Being a parent is tough enough these days without having to worry about causing harm to your baby's health by purchasing the wrong toy. It's hard to imagine that harmful materials can make their way into products intended for babies in this modern age, and yet we still see stories on the nightly news broadcasts about this very problem. That's why it's more important than ever for parents to be vigilant about buying non toxic toys for their precious little ones.
Perhaps I should rephrase that a bit, since no mother or father would deliberately buy a contaminated toy for their child. Nevertheless, certain kinds of products are more likely to contain harmful materials than others, so it pays to know what to avoid. For example, most of the items featured on government recall lists in recent years were manufactured in China or other foreign countries. Sure, they might have been sold under familiar brand names like Mattel, but the place of origin does make a difference. Foreign standards for producing non toxic toys aren't always as strict as they should be, so it's critical that you make wise decisions in this regard.
A good way to ensure your child gets only non toxic toys is to buy from a small producer when possible. This means purchasing something from that family-owned toy factory in Maine or Texas rather than an item that was mass-produced overseas and is now sitting on the shelf at a big box discount store. You can find smaller manufacturers on the Internet, and though they might charge slightly higher prices than you're used to, your baby's health is definitely worth it.
Buying stuff made of unpainted natural wood is also a smart way to get non toxic toys into your children's hands. Most of the harmful substances that prompt nationwide recalls are found in metal or plastic products, as well as paint used on a variety of items. As far as non toxic toys go, you can't get much safer than unpainted natural wood.
Just bear in mind that not all toy recalls are based on harmful chemicals. A significant portion is due to small parts that can come loose and pose choking hazards to young children. So an even better precaution to take would be to carefully examine each toy before buying it to make sure there are no small parts involved. It would also be a good idea to adhere to the age limits set by the manufacturers, as this relates directly to safety.
No parent wants to be overly protective to the point of being paranoid, but at the same time, you can't deny that dangers do exist. Fortunately, parents are more insistent on non toxic toys than ever before, which means the industry as a whole is taking notice. That's good news for us -- and for our kids too.