Pointers For Parents

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244 WORDS, 90 SECONDS

POINTERS FOR PARENTS

AS A PARENT OR CAREGIVER, NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD. LIKEWISE, TOY COMPANIES WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR TOYS AND GAMES ARE SAFE FOR YOUR FAMILY.

U-S SAFETY STANDARDS ARE AMONG THE STRICTEST IN THE WORLD. BEFORE

REACHING YOUR HOME, A TOY IS SUBJECT TO OVER A HUNDRED DIFFERENT SAFETY STANDARDS AND TESTS, AND MUST BE CERTIFIED COMPLIANT BY AN INDEPENDENT TESTING LABORATORY. REST ASSURED, THE TOYS AND GAMES SOLD BY LEGITIMATE RETAILERS ARE SAFE. U-S TOY SAFETY LAWS ARE CONSIDERED THE GOLD STANDARD AND ARE EMULATED BY OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

AS A PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN AND A MOTHER OF THREE SMALL CHILDREN, I KNOW ALL TOO WELL HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SUPERVISE CHILDREN DURING PLAYTIME. ONE OF THE SIMPLEST TIPS I CAN SHARE WITH FAMILIES IS TO CHECK THE AGE GRADING ON TOY PACKAGING. TOYS WITH SMALL PIECES SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CLEANED UP AND STORED AWAY SO THAT SMALL HANDS CAN’T ACCESS THEM. I SEE CHILDREN ALL THE TIME IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHO ARE INJURED BY OBJECTS THAT ARE NOT TOYS BUT THAT ARE PLAYED WITH ANYWAY. OBJECTS LIKE DISHWASHER PODS, BROKEN

BALLOON PIECES, BUTTON BATTERIES AND MAGNETS POSE A SERIOUS RISK TO CHILDREN.

TOY SAFETY IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. THE TOY ASSOCIATION’S WEBSITE, PLAY-SAFE--DOT--ORG, HAS IMPORTANT TIPS FOR FAMILIES. WHETHER YOU’RE BUYING TOYS ONLINE OR IN STORES, IT’S IMPORTANT TO BUY FROM TRUSTED SELLERS.