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Tips For Taking Away Recalled Toys

POSTED: 4:11 pm EST November 8, 2007
UPDATED: 3:36 pm EST January 11, 2008

It seems nearly every day there is another toy recall hitting the national news headlines.

And theses aren't the toys you find in the dollar bin at the local outlet store. Major brands and retailers like Fischer Price, Toys "R" Us, Target, J.C. Penney and Mattell have all issued major recalls in recent months, many due to violations of the lead paint standard.

The recalls have posed many problems for moms and dads who have had to peel their tots away from their favorite toys. To help parents deal with the problem, www.parenting.com issued several tips for parents who have to take away their child's favorite toy.

The tips were broken down by age group.

If the child is a baby, parenting.com says parents are lucky. The child most likely won't notice the missing toy, or will quickly forget about it and move on.

If the child is a toddler, things can get dicey. Parenting.com says toddlers can become very attached to their toys, and can become violent and hysterical when separated from them. The suggestion is to distract the child with another toy, and then quietly remove it when they are distracted.

If the child is older, there are several options. Parents can simply make the toy disappear when the child is sleeping, and plead ignorance to the toy's whereabouts when the child notices it is missing.

The other option is a more direct one -- telling the child about the dangers of the toy and that it must be sent back. It can be an opportunity for the child to learn a lesson about danger, and parenting.com even suggests to involve the child in the process of packaging up the toy and sending it back to the manufacturer. Plus, if the manufacturer is sending a replacement, the child will have something to look forward to.

Once the toy had been taken away, parenting.com suggests taking the child to the doctor immediately, if the recall was due to lead contamination, and asking for a lead test. But just because the child has been handling a lead-contaminated toy isn't reason to panic. Lead paint can cause illness or injury only from extensive exposure.



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Dozens of toys have been recalled in recent weeks for a variety of dangers. Find out about the latest toy recalls. More Details


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