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Despite problems involving Chinese-made goods sold in the U.S., a Chinese spokesperson says that orders for Christmas toys are “up” and that factories can’t keep up with demand. But he also says, “I urge the importers of Chinese toys to come to China and buy more Chinese toys and I wish children around the world a Merry Christmas,” which makes the claim sound like PR spin. [Reuters]
Just buy ’em and scrape off the lead paint. Why? Because toy makers will be passing the cost of higher-quality and better-made toys on to you next year. Says one analyst, “Anything that’s a new introduction, you can make that price point $19.99 rather than $14.99.”
Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique, the correctly named Barbie toy, features a built-in credit card swiper and a life-size credit card for young children to use when buying outfits for their dolls. According to the Amazon website, “Once the balance hits zero, it will reset so you can continue to shop.”
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Don’t buy grades from your kids, cautions Kiplinger—it’s a slippery slope, and confuses the issue, which should be about achievement and investing in the future rather than turning eduction into a Rewards Program that will eventually run dry or lose its appeal. [Kiplinger]
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Maybe Television Idiot Syndrome (a term we just made up) is reversible: a new study says you can reduce the risk of having an antisocial, depressive child if you reduce his television viewing to less than two hours per day by age 5 1/2. Just make sure you don’t fill up those two hours with Baby Einstein vids. [Reuters]
The Times is reporting that some overzealous parents are manually testing their children’s toys for lead. Take Andrew Jones, a well meaning but admittedly paranoid father to a 3-year-old:
Like many parents, Mr. Jones said he was suspicious of all of his daughter’s toys now that millions of items for children have been recalled for high levels of lead.
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Health organization Kaiser Permanente has launched an online game for kids that teaches them about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, then “locks” the kids out of the game after 20 minutes so they’ll go outside and play. We imagine the lock-out functionality won’t be needed, as the educational aspect of the game should organically repel the target audience of 9- and 10-year-olds in 10 to 15 seconds. [Reuters]
From 1985 to 2005, crib bumpers—the soft padded things parents use to protect their little bundles of dna from injury—have caused 27 deaths and 25 injuries in babies 2-years-old or younger, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Two universities are now cautioning that crib bumpers may not be worth the risk.
Burger King knows you don’t want your kids to be fat, but it does want your money. Introducing: “Apple Fries!”
Today is a big day for Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). Starting at 11am, the Chairman of the powerful Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will kick off a series of hearings examining the toy industry’s seemingly magnetic attraction to lead paint. Durbin, whose Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s budget, will grill toy industry representatives, consumer advocates, and members of the government over plans to protect America’s children from the dangers silently lurking on toy shelves by establishing an independent testing regime.
Toy-giant Mattel will recall yet more toys covered in deadly lead-tainted paint, the AP reports.
Dorel Juvenile Group, the nation’s largest maker of car seats, is recalling 19 models of car seats, including the Eddie Bauer and Costco Cosco brands.
Craft magazine has put together a round-up of safe toys that you can make for your kids. The downside is that you have to stop being lazy and learn to do something yourself. (Awful, we know.) The upside is that unless you’re buying the cloth from New Zealand, the odds of you poisoning your own child are low.
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Basic Editions-brand Girls’ Clothing Sets (entrapment), Priddy “Trucks” Shaker Teether Books (choking), Sleepi Crib Foam Mattresses (entrapment), AC Adapters sold with Network Hard Disk Drives (burn), J.C. Penney Windsor Spindle-Back Side Chairs (fall), Los Angeles Salad Company Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots (bacterial infection)
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Britax Decathlon child safety seat (belt adjuster popping out of position).
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Hampton Direct Magnetic Toy Train Sets (lead).
The New Zealand Ministry of Consumer Affairs is investigating claims made by a New Zealand television program that Chinese-made children’s clothes are contaminated with formaldehyde. The consumer watchdog program tested woolen and cotton clothes after receiving a complaint that a child had suffered an allergic reaction.
The FTC has issued subpoenas to 44 food and beverage companies that market to kids, including Burger King, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Kraft. The companies are being called on to disclose how much they spend on their marketing campaigns to kids, as well as “specific information about their marketing practices,” by November 1st of this year.
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