Is It Just me...or Is This Getting Ridiculous? Fisher Price Recalls...

Sadly, we live in a society where no one wants to take personal responsibility for anything...it's always easier (and some times financially beneficial) to blame the other guy...and I HATE IT!

We also suffer from the constant bombardment of the "I know what's best for you" mentality...it goes right along with the "it takes a village to raise a child" motto which I also HATE!

I would like my children to grow up and have the same freedoms I did...and I will be the only one raising my child...thank you very much!

Ugh! This is my #1 issue with the world right now...we are having ALL of our freedoms and choices taken away and there is no light at the end of the tunnel...that I can see anyway?!

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It's easy to feel the way you do, as you have blessed enough not to survive a terrible accident with a bad outcome. For those parents who have actually lost a child because of a poorly designed toy, or who have children who will have greatly altered lives because of a poorly designed toy, I guarantee you the sentiments would be different.

Yes, parents are responsible for the safety of their children...but in the bigger scheme of things, it IS the responsibility of these toy manufacturers to not market and sell toys that are dangerous. The public should have a fair guarantee that the toys they buy are safe for their children. Right now, very few are safe. Between lead poisoning and poorly designed toys with dangerous things like magnets and poisonous cadmium/lithium button batteries, very few toys ARE suitable.

As far as I'm concened, I think toys like Polly Pockets are terrible! They are choking hazzards and inevitably the sort of thing little kids WILL want to put into their mouths because they're brightly colored and rubbery like gum or candy, yet the toy industry has way too much leeway to sell them because of fancy legalese on the box. Kids want them thanks to marketing and parents buy them thinking exactly what you think...it's your responsibility to make sure no one chokes. What no one thinks about is why something like this even makes it to the planning stages when it is unsuitable as toy for families with young kids to begin with.

I think it's great Fisher Price is upping their standards. It's a long time coming. I'm tired of news stories of lawsuits because some poor kid lost their finger tips in a faulty stroller, others dying because they swallowed magnets or batteries that should NEVER be used in a toy for kids, other kids will be slow thanks to lead poisoning, and don't forget about the many infants who suffocate or are strangled in cute but poorly designed cribs and high chairs.

In an era when we have the technology and resources to find safe alternatives and designs for toys, accidents should be the rarity, not the norm. Right now, it is the norm thanks to companies cutting corners by sending manufacturing overseas and looking the other way when the cheaper alternative isn't as safe, but guarantees profit.

Don't knock Fisher Price. Sadly, I'm sure this move is more about the bottom dollar versus concerns about child safety...at least something is changing.

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The reason, A., is lawsuit mania in the US. The companies have to pay more defending lawsuits than what they spend on a recall.

Whether you agree or not, the ability to take a company to task for poor craftsmanship makes it so that most of what we buy is safe today. Without the ability to sue and win damages, our country would be making things like some of those people in China for the Chinese people. Our companies only care about the all-mighty dollar. (Just look at Wall Street - I don't believe anybody who says big companies wouldn't cut corners after seeing what these men did to our country in terms of destroying our economy.)

That said, there should be a limit to the judgment awards so that doctors can afford to practice medicine. I'm not sure I care one wit about limiting awards for toy companies, but not having enough specialists because the malpractice insurance is so high is already a concern in this country.

In the end, it's easy to point fingers at the parents for their kids screwing up with a toy. But if it were your child who was hurt while you looked away for a second, you would WISH that the company had put good engineering skills to practice when constructing the toy your child had. We can thank our lucky stars that quality control exists because of the carrot and stick mentality - profits from successful toys, and court judgments from dangerous ones.

All my best,
D.

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I totally agree with some parents just don't keep track of their kids and that is how the toys break and create a choking hazard ect.
I also second the idea of letting kids explore and learn whats sace and whats not. When I was 3 or 4 I was playing on my couch and with the blind strings and I decided to put it around my neck and jump off. Well needless to say I lived, scared to death, and now knowing why my mom told me not to put things around my neck. Not saying that this is a good example of learning, but it's what happened in my life.
And I HATE how swings are no longer being built with new playgrounds! SERIOUSLY!!!

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I hate that my kids can't play with some of the toys I played with because they don't make them anymore. How come all of my friends and myself survived? How did my brother and all of his friends survive?

It is ridiculous. Toys are not meant to babysit our kids. Polly pockets are great. I had tons of them.

I teach my kids not to put things in their mouth. Did they still? Yes. Was I watching to make sure I took it right out? Yes. Does my 20 month old already know not to put stuff in his mouth? Yes. In fact, the other day he found a penny and put it in his mouth. He ran right up to me with his mouth open so I could take it out! LOL! It was kind of funny. What are we gonna do next? Sue the government and tell them to stop making coins? Has anyone whose child has choked on a coin thought of that? Of course not, they blame his or her own self for keeping it where the child could get it.

No swings? Crazy. Absolutely crazy!

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I could'nt agree more, its like when people blame a video game or show for damaging their children. Who bought it?

seriously some people need to take responsibility for their own actions and negligence.

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Yeehaw! You could not have said it better. Letting kids explore and and take some risks is good for them. They learn how to determine what is safe and what is not on their own (with a little guidance from us parents, of course!). If we take away our ability to teach these things by overprotecting our children, once they are on their own, they will not know how to determine what is "safe" risk and what is not.

I remember when I was about 3, i tried to ride my tricycle with the big kids who were riding their bikes around the neighborhood. I ended up missing a turn and landing in a briar patch! Ouch! Should my parents have sued the company who made the tricycle? My parents would have never even thought about doing that. What happened was a typical kid thing to happen, and I learned NOT to ride my tricycle down the VERY steep hill in my back yard!

Thanks for posting this!

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Is it any different than the warnings on coffee cups that the beverage may be hot?! I mean really, they are only there because people where spilling their drinks and getting burned and then suing these companies.

Until people get a clue, these companies have to cover their butts, and if they take it to far, it's only to protect their bottom line from those people that will use any excuse they can to get free money.

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I LOVE your vent, I have always felt the same way...

When ever I see a recall do to the possiblity of a child eating it, breaking it, throwing it, setting it on fire, I think.....yeah, or you could just WATCH your kids!

Great post!

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I totally agree with you!!!
We were actually talking about this yesterday!!!. It has definitely gotten out of hands, no one wants to take responsibility for their own things!!
Things happen, that's life!!! it can be a tragedy, or just a scare, but things are going to happen, whether we want it or not.
We all have to fall to learn how to get up, and we have to learn to cope with disappointment and tragedy, how else are we supposed to succeed?, furthermore, how are we to be responsible parents, if we cannot take responsibility for or children. If our children are playing inappropriately with their toys, then it's our fault as parents, for not watching what they're doing, children, need our attention, and supervision!
I think we are just getting used to the "easy" lifestyle.

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I have not read any other responses but I feel exactly the same way you do. I just read the recall and I was thinking this is a joke.
I have not heard about no swing sets at new playground but I do think that is ridiculous. My son broke his leg from falling off these monkey bar type thing when he was 6, and the next day they took the bars off so no other kid could get hurt. Ridiculous. There was no reason to take them off. Yes, my kid got hurt but that is a risk to playing on the playground. He is 9 now and will still play just as he did before.
When my middle son was 10 months old we were going down a slide and the sole to his shoe caught the metal slide and twisted under my leg and broke. Not a bad break, almost not noticeable but does that mean we should get rid of slides, or have kids take shoes off that will catch on the slide. I don't think so. I still went down the slide with him and my youngest but I was careful to pick their legs up so their shoes don't stick to the slide.
Accidents happen and unless we do bubble wrap our kids they are still going to get hurt but thats a lesson they have to learn.
And yes I do supervise my children and no I do not let them do stupid stuff but they have to learn their limits on their own.

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I completely agree with you, A.! Vent away!! :)

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I read a few of the other responses and see both sides. However, with this recent recall, I think it is a little out of hand. My daughter's little car we got her at 1 yr old has buttons and such (Winnie the Pooh theme) and has a "key" type thing on it. It is not by the seat but I guess it could be sat on. But to recall it? I think that is ridiculous. The Evenflo highchairs that were recalled about a year ago were bad since they were breaking. But this one, with a tab on the back. Why would the child be behind the chair anyway? Yes the recalls do help make sure our children are safe. Yes some of the toys have been improved--such as no more lead paint or tiny parts that break when there should not be a chance of it--since we have learned more since we were young. But I think there is a point that just goes way overboard. In 30 yrs, the kids will be playing with a pillow because everything else is too dangerous.

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I feel the same way. In regards to the Maclaren stroller recall - we've had ours for over a year now with no issues. How the heck does your child's finger get caught if the only time it could happen is if you are folding or unfolding the stroller? Shouldn't your child be out of the stroller? Did you read the instructions where it says how to fold and unfold properly? I never did get the hinge cover because frankly, my LO doesn't open and close the stroller on her own, and I always make sure it's locked into place before having her sit in it. What ever happened to commonsense? Have you noticed teeter-totters are no longer on playgrounds? I used to love teeter-totters. Pretty soon there will be warning labels on kitchen chairs - as we all know, LOs love climbing onto them and standing up...

Guess I'm in a venting mood too =)

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agreed! Soon they will recall jump-ropes because kids can get strangled by them. There are plenty of legit recalls, like cribs breaking, high chairs that fall apart, toys meant for babies that have small loose parts, but there are definitely some silly recalls. Toy manufacturers are afraid of getting sued, so they issue the recall. I guess it isn't silly for the parent whose child was hurt ... but you can't always blame the toy maker if the toy is used improperly.

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Love your vent and want to add mine. I hate when they recall a product because of something the parent did but in the instructions it says don't do this. The most recent example I can think of is the nap nanny. In the instructions it clearly says don't use this product in a crib or pack-n-play as child could become stuck between the crib and the product. It also says don't leave the child alone when using this product. However it was recalled because parents were using it in cribs and leaving the child alone. Yes I am saddened because of the consequences but if already tells you not to do it then why did you? Is it the company's fault? I say no because you didn't follow the instructions.

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6 of 1 half a dozen of another.

On the upside... knowing that they could be sued for making sharp hinges that slice guillotine like on a stroller (toddler whose fingers were sliced off), or cheap plastic parts that have not been weight tested and collapse under normal wear and tear) keeps idiots in check in the baby industry. On the downside... your rant (<grinning> don't need to repeat).

I'm biased, because my family plays with powertools. We don't buy toy chests with saftey hinges. We buy some wood, and some screws and some hinges, and voila. The top bangs shut, fingers get smooshed and kissed, and the top no longer bangs shut but is opened and closed carefully. Swings are made with rope and boards and sandpaper (to bevel out the sharp edges of the board).

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