I thought I'd take a break from planning my move and writing about it to jump in on the discussion about the recent toy recalls. Something beyond the unsafe levels of lead -- which in reality only become a true hazard if the paint begins to chip or peel -- has been nagging at me. I didn't put a finger on it, however, until I found this article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2151322,00.html

The "rest of the story" in the toy recalls can be summed up thusly: We are too enticed by cheap and cheaply made toys. By we I mean the mostly American manufacturers as well as we the consumers who continue to prefer quantity over quality. To keep up with the demand and reap the biggest profits at the same time, large manufacturers will continue to outsource all manufacturing to countries where they can get dirt-cheap labor with little or no regard for working conditions, age of the workers, fair pay, and safety, both for the workers and for the those for whose hands the toys are ultimately destined: our children. This article describes a factory town that is choked in its own exhaust. From whence comes most of our toys!

So many of us buy "fair trade" coffee, but don't think twice about where our children's toys are coming from. My proposal is to thoughtfully choose each toy.

Ask yourself:

1. Does my child "need" this? Need is such a relative term, but in modern America needing toys usually means either mom needs another diversion or simply, hmm, my child doesn't have this one yet. We can redefine this without depriving our children by looking at the toys our children already have. Do they have toys already that serve similar functions? In other words, do they really need another electronic toy that teaches the alphabet, or another set of blocks? Are we buying the toy just to add to a collection? If so, is it one that our children will value and use for years to come, or is it just a passing fad?

2. Is this a quality toy? Read the labels, see where the toy is made. Does it say the materials and paint are non-toxic? Research the track record of the company by checking for past recalls, but also think about the size of the company and whether they are likely to really care about quality. I'm not saying everything has to be made in the USA, nor is that any guarantee of safety, but knowing where your children's toys come from and a little bit about the manufacturing process makes you a responsible consumer.

Spread the word to grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and anyone who is likely to buy things for your children. I try to tell my daughter's grandparents that she has tons of toys already (maybe 10% percent of which have been purchased by me or my husband...maybe), and that buying her savings bonds or putting money into a savings account would be much more practical and meaningful 20 years from now. Do they listen? Of course not. Grandparents enjoy buying things for the grandkids. It's their prerogative, I suppose, but if we at least try to tactfully lead them to quality products bought at more spread out intervals, that's a start.

Finally, consider that your child can only play with one toy at a time. Learning to focus on one thing for at least a short time, putting it away and moving on to something else will teach them to follow through and hopefully help develop a healthy attention span. And don't forget the value of parental interaction!

Update: I found this article after my initial posting: http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/Ideas/article/247428 It talks about the difficulties parents who want fair-trade and other ethically produced toys face (ethical meaning not only fair trade, but free of harmful chemicals such as lead). It seems on the surface to shoot down my dreams about such a toy market, but at the same time there are some good ideas, such as trying to buy locally, or looking in unexpected places for toys. You'll pay more, but if you're buying less it won't hurt as much, and the quality is worth it.

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