Toys can be great tools to help children with their development by stimulating their brain and motor functions. But they could also pose risks to their safety, especially toys with detachable parts that can be accidentally swallowed.
Before you go buy your children another toy, here are seven key points all parents need to remember:
1. Regular checkups
Toys need maintenance, too, especially if these are toys that your kids particularly like and play with. When checking a toy out, you need to review its cleanliness and durability, removing broken pieces and loose parts that could potentially harm your kids.
2. Rubber toys
Items such as balloons and latex gloves fall under this category. According to BabyCenter, balloons is among the leading causes of death in children. When a piece of latex makes its way inside a children airways, it can effectively cut off their oxygen supply.
3. Check age recommendations
These rules may seem arbitrary, but they’re there for a reason: keeping children safe. Parents can find these guidelines on the tour’s label or packaging.
According to Dr. Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education, toys for children under one-year-old should be colorful, lightweight, have various textures and are made of non-toxic materials.
4. Avoid battery-operated toys
Batteries in these toys are small and can easily be digested by an inquiring child. Once inside the body, batteries can burn a hole in a child’s internal organs.
5. Test it yourself
Before purchasing a toy at the store, give it first a whirl and judge for yourself whether or not a particular toy is suited for your children. If you think that it gives off a weird odor, or if you feel like it’s flimsy and can easily be broken, pick a different toy.
6. Buy big toys for small kids
This way you eliminate the chance of the toy being swallowed, making them safer for your children to play with.
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