Recall or Common Sense?

Have you ever read a toy recall? Now, I have to tell you before I get started I am not the type of parent that jumps at the word recall. Sure there are some recalls that I would certainly consider taking heed to, like the salmonella warnings, however most of the ones I read just require people to use common sense.

My case in point, following are a few recalls that I got from parents.com:

CATEGORY: Bathing & Potty Training

COMPANY/BRAND: Almar Sales

THE DANGER: Items in the baths sets contain small parts that pose a choking hazard to young children. Additionally, some of the handles on the carrying case are long enough to pose a strangulation hazard. Also, the plastic carrying case poses a danger of suffocation.

DESCRIPTION: This recall involves about 11,000 Suave brand bath sets that contain a 2-in-1 shampoo, bath sponge, and various other toy animal and character bath products. The baths sets are packaged in brightly colored vinyl bags with a clear window. Style numbers involved in this recall are: SVK 9498, 9499, 9501, 9506, 9507, 9508 The style numbers are located on the back and/or bottom right corner of the package, above the UPC code.

To pick on this one first, do you realize how many choking hazard toys are out there? They all start like this one "there are small parts" or small parts may break off. And this one is great to because of the "strangulation hazard" and "danger of suffocation". Now I'm just guessing, but I would say most parents with small children do not leave their kids alone in the bathtub. On top of not leaving them alone they probably do not give them the bag that all these products came in.. some might even throw it away. Yes accidents do happen and the kids may take the bag and put water in it (they are in the bathtub after all). But wouldn't the use of common sense of putting the bag up and watching them with at least one eye let you know if they put something in their mouth or on their head?

Continuing on to another recall:

CATEGORY: Toys & Games

COMPANY/BRAND: Target

THE DANGER: The dive sticks could remain in an upright position, posing an impalement hazard to young children.

DESCRIPTION: This recall involves about 365,000 dive sticks that were sold in a bundle of three in multiple colors: light blue, aqua green, fluorescent yellow, royal blue, and red. The tag accompanying the dive sticks contains: "Dive Toys" or "Diving Game" and has a white small parts warning label in the upper right hand corner. The words "Made in China" are printed in the lower right corner.

Now how many of you have gone swimming? And out of that portion, how many of you have used dive toys before? For those of you that may have never used them, dive sticks are (usually plastic) and I'd say about 7 inches long and they float to the bottom so you can dive and pick them up. My daughter and I have diving rings and a dolphin that we continually use. Please tell me how a child is going to get "impaled" by a piece of plastic? Besides that, they're diving sticks which even as they say above are bright colored and clearly labeled as a "diving game"? Can it hurt if you step on one? Of course it could! Would you have to go to the hospital because you stepped on one? No. Plain and simple. No. Use them as they are intended and you will be just fine and no one will have a new nickname of Vlad the Impaler.

Why do manufacturer's keep busting their chops to put out all these recalls (and if you check out a website such as the one I did, you will find plenty)? It's because they got sued or think they will get sued. That's another tangent for me to attack another day, but in the end can we keep our children from choking, being strangled and being impaled from our bath toys and diving toys just by being a common sense parent and knowing when to use these things?! The answer is as simple as the toy - YES!

So may common sense be your guide when you're out there in the big bad world of toy land and may you all avoid being impaled!