Family Tips

There is great number of toys, and hundreds of new ones appear each year. Toys are created for fun and are an integral part of any child’s development. But parents should know that each year thousands kids are treated in hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries - and that sometimes children died.
Most toy-related deaths and injuries are caused by falls and choking. Choking alone causes one third of all toy-related deaths – and most often from balloons.
Children in age of 4 years old and younger account for almost half of all toy-related injuries and almost all deaths.
Kids younger than 3 years are at the greatest risk of choking because they like to put all objects in their mouths.
Riding toys, such as bicycles and scooters, also cause many injuries in children.
How often do you think whether your toys are safe for your child? Toy manufacturers do follow certain guidelines and label most toys for specific age groups. But all the same the most important thing you can do is to supervise your child.
The American toy manufacturers regularly test toys for safety by consulting with child development experts and by testing toys with infants and preschoolers who play at lab facilities. Toys may go through more than 100 tests - all designed to recreate the wear and tear on a toy by an active child.
Toy companies also consult with development experts to decide which toys are appropriate for each age group. For children younger than 3, the main concern is that small parts can pose a choking hazard. Most of the time, safety - not a child’s actual level of intelligence and development - is the reason for the recommended age range that is indicated on a toy.

Look for strong and well made toys. In this age kids often pull and twist toys and try to put them in their mouths. Check that eyes, noses, buttons, and other parts that could break off are substantially fixed.
Do not give your child toys intended for older kids, as they may have small parts and pose a choking hazard. Make certain that squeeze toys, rattles and teethers are large enough to be placed in your baby’s mouth or throat.
Regularly observe your kid’s toys to control that they are not broken or do not have removable broken parts.
Avoid toys with cords or long strings, as they can get wrapped around the neck of a kid. And never hang a toy around a toddler’s neck.
Don’t give your child to play with uninflated or broken balloons. Mylar balloons are much less likely to break, but even they can pose a hazard to young kids. If you are going to use balloons at a child’s party or celebration, don’t let your kids to blow up the balloons themselves, and check whether all are deflated and put away afterward. Parents should always supervise children while they play with balloons.
Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls that are less than 1.75 inches in diameter.
Do not leave your child along in walkers. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages their usage, as they are a main cause of injuries and especially serious head injuries from falls down stairs.
If you are going to buy art supplies, such as crayons and paints, look for the ASTM D-4236 designation on the package. This means the item you are going to buy has been reviewed by an ASTM toxicologist and has been recognized safe for use by children.

If you are going to pleasure your child with a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, purchase a helmet that meets current safety standards and other recommended safety equipment: such as hand, wrist, and knee guards. Sow your child how to wear this equipment properly.
Basketball nets can also be dangerous. Such nets should be well constructed, and shouldn’t easily come apart from the rim. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, millions of dangerous toy basketball nets have been recalled from the sale.
If you are going to buy balloon, be aware that they are a choking hazard for children up to the age of 8 years and don’t let your child to play with broken ones.
Toy darts or arrows used by children must have soft tips or suction cups at the end. Remember, that these toys should never have hard points that could cause injuries.
Toy guns are demanded to be painted in bright colors so they cannot be mistaken for a real weapon, and children should be taught at once to never point darts, arrows, or a gun at anyone.
Electric toys must meet safety standards for construction and wiring. Supervision of adults is always sensible with the use of any electric toys. And toys with heating elements are recommended only for children older than 8 years of age.
The most reliable way to ensure your kid’s safety is to supervise the kid while he or she is playing with a toy, even if it is for your child’s age group. Remember that injuries can be prevented with the use of safe and well-functioning toys and proper supervision.

Explain your child that he or she should toys away and keep them out of the younger children. Many kids receive injuries when they fall over toys, when younger children might choke on small parts or hurt themselves with sharp points of toys that are intended for older kids.
Parents should check toys regularly to control if they are damaged or pose a danger. Throw away broken toys or repair them at once. Wooden toys should be scrutinized for splinters. Check outdoor toys and bicycles for rust, weakened or broken parts.
Toy boxes and containers should be checked for safety, too. It is better to store toys in open, plastic crates or on low shelving units. If you use a toy box with a lid, make sure the lid will stay open when raised and will not fall suddenly on your child. Take away any free-falling lids from your child’s playing area.
With toys for older kids or hand-me-downs, make certain that painted surfaces don’t contain lead.
Toys that are used outdoors should be stored properly when children do not play with them. Remember that previously safe toy could become dangerous if damaged or rusted by long exposure to moisture from rain or snow.
It’s also very important to keep toys clean. Some toys can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher or washing machine, but it’s best to read the manufacturer’s directions before trying this.

There are many items, which are not really toys that children may be tempted to play with. Protect your child and do not allow playing with such “toys� as: fireworks, scissors, trampolines (which endanger your child of serious injuries if he or she falls or collides with another kid)
Electric toys, which are not in proper working order, can shock or burn your child, and flying toys can cause serious eye injuries if the parent is not paying attention.

When you consider evaluating a toy for safety, its noise level is unlikely the first thing that comes to mind of parents. Nevertheless, loud toys can cause hearing damage in children. The noise of some rattles, squeak or musical toys, and electronic toys can be as loud, from the point of view of decibels, as a car horn, a lawnmower, or even a rock concert – and it may be even louder if you consider that children often like to hold toys directly to their ears.

Some toys, such as noise-making toy guns and caps, are required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to include labels and instructions that warn not to be set within 12 inches of someone’s ear or used indoors. In November 2003 American Society of Testing Materials set some additional standards on noise safety, which require hand-held toys not to emit sounds greater than 90 decibels and that toys that are intended to be hold close to the ear, for example, toy cell phones not exceed 70 decibels. The usual phone rings at about 80 decibels, so you can use that it for comparison when deciding whether a toy is too loud for your kid.

Buying toys online may be convenient, but you should know that Internet toy sellers are not required to include information about choking dangers or age-appropriateness in their product descriptions. And even more, some online toy sellers are often foreign manufacturers whose goods aren’t even required to meet strict regulations of your native country - so be careful when buying online.
Also, as video games and computer games continue to be more and more popular, remember the saying “All things in moderation.” It is better to limit your child’s time in front of the screen - whether it’s video games, computer games, or TV - to 1 or 2 hours a day. You should also observe your child’s video games for violence, and making certain that your child’s games are appropriate for his or her age and development. If your child is younger than 5, choose games that you can play together or invent some other activity.
And bear in mind that the best products on the market are not always the most expensive. The bright or the fad toys will face the same future as any other toy - forgotten in a few months. Select toys that inspire your kid’s imagination, and avoid those that stimulate violence, strengthen negative stereotypes, or limit your kid’s natural creativity. Often the simplest toys - the ones that don’t “do” anything - are the ones which your child will love for many years to come.

Everyone, the youngest child and every oldest adult, experiences anxieties and fears at one time or another. But with children, such feelings are not only normal, but also necessary. Facing anxieties can prepare kids to handle the unsettling experiences and challenging situations during the life.
Anxiety usually occur when there’s no obvious threat to a person’s safety or well being, but the threat feels real. Anxiety forces a person to want to escape the situation as soon as possible. However, a little bit of anxiety actually helps people stay alert and attentive.
Having fears or anxieties about certain things are helpful also for kids, as it makes them behave in a safe way. For example, a child with a fear of fire would avoid playing with matches.
The nature of anxieties and fears change with age and development:
Babies who are afraid of strangers, cling to parents when they meet people they don’t know.
Toddlers of 10 to 18 months feel separation anxiety, becoming emotionally depressed when one or both parents leave.
From 4 to 6 children often have anxiety about monsters and ghosts.
From 7 through 12 kids often have fears that reflect real events that may happen to them, such as bodily injury or natural disaster.
With the age one fear may replace another. Some fears may concern only one particular kind of exciter: a child may want to pet a lion at the zoo, but scare stiff of going near the neighbor’s dog.

Many usual childhood fears change with age and time. These may be fear of strangers, heights, darkness, animals, blood, different insects, and also being left alone. Children often begin to feel fear towards a specific object or situation after having an unpleasant experience, such as a dog bite or an accident.
Separation anxiety is usual when young kids go to school, whereas adolescents may feel anxiety connected with social acceptance and achievements in school.
If anxious feelings persist, they can strongly influence the child’s sense of well being. The anxiety associated with social avoidance can have long-term consequences. For example, a child with fear of being rejected can fail to learn important social skills, causing social isolation.
Many adults are tortured by fears that rise from childhood experiences. An adult’s fear of public speaking may be the result of trouble to speak in front of peers many years before. It’s important for parents to find out and identify the signs and symptoms of their children’s anxieties so that fears don’t disturb everyday life.