Baby Toys – What to look out for
Almost every baby wants a toy to play with. However, choosing the right toy can be a daunting task for a parent. You might recall the stir that some ‘bad’ toys from China caused recently in the USA. It was said that some toys contained harmful materials! In August 2007, a Chinese manufacturer recalled about 20 million toys from the international market, with risks ranging from choking hazards to lead content being cited.
Besides safety matters, many parents are faced with the dilemma of which toy to buy and what type is appropriate for what age.
One reader of Pregnant, Ann, says that when she visited her friend who has a baby girl the same age as her daughter, she was breath-taken by the beauty of the baby’s toy. She noticed how happy and excited the baby was while playing with the toy. Though expensive, Ann went out and bought the same type of toy for her daughter. Unfortunately, her baby girl simply looked at it, left it on the floor, and has never touched it again! Ann was astonished that her child could not see the beauty of the toy or experience the same level of fun she had witnessed in her friend’s child.
Why are toys so popular?
It is unlikely that you will be with your baby all the time. Even if you can find the time, it is equally unlikely that your baby will want you sitting next to her all the time!
Babies, just like adults, need some time by themselves. Toys help them get preoccupied with some useful ‘work’, thus aiding their development and sharpening their creativity, while providing fun.
For the cosmopolitan parent, however, toys are sometimes bought more for the parent’s use than the baby’s fun. Many working parents find the toys a useful distraction for the baby, thus enabling mum or dad to attend to some household chores, official or personal tasks and errands. Too much of this use of toys can also be destructive to the baby.
Consider the age of your baby
Age is an important determinant of the kind of toy best suited for a baby’s desires.
Small toys may not be ideal for kids aged less than one year, because of the hand-to-mouth reflex which causes a baby to put virtually anything she picks up into her mouth. A baby can easily swallow such toys.
Six month old babies prefer toys that sing or make noise when shaken or those that can be safely be placed in the mouth.
When buying toys, check on the label for age advice, but beware of manufacturers who abuse this and stretch the suitable age so as to make additional sales!
The colour
Many people believe that colour preference goes with gender. Pink, for instance, is associated with girls while blue is common for boys. However, purchasing toys of the same colour or colour scheme can make the baby’s play session boring. It is good to accustom the baby to all kinds of colours. In time, they will choose the colours they like or dislike, and will tell you as much as soon as they can talk!
Purpose of the toy
Toys can be used in many ways. Consider whether the baby will use the toy to sleep with, sit on or simply throw up in the air. if you have a baby who is hyper, buy some toys that temper down her activity. If she is too slow, buy toys that increase her movement. If she is of reading and speaking age. buy educational toys to help improve that.
Read the message on the package keenly as some manufacturers provide tips and pictures on how to effectively use the toy.
Health and safety
Before making any toy purchases, ensure that the toys you envisage to buy conform to safety standards. Some toys, though big in size, have small breakable or removable pieces, which can be very fatal if swallowed by the baby. Others are slippery on cement or tiled floors and can cause the baby to fall. There are also those with sharp edges that might poke or cut the baby, causing bodily harm.
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