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« Toxic children's toys signal time for reform | Main | Saturday Morning Multimedia: Toilet environmentalism »
Problem toys: A personal perspective
This post from one of the Urban Mamas bloggers really drove home the reality of the Mattel recall for me. I don't have babies of my own (yet -- don't worry, Mom, I'll get there!), so while I was busy being angry from a public health perspective, anxious parents across the country were raiding their children's toy boxes and wondering how to protect their precious progeny. From the post:
While I go around the house collecting these precious objects, I think: is it time to collect everything and switch entirely to wooden and handmade toys? I'm certainly about ready to throw up my hands in distress. My heart aches when I think of the fallout should I discover that the die-cast Thomas trains from Target have lead paint, too (my worst nightmare). If only I'd never developed the love affair my sons have with these dangerous things.
I don't know what I'll do when I have children (please, it's after 1 p.m. and I don't even know what I'm having for lunch), but the comments thread at Urban Mamas is full of ideas for where to find safer, more sustainable toys. That is, if you can afford them. Which, once again, is why we need to reform our nation's chemical laws and ensure that chemicals and products are safe for everybody's children.
IF is the key word here. You make a good point. I have a six year old and high quality wooden toys and items like good beeswax and other natural items cost so much more than plastic. But there are ways around it. If you look hard enough at thrift stores and garage sales. Still, I couldn't not have some fake toys because my son is Lego obsessed. Good post.
Your Lego-obsessed son raises another good point, Jennifer. It must not be easy to exclude plastic toys when children will be playing with them at preschool and at friends' houses and seeing them on TV.