Consumerist
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sick kids
Geek Squad Contributes To Society, Opens Outlet In Children's Hospital
The announcement that Best Buy plans to open a Geek Squad outlet inside the Children's Hospital in Minneapolis seems, at first, incongruous. "Geek Squad?" we said. "Haven't these families already suffered enough?" Except this Geek Squad isn't there to profit off sick kids—they're there to help. No, really. More » -
acceptable risk
Stroller Company Maclaren Knew About Amputation Risk 5 Years Ago
The British company Maclaren knew that its recently recalled strollers could potentially lop off a tot's fingertips over five years ago, reports the New York Post, but it didn't bother to alert the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). More » -
ask the consumerists
How Do You Explain Invisible Money To Your Kids?
Learning about how money works is important for children. But today, when all of our transactions seem to take with the mysterious swipe of a card, or inside a computer. So how to teach children about money when nobody uses cash anymore? More » -
brats on a plane
Mother And Child Kicked Off Southwest Flight Receive Apology, Free Travel
Earlier this week, a 2-year-old boy drowned out preflight announcements on a Southwest Airlines flight with his screams of "I want Daddy!" and "Go, plane, go!" So the airline kicked the child and his mother off the plane.
Southwest has since apologized to the child's mother, and offered a refund and travel voucher.
Southwest apologizes to mom on Calif. flight [AP]
(Photo: woodleywonderworks)
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inventors
Creator Of Baby Einstein Vids Admitted In 2005 She Didn't Know What She Was Doing
A website that focuses on female entrepreneurs interviewed the creator of the Baby Einstein video line back in 2005. As Boing Boing pointed out yesterday, her explanation of how she developed the videos is pretty funny. Well, Boing Boing calls it "damning," but it's funny that everyone—Disney included—took the product line so seriously. More » -
here come the cops
This Chuck E. Cheese Restaurant Really Knows How To Party
Police had to respond to three separate incidents in one day this past Saturday at the Chuck E. Cheese in Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania, according The Patriot-News. We hope the police got some free slices or skee-ball tickets on that last call. Well maybe just free skee-ball tickets. More » -
babies
Disney Offers Baby Einstein Refunds After Alleged False Advertising
If you've purchased Baby Einstein products, your tot is probably somehow—inexplicably—still not a genius. But you may be eligible for a refund of the purchase price, due to overzealous claims made about the products. More » -
outbreaks
Tiny Turtles Spread Joy, Salmonella
Turtles remain a popular pet with kids. In 1975 the U.S. banned the sale of ones smaller than 4 inches, but the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates almost 2 million were being kept as pets as of 2006. They're also responsible for one of the slowest outbreaks of salmonella we've seen in recent years. More » -
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retail
Walt Disney Planning On Turning Stores Into Shopping Theme Parks
Starting the middle of next year, Walt Disney will be rolling out a new version of its mall store format that is intended to suck in your child like a fairy princess crack pipe. "The goal is to make children clamor to visit the stores and stay longer," writes Brooks Barnes in the New York Times, by using things like embedded chips in the packaging to trigger responses from the store's furnishings, a rotating library of scents that fill the store, and karaoke. More » -
games
Prove You're Financially Literate And Win At Online Soccer!
We're not sure what "soccer" is—it looks like it might be some sort of real-world Quidditch without the brooms—but Visa and a bunch of soccer players have released a fancy-schmancy (for a website, at least) online version that tests your financial literacy. You can try it out at financialsoccer.com instead of working this morning. More » -
parental controls
Parental Control Software Co. Sells What Kids Say On The Internet
If you're a company like Echometrix that sells parental control software, you're sitting on a whole bunch of data about what teens and children say and do on the Internet. What to do with that information? Use it to make your software better? Well, of course. But why not sell aggregate data to marketers, too? More » -
fines
Target Must Pay $600,000 To Settle Lead Paint Charges
Looks like the CPSC can afford donuts tomorrow for their office: Target has agreed to pay $600,000 for selling toys with too much lead on them from May 2006 to August 2007, reports Reuters. The fine "resolves allegations" over the issue, so now Target can focus on what it does best, which is act crazy. More » -
contamination
Tylenol Voluntarily Recalls Children's Medicines
Concerned about bacterial contamination, Tylenol is recalling certain children's liquid medication products manufactured during a certain period in 2008. While the risk of infection is low when the medicines are ingested, still: eww, bacteria. More » -
legislation
New Bill Proposes Study of Junk-Food Marketing in Schools
New legislation proposed in Congress today would require the U.S. Department of Education to study the nutritional value of foods available in schools, as well as the forms of food marketing. Sponsored by Representatives Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Todd Platt (R-PA), the National School Food Marketing Assessment Act has a large roster of supporters, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Parent Teacher Association, American Heart Association, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. More » -
funny
7 Toys You Probably Shouldn't Buy
Look, we're not going to sit here and pretend to know a lot about parenting. But unless Ambras syndrome runs in your family, we can't imagine why you need to teach your 7-year-old how to shave a baby. The toy tattoo gun actually looks like a lot of fun, though.
"The 7 Most Inappropriate Products For Children" [Huffington Post] (Thanks to Daizy!)
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weird
Play Doh Ads Make Crying Out For Help Fun
These Play Doh ads from Singapore don't seem to be aimed at kids. Then again, the message "safe no matter what you make" seems to be aimed directly at parents of kids who play with Play Doh, which leads us back to our initial thought, which is wtf kind of kid requiring parental supervision is shaping eerily realistic looking bottles of pills and razor blades for fun? Play Doh, the fun sad toy that tastes like tears!
"A Campaign With an Edge" [UglyDoggy via AgencySpy]
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dunkin' donuts
Parents Sue Dunkin' Donuts After Rogue Hash Brown Burns Toddler
Continuing this weekend's unintentional theme of "toddlers and food service," today we bring you the sad tale of a Quincy, Mass. 23-month-old whose parents are suing Dunkin' Donuts after he was burned by a hash brown. A hash brown that fell out of his mouth and onto his neck. More » -
insults
Restaurant Calls Rowdy Toddler "Little F***er" On Family's Receipt
Did you think that a restaurant using the code "bogo bitches" to refer to coupon-using customers was bad? Well, a Cactus Joe's restaurant in England can top that. A new menu item called 'Thankyyou littell f***er'" appeared on a family's receipt after their child acted up during a long wait for food. More »
children
New York, 3:30 PM
Mon Nov 23
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