That's it! We're getting a bubble.
I mean, what more can I do to keep my kids from turning stupid with all
that lead just waiting to enter their bloodstream? They are just one
Cookie Monster saxophone and some bad decisions away from succumbing to
a toy on a recalls list.
For weeks, I
have been throwing out toy after toy, especially anything painted -- we only own cheap stuff so I
was sure none of it was safe. All the kiddie jewelry is gone. I've
practically memorized model numbers on the big stuff in preparation for
the next recall, which should come any day now.
But lead-paint toys or even poorly designed cribs aren't the worst of parents' worries. What is? In our case, it's the walls of the aging bungalow we rent, a god-damn rubber ball, of which we own probably 40, and other everyday amusements.
According
to the article, the lead we live with in our homes is far worse than
any lead in kids toys. Most older homes post a risk, since the walls were likely painted with lead-paint. And if you're remodeling, amp up that risk doubly or triply so.
But the biggest threats to kids isn't lead in any case. It's the
simple toys you have probably been pushing since the fancy ones now
seem tainted.
The real dangers are balloons, marbles, and those
colorful rubber balls -- all choking hazards of the simplest design. In
2005, 20 children under 15 years old died of toy-related injuries, nine
of them from choking on toys -- six choked on balls, one on a broken
balloon (vindicated! I hate balloons!), one on a bead from a toy horse
and one on a toy dart.
Also, you wouldn't know it but there
have been fewer toy recalls this year than there were for the same
period last year. I couldn't name a single recall from last year
without doing research, but I think we'll all remember the sudden
demise of Thomas and his friends for quite some time.
Actually,
if you look at the chart and the statistics in the story, what stands
out is how few children have actually died from unsafe toys in the last
decade. Huh. That's good, right?
I guess I'll rethink the bubble. It is likely made in China anyway, coated with a lead-based sealant and probably being recalled right now.
