Hailey’s Crib

For a while now, we’ve seen toy recall after toy recall.  Toxic this, lead paint that, made in China.  Fortunately for Andrea and I, Hailey doesn’t have a taste [yet] for the ‘marketed-to-kids-junk’ that toddlers and kids see on tv and elsewhere. (for the record, we plan to do our best to not have her be an advertisement sponge).

Reading Strollerderby this morning (a parenting blog by multiple bloggers), there was a post about the fact that “our media-exposed kids are hip to what’s being marketed to them, which just adds to the hype, and intensifies the pressure to buy the latest, greatest new thing, which is actually just more cheap crap.”

Exactly. Hits the nail right on the head.  On the news last night, while they ran the segment on Mattel, et al recalling millions of toys, there were analysts talking about how to keep kids safe with their toys, go ahead and buy our toys, we promise they’ll be ok, etc…  Nobody on the news said: “Stop buying cheap crap and get your kids a building block set, or just the box it came in so they can make a fort.”

No, they tell you that all is ok, and “we assure you our toys are safe and you should still purchase these wonderful items for your children.” Which translates to “Puh-lease don’t stop buying our junk that we get manufactured in China for slave wages so we can turn a 250% profit.” 

So go get some plain old building blocks and watercolor paints and let ‘em go to town.  Get them a coloring book and don’t freak out when the purple one disappears and reappears later on in the diaper (true story from co-worker).  I’ll do the same when Hailey gets older…, for now she can chew on her cardboard “Yummy, Yucky” book and tear up my Sports Illustrated before I get to read it.