minutes once 10 p.m. arrived. I finally got inside; I wasn't sure I still had toenails; my face and hands were numb with cold, but that was OK because I was about to start saving money. And THEN, I realized it.

My wallet was at home, not in my purse! (I did, however, think to bring a bottle of water in case I was parched by all of the hard-core shopping.) I thought and thought, trying to figure out a solution. I decided to call DH at home. I noticed that my phone was showing low battery, but I figured I had enough battery remaining to call and discuss my predicament with DH. Uh, wrong. My phone died when DH answered and completely powered off. I walked around, dodging jolly, focused shoppers and their carts full of money-saving deals, until I could feel my extremities again, and then I left. When I started my car to drive home, I noticed my gas tank was on E. Seriously, someone was trying to tell me something. When I got home, we had a big laugh about the whole thing, but it took the rest of the night for me to warm up.

And the worst or best part of the story, depending upon how you look at it, I went back at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, and got everything on my list, but one crucial, A-listed-by-Darling-1 toy. I'm OK with it though, these are the kinds of things that happen to me. There was a happy, Christmas-y, congenial mood in the line that made it worth standing out in the frigid night. And let's face it, as parents, we will go to great lengths to get the toys our kids really want and get a good deal too.

Which Toy is the Safest?

It's easy to spot a good deal in a newspaper flyer or online, but it's hard to know how well a toy is made or to predict whether, after 50 million have been sold during the holiday season, it will be recalled in the next several months because there's lead in the paint or the tiny magnetic eyeballs fall out and pose a hazard, or the wheels fall off of a bike when a child is coasting down a hill, etc.

Recalls have been prevalent in the U.S. toy industry in recent years. Some of these recalls are so ridiculous that it's hard to imagine that the toy makers did not know of these issues before placing them on store shelves.

The Standard

Toy safety standards for the U.S. are governed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). There have been standards regulating toys and attempting to keep kids safe since the 1970s. The Standards are ever evolving in response to research and reports, new technologies and current trends. ASTM F963 is the general safety standard for toys.

ASTM F963 is cited in the CPSC's Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), which was created in response to the numerous toy recalls in the past several years. ASTM F963 includes guidelines and test methods to prevent injuries from choking, sharp edges and other potential hazards.

The new toy safeguards include: establishing the lowest lead content and lead paint limits in the world; setting limits on the use of certain phthalates; converting the voluntary toy standard into a mandatory standard; and working with Customs and Border Protection data systems to track shipments as they are in transit from other countries thereby increasing our effectiveness in discovering dangerous products coming into U.S. ports.

Source: CPSC Press Release

The Scope of ASTM F963 is as follows:

This specification relates to possible hazards that may not be recognized readily by the public and that may be encountered in the normal use for which a toy is intended or after reasonably foreseeable abuse. It does not purport to cover every conceivable hazard of a particular toy. This specification does not cover product performance or quality, except as related to safety. Except for the labeling requirements pointing out the functional hazards and age range for which the toy is intended, this specification has no requirements for those aspects of a toy that present an inherent and recognized hazard as part of the function of the toy. Such an example is a sharp point necessary for the function of a needle. The needle is an inherent hazard that is well understood by the purchaser of a toy sewing kit, and this hazard is communicated to the user as part of the normal educational process.

Source: http://StandardsForum.com

There is another standard for electric toys: UL-696. And yet another standard that includes Safety of Information Technology Equipment: IEC 60950-1, Second Edition. This includes the hundreds of varieties of electronic child development tools sold as toys: child laptop computers, handheld devices for games and learning, electronic reading toys, etc. ASTM 1148 is the standard for home playground equipment and ANSI Z315.1 is the standard for tricycles. There is even a standard for toy chests: ASTM F834.

All toys sold in the U.S. must conform to these standards. CPSC continues to monitor the effectiveness of the standards and update them as needed. According to Wikipedia, the new standard may be the toughest in the world.

Annual Toy Safety Report

The good news is that toy-related deaths have significantly dropped in the past year. The CPSC recently released its Toy Safety Report for 2009. According to this report, there were only 12 toy-related deaths in the U.S. last year, compared to 24 deaths in 2008 and 24 deaths in 2007. The highest number of deaths was attributed to tricycles. All three deaths occurred when a child fell into a pool while riding a tricycle and was drowned. While the deaths and injuries reported are not necessarily caused by toys, they are related to toys. Even still, the overall number of injuries related to toys is quite high. In 2009, there were an estimated 250,100 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments.

CPSC feels that the new standards are making a positive impact and restoring consumer confidence in the toys available. Only time will tell if these new standards are indeed making toys safer.

The Scoop

While these Standards are meant to be followed by toy manufacturers and inspectors, the parents must continually be attentive and do inspections of the toys in the home. It's important to watch for toys that are broken, have missing pieces or loose screws, etc. Parents should remember to watch for small pieces that come with larger toys that might be inappropriate for younger children and pay attention to the warnings given on the toys and their packaging.

On Wednesday, I will post tips for making sure the toys your kids are playing with are safe and how to be sure to spot any toy recalls that may affect you. I do have a Giveaway starting Thursday and ending Friday of this week. I'll post about that soon. Don't forget to weigh in on the Sunday Spotlight article this week. Over and out…

Anna

You might also like:

The Perils of Feeding a Child: Food-Related Choking Hazard Warnings

Celebrating the Red, White and Blue: Be Prepared to Follow the Law

The Hope of Evolving: Laws Concerning Booster Car Seats