Total Recall
Products such as toys or children’s clothing are usually recalled when the items do not meet the safety standards required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Cherylyn Feierabend
Listen
Total Recall
Hey there! You’re listening to the Mighty Mommy with some quick and dirty tips for practical parenting.
If you’ve been following the news, looking at advertisements, shopping in toy stores, or talking to other parents, then you are probably aware of the high number of product recalls occurring recently. Products such as toys or children’s clothing are usually recalled when the items do not meet the safety standards required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This week I’d like to share some information with you to help you determine if the children’s products you are purchasing are safe for your children.
The majority of items I’ve seen recently have been recalled due to excessive levels of lead found in the paint used in making the product. While I have not noticed any one store carrying more recalled products than other stores, I have noticed that the majority of recalled products are being manufactured in China. We import a lot of products from China, so this is not surprising. This does not mean that all products coming out of China are dangerous, but the lead paint standard in toys does seem to be an issue we are dealing with quite frequently right now. If you are concerned about lead paints in toys you currently own, you can invest in a household lead paint test kit or you can visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website at CPSC.gov There will be a link in the transcript.
The CPSC website is a great place to go when you want to find information about recalls and safety standards. The website also offers a feature that allows you to sign up for e-mail notifications when your chosen product-types are recalled. You can sign up to be notified about children’s toys, clothes, kitchen appliances, outdoor products, and other various items. You can also see items that have been recently recalled and the reason for the recall. Lead paint is not the only cause for a product to be removed from a store shelf. Toys that have been recalled due to choking hazard will be listed. If children’s sleepwear is not flame retardant it will be listed there as well.
Another product I’m seeing more recalls on lately is kid-size clothing with drawstrings. I see kids wearing this type of clothing all the time too. Drawstrings are dangerous. There is no need to have drawstrings on your children’s clothing. Even shortening them will not entirely remove the risk. These strings can get caught on playground equipment, door handles, and furniture. This poses a risk of strangulation. There is absolutely no reason to take this risk. If you absolutely must have an outfit because it’s just adorable, but it has drawstrings, please remove the strings immediately. If you need to, you can replace them. Other types of closures such as snaps, buttons, Velcro, or elastic are much safer alternatives.
Finally, keep in mind your child’s safety when you are shopping. Some items may not be recalled until days, months, or even years after you’ve purchased them. Because you have no way of knowing in advance that this will happen, always use your best judgment when making your purchases. If in doubt, don’t buy it. Anything that looks hazardous probably is. Common sense can go a long way in helping make decisions that may just save you from a trip to urgent care.
That’s it for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show. Thank you for listening.
There are a couple of links on the show’s website. The first one is a listener survey. Thank you to everyone who has taken the survey. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to check it out. We could definitely use your input.
If you’d like to request a topic for the Mighty Mommy you can e-mail me directly at mommy@qdnow.com.create new email
The Mighty Mommy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips network at quickanddirtytips.com. This week  Grammar Girl is talking about “which” versus “that” so be sure to check out her podcast!
This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!
Music – “Golly Gee” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons “Attribution 2.0” https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”
Boy with Blocks image courtesy of Shutterstock