The Safety Mom Chronicles

One Year Stay on Toy Testing Is Causing Even More Confusion

While the government  might be trying to protect our kids from dangerous toys, what they're succeeding in doing is causing even greater confusion for parents. 

As I wrote several weeks ago, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act would require manufacturers of all children's products to certify and test for numerous hazards including lead content and phthalates.  The problem is that this testing is so stringent and broad that it would essentially force many small manufacturers out of business and seriously hurt the larger companies.

So now, in order to provide more guidance to manufacturers as to when testing is required and how it is to be conducted along with redefining rules that could excuse certain materials from testing, the Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued a one-year stay of enforcement for this testing.  The Catch-22 is that, while they don't need to test, they are still required to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.  Basically what this means is that the government is saying that they're not going to make manufacturers prove they're meeting the standards, they're just going to take their word for it. 

Needless to say, this makes me extremely nervous.   As moms, how are we supposed to know what to believe and what is safe?  I agree that revised guidelines must be crafted so that we are protecting our children but not putting companies out of business.  But ultimately we as consumers need to be assured that the toys we are buying for our children are safe. 

Fortunately, while the government might not be requiring the testing, large retailers such as Walmart and Toys R Us are requiring suppliers to test their products and provide proof that they meet the new lead and phthalate limits.    Unfortunately for now moms, I still say buyer beware. 

The Government Finally Considers Children's Safety

Every parent can celebrate tonight!  President Bush today signed a law that dramatically cuts the amount of lead in toys, mandates national safety standards for all-terrain vehicles that are linked to hundreds of deaths each year and partially bans the use of phthalates, a controversial chemical used to soften plastic.   The bill also increases the budget for the Consumer Products Safety Commission and includes third-party testing requirements for certain children's products. 

So this holiday season perhaps we won't have to second guess whether the toy we bought will harm our child.   And hopefully this is the first step to ridding our children's products of harmful chemicals.

Consumer advocate groups such as Moms Rising - www.momsrising.org need to be congratulated for their hard work in pushing this legislation forward.  This proves what parents can accomplish when they get angry enough and feel that children are not being protected.    But our job is not done.  We need to continue advocating for our children's health and safety.  Hopefully our children's well being will be a top priority for the next president.

Are We Risking Our Children's Lives Buying Toys This Holiday Season?

As the Safety Mom, I get e-mails from concerned parents daily, asking me questions about child safety as well as letting me know about products recalls.  Last night my in-box was flooded with the news of the latest recall, Aqua Dots, distributed by SpinMaster Ltd. here in the U.S.   In case you're not familiar with the product or have missed the news, this arts-and-crafts toy consists of colorful beads that, when sprayed with water will stick together to form colorful designs.  The problem is that if these beads are ingested, the body metabolizes the adhesive into a compound similar to a date rape drug, potentially triggering seizures and even coma.  As of this morning, two children in the U.S. were known to have slipped into comas and three in Australia have been hospitalized.  Yet again, this was a toy manufactured in China.  It was discovered that the manufacturing plant, in order to cut costs, substituted a toxic chemical for a safe glue.  Apparently this is common in Chinese manufacturing plants.  They will substitute cheaper products to save money, thereby leaving our families vulnerable to tragedies.

What is perhaps equally disturbing is that Aqua Dots was on Walmart's Top 12 Toys of Christmas list!  Most parents would feel safe selecting a toy from this list.  Now, moms across America are throwing up their hands and saying "I give up!  What's safe anymore?"  On the Aqua Dots box it clearly says that this toy is for children 4+.  And, while many moms wouldn't consider buying this toy for their toddler, what about the older kids in the house?  The reality is that try as you might, accidents happen and toddlers get near older sibling's toys.  What's more, one of the children that was hospitalized in Australia was 10 years old!  I tell moms all the time, you can never predict what your child is going to do, no matter how old they are.  They don't necessarily act in a rationale manner.  So yes, even an older child could potentially put these beads in her mouth.  It's up to the toy manufacturers to ensure that the toys they are selling to our children are safe.  It's also up to them, as well as the U.S. government, to ensure that quality standards are being upheld in China.  Until we can be reassured that this is happening, can we risk our children's lives?  Can we be sure that the gift they're opening this year won't end up seriously hurting them or even potentially killing them?  As moms, we need to stop and consider each toy very carefully.  It's no longer just small objects that could present a choking hazard or long cords that could cause strangulation that we need to worry about.  Electronic toys, painted toys and riding toys all pose serious risk if the manufacturing is substandard - something we really have no way of knowing.

So before you venture out to the mall, consider alternatives - music, books and computer games (age appropriate please) that will be both enjoyable and safe.

Choosing Safe Video Games For Your Kids

You can already feel it in the air --- the holiday shopping frenzy is about to begin!  I know that at my house, video games are going to be on top of my son's wish list.  The problem is how to know which games are age appropriate.   The titles can be misleading and some games might start out innocent enough but then get into violent content that I don't want him viewing.   Fortunately the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has ratings printed on virtually every game and gives a description of each rating.  Ratings range from EC (Early Childhood 3+) to AO (Adults Only 18+.) Next to the rating symbol are content descriptors which will give you some idea as to why the game received this rating.  What's more, you can actually go to their site, www.esrb.org and search by game platform and rating to find all of the titles that are inappropriate based on your individual concerns.

While I was aware of the ratings on the game, what I didn't know is that the new gaming platforms actually have parental controls built in which ensure a fun and safe gaming experience for our kids.  These are available on Microsoft XBox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3.  You can learn how to set up these parental controls at the ESRB website.   So take a minute to check out their website and browse before you buy to make sure the "coolest present" is also going to be a safe one.

Does the CPSC really care about child safety?

Now that the holiday season is about to kick into full gear, we can't help but wonder, is the toy we just bought really safe?  Are we going to read that it's been recalled next week?  We rely on the government to monitor these issues and protect our kids from faulty manufacturing and unsafe levels of lead that could seriously injure or kill our children.  Yet now comes the news that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency tasked with protecting us and our children from dangerous products, is not taking its job seriously.   

Last week, the Senate approved legislation that would give the commission more power and money to monitor potentially life-threatening products.    Specifically, the bill would increase the commission's budget from about $63 million to nearly $142 million by 2015 and increase its staff by 20%.  It would raise the cap on penalties for safety violations from $1.8 million to $100 million and it would ban lead from all children's products.   It would also require that the commission make consumer complaints public almost immediately.  Currently, complaints and results of internal investigations are not revealed for weeks while a company has time to respond.   This silence could lead to a child's injury or even death.

You would think that this would be welcomed by the CPSC.  Shockingly however, Nancy Nord, the acting chairwoman of the CPSC, opposes the bill!  This is an agency that is in desperate need of an overhaul.  Their budget and staff has continued to dwindle over the years.  Perhaps most shockingly, it was revealed that there is only one inspector within the entire agency charged with testing toys to make sure they are safe for our children!    How can this be?  Perhaps the answer lies with the company Ms. Nord keeps.  On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Nord took "dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate."

This is outrageous!  As mom's we need to send a loud message to Ms. Nord and the CPSC that we will not stand for this callous disregard for our children's safety!  Moms Rising, a grass roots organization that allows our voice to be heard,  is delivering a petition to Congress demanding their support in strengthening the agency tasked with keeping our children safe and replacing anyone who stands in the way of this vital mission.  I urge you to  sign this petition by clicking here and pass this post along to your friends, co-workers and families.  Let's make sure that this holiday season, as our children are opening gifts, we can be assured that they are safe and lead-free. 

What You Need to Know About Toy Recalls

I was talking to some friends this weekend about the recall of the Easy Bake Oven - one of my absolute favorite toys growing up. I was amazed to find out how many of my friends with teenage daughters still have their Easy Bake Ovens in a closet somewhere.  The same was true for the recent recall on some of the Thomas The Tank Engine toys.  These are some of the "classic" toys that have been around forever and get handed down to younger siblings, cousins, friends etc.   

A problem arises when these toys are handed down and there has been a product recall that the new owner is unaware of.  This is why I always advise parents never to accept hand me down toys or products such as high chairs, cribs and especially car seats.  Safety guidelines change and product recalls effect specific designs and model date. 

In addition to avoiding hand me down items or those purchased from tag sales, keep the following safety thoughts in mind when purchasing toys:

• According to the National Safe Kids Council, falls and choking cause the most toy-related deaths and injuries in children. Choking alone causes one third of all toy-related deaths – most from balloons.

• Children 4 years old and younger account for almost half of all toy-related injuries and almost all deaths.

• Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website, www.cpsc.org, and sign up to receive notice regarding any juvenile product recall
• Immediately fill out the manufacturer's product warranty card when purchasing a toy or juvenile product so that you will be informed of any recall.