When parents and grandparents pick out holiday gifts for children, they want to feel good about child safety, and in a tough economy, they are even more selective about toy purchases.

Moreover, the safety of many children’s accessories and toys made in China remain in question. Just this week, for example, stroller-maker Maclaren announced a recall affecting one million China-manufactured umbrella strollers that reportedly can injure children’s fingers.

“It’s not just parents - grandparents, too, have become very conscientious consumers,” says Kerry Menger, co-founder of NMCtoys.com. “They’re researching their options, and choosing us because they want safe, eco-friendly toys and educational gifts for their grandchildren. They also love how our products are ‘Made in the USA.’ There’s no doubt that the sales that come from these goods stimulate the health of our domestic economy. That’s the icing on the cake.”

NMCtoys.com debuted in 2007 in response to the mass recalls of “Made in China” toys that took place that year. The online resource was a hit - and its owners predict greater success this holiday season, considering recent updates and a broader mission.

NMCtoys.com has an expanded product line, a larger offering of “green” toys, and a goal to support U.S.-based toy manufacturers. With many options in both entertaining and educational toys, parents and grandparents feel this website is an ideal resource for various reasons.

“I have a special needs grandson (toddler), and am particularly interested in toys designed for young children who have both physical and mental challenges,” says Lauren, one customer who now receives the website’s coupon- and product-packed newsletter.

Another customer, Teresa, is regularly using NMCtoys.com’s gift certificates to purchase baby shower gifts. Now she has a grandson and shops the website because she trusts the quality of its toys, even if she spends a little more for this peace of mind.

SOURCE NMCtoys.com

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Here is something that should affect child safety. Merton Plastics and Electronics Factory in Dongguan, China produces Disney, Mattel and McDonald’s toys for sale around the world. A new report by China Labor Watch describes serious labor violations at the factory, including illegal wages and substandard living conditions.

CLW calls on international toy brands to respect their promises to workers and the families that purchase these toys by enforcing better conditions at Merton. “Many workers in this factory are barely older than the children who buy the toys abroad,” states CLW Executive Director, Li Qiang. The report found that Merton hires workers as young as 16 and cooperates with local schools to arrange for student employment.
CLW’s report outlines the following illegal conditions:

Illegal wages: Merton operates on a 6 day/week system of 6 hours and 40 minutes per day. Saturdays in this system are mandatory and paid at half the legal Saturday overtime wage rate, or only $0.71/hour. Workers make only $206-$221/month with overtime, before deductions for room and board

Excessive overtime: Working hours last 11.5 hours daily with overtime, and total monthly overtime is 60 hours, in excess of the legal limit.
Vacation: Workers are illegally denied annual vacation for Spring Festival.

Poor living conditions: Food in the canteen is poor. In the dormitories, beds are falling apart because bugs have destroyed the wooden boards workers sleep on, there is no hot water to shower or electrical outlets to charge phones, and workers are prohibited from airing out their bedding except on weekends.

CLW’s report follows a decade of monitoring conditions at Merton. CLW issued its first report in 2000, when conditions were particularly poor and a number strikes erupted. In 2006, CLW conducted another follow-up investigation after a major strike involving nearly a thousand workers. The new report demonstrates that labor violations persist at the toy manufacturer in spite of major improvement. CLW urges brands to invest in remediation, and improve corporate audit systems that overlook serious labor violations.

SOURCE China Labor Watch

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Parents should take extra care in selecting toys for young children and supervising their play during the holidays, according to a leading eye surgeon on child safety.

According to Dr. Mark Borchert, director, The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, certain toys, such as BB guns, pose a particular danger for young children.

“While a BB gun pellet may not break the skin of a young child, it can puncture his eye very easily. Unfortunately, every Christmas I see young children in our emergency room who have had an eye destroyed by a BB pellet.”

The eye surgeon said parents with young children should avoid toys that shoot projectiles, have parts that fly off or can be shattered into sharp pieces. He added that scissors, rubber bands and deflated balloons — often left out at holiday time — should be collected, since they can be dangerous in the hands of younger children.

It also is a good idea to explain to a child how a new toy is properly used and to promptly throw away broken toys.

The Consumer Products and Safety Commission reports that more than 230,000 toy-related injuries are treated at U.S. emergency rooms annually. Of those injured, approximately one third were under the age of five, and three quarters were under the age of 15. More than 45 percent of injuries were to the head and face.

Dr. Borchert noted that during busy holiday times, young children are at higher risk for injuring their eyes because they often have less adult supervision.

“If you are hosting young children in your home, be sure to get furniture corner protectors for tables, cabinets and windowsills. Young children are prone to falling into low-lying objects,” he added.

If you suspect your child has suffered an eye injury look for these symptoms:

There is blood in the clear part of the eye;
Your child has obvious pain or trouble seeing;
One eye does not move as well as the other;
The eye has an unusual pupil size or shape

Source The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

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Kwik Fit Insurance are calling on all schools in the North East region to remember to nominate their Lollipop person for the 2009 Lollipop Person of the Year Awards, which close on Friday 30th October.

The North East winner from 2008 was Eric Allen from St Oswald’s Primary School in Durham and time is running out for schools to get this year’s top child education entry in.

The 2009 competition is even bigger and better. Twelve regional winners from across the UK will receive GBP500 worth of holiday vouchers and each of the 12 schools will be awarded with GBP100 worth of book tokens. All winning regional entrants go forward with a chance to win the UK title, with GBP3,000 available to the winning school for new equipment and a holiday of a lifetime for the crossing patroller.

Brendan Devine, Group Managing Director of Kwik Fit Financial Services said: “We have had some fantastic entries already this year for the competition and time is running out for schools to get involved. There are unsung heroes all over the UK helping our children to and from school safely and I want to put out the message today that it’s not too late for schools across the North East region to nominate!”

Lorraine Kelly, who has been an ambassador for the campaign for the past 2 years, said: “The Lollipop Person of the Year Awards is a real heart-warming way of recognising the wonderful job our lollipop people do every day to make Britain’s roads safer for our children.”

“This year the competition is bigger than ever before, with schools from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland all having the opportunity to show how their lollipop person makes a real difference to their journey to school. We want kids, teachers and parents alike to show their support for their local lollipop person and get voting!”

Source Kwik Fit Insurance

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Dealing with child safety issues entails your endless child care responsibility as a parent.

With much consideration to your child’s safety, here is one of the possible concerns. Suffocation hazards may cause your child’s safety at risk.

You may be sleeping with your child in your home. It may feel easier sometimes but it may be dangerous at the same time. Considering the pillows and blankets that could possibly cause accidents, be sure not to put those things within your child’s reach. Or you may just put your child in his own crib near your bed. Those things may cause suffocation or shortness of breathing if those things will accidentally cover your child’s mouth. He may be too small and too weak to move them out of the way (especially if your the one weighing it down).

If you decide to put your child on the crib, ensure that it is empty. No toys or big pillows should be present on the crib. If your child has chills at night, put her in a sleeping sack instead of blankets. He may get tangled up and not be strong enough to untangle himself. It is also strongly encouraged that you put your child to sleep on her back.

Have your child put into safety at all times. Be sure to know and to monitor such kinds of possible suffocation hazards as those things put a great risk for your child’s safety.

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Having a child at home that ranges from 18 months to 3 years is quite challenging. This is the stage where an infant turns into a toddler who seeks his/her autonomy and independence as well as temper tantrums. How to handle them? Here are some tips to help you enjoy the toddler years:

-    Play: Toddler’s play is called a parallel play wherein two toddlers playing separately. To avoid having a fight, provide two similar toys. Best toys to give are pull-push trucks or waddling truck that will help in walking, building blocks, balls and even pencils and crayons for scribbling. They can also be given toys that can explore their imaginative side provided that it’s safe to use.

-    Language: One of the milestones that are developing at this kind of stage. Toddlers learn new words to use. They mimic what they hear from others.  Parents should talk to them in a clear and complete manner; avoiding baby talk will help toddlers to learn to use words correctly.

-    Emotions: This stage also is where possessiveness heightens. The word “mine” maybe prominent and also temper tantrums are more evident. Temper tantrums can be best handled by avoiding it. Give your toddlers right attention for positive behavior. Also, setting control over little things by offering choices rather than asking questions that will evidently result in a “no” answer. Lastly, know your child’s limit and behavior so giving activities will be appropriate.

-    Safety: To decrease parent’s worries concerning child safety, ensure that electrical outlets have safety plugs. Keep cords, sharp objects and poisonous substances out of reach.  Don’t give small objects that they can put in their mouth. These tend to choke them up. Have a place that is child proof to ensure safety.

Giving toddlers ample time with their limited independence will help you have a less-stressful and more enjoyable time together.

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Changing diapers will never be out in the list of your many child care responsibilities and works. It is the moment of truth when you have to sacrifice your olfactory nerves and be able to master the strokes in cleaning your baby’s mess from the defecation.

Much of the time you will spend with your little baby will involve this act.

Before you actually begin ripping diapers open, it’s a good idea to set up the diaper changing station. Having it ready for each change will prevent the temptation to move away from the baby to reach what you need.

Your changing station should include:

* a diaper changing table
* a good diaper pail
* clean diapers (cloth or disposable)
* diaper ointment (or other remedy) for diaper rash
* a washcloth or wipes
* Antibacterial wash
* clean water

Have your baby be in some form of distraction while you do the cleaning. Eliminate that by offering a small container of toys to hear at diaper changes. Have a lot of toys to give your baby every time  you lay him down for a diaper change. You

Healthy babies should have light to dark-yellow urine. The darker the color, the less liquid the baby is getting. So, lighter is better.

Occasionally you may see what looks like a pink stain on the diaper. This is usually not blood, but highly concentrated urine interacting with the gel used in disposable diapers, producing a pinkish color.

Monitor the times, frequency of changing the diapers and the consistency of the urine and stools of your baby. If your  doesn’t wet 4 diapers a day, contact your doctor and report the changes.

* If your baby urinates less than 3 times in a 24 hour period, it is a possible sign of dehydration.
* If he is urinating more than every half hour, it may cause dehydration.
* If the urine drastically changes color, there might be an underlying problem that needs immediate preventive action.

Monitor as well if there are any rashes formed in your baby’s skin. Presence of rashes may indicate that your baby is allergic to the diapers. Report the rashes to your pediatrician and immediately change the brand of the diapers to a new one.

Use these diaper changes to build and to promote loving bonds between you and your baby.

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You must be so eager to play with your infant and your mind is thinking of what you can do to help promote play.

Here is a good way to guide you through your infant care experience.

From birth to 1 month, your infant likes to be wrapped and/or held securely, likes the colors black, white and red and Will be startled and disturbed by loud noises. As a parent, you can sing and talk to your infant, play music softly, rock your infant or you can take him/her for walks

When your infant is 2 to 3 months old, he/she likes bright objects and enjoys pictures and mirrors, Rattles can be given to your infant. Swinging also is loved at this time. You can as well sing and talk to your infant.

On the 4th to 6th month, you can sing, talk and read to your infant. Provide tummy time for your infant. Encourage your infant to crawl and sit by placing him/her on the floor.

By 6th to 9th month, large toys with bright colors that move are the enjoyment of your infant. At this time, you can call your infant by name. be sure to speak clearly to your child and encourage different sounds. Body parts naming can now be done. You can begin saying words that tell what you are doing as well. Encourage your infant to crawl by placing toys beyond his/her reach. Continue to cuddle, sing and read with your infant.

On the 9th to 12th month, your infant now enjoys looking at books, likes naming animals and identifying animal sounds and enjoys large toys that can be pushed and pulled. By this time, you can now take your infant to different places and outings. Playing ball with your infant can now be possible.

Enjoy every moment with your infant. Every time you play or give infant care is a perfect time to promote a strong bond between you and your child.

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With your toddler’s enjoyment to play independently with his or her toys, it is important for the little ones to try various manipulative activities that promote movements.

Stacking toys are among the most popular toddler must-haves for worthwhile activities such as nesting, building, lacing, and stacking. Every toddler is bound to have at least a couple of sets of these because these are perhaps the most basic form of toddler toys. These educational toys bring fun for your toddlers as they enjoy stacking colorful rings, building a tower, recognizing shapes, colors and sizes and put nesting cups one onto another.These also serve the purpose of developing mental skills of toddlers.

These toys are recommended because of these promote refining of motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, recognition of shapes and sizes, reasoning, and color recognition.

There are varieties of stacking toys to choose from. Each toys are made of good non toxic materials and the colors of the toys are concrete enough for the toddlers to be guided by proper color recognition.

Visit www.educationaltoysplanet.com for details about the varieties of these toys.

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Sunshine, heat, and water are common elements to summer fun. You may be wondering what children activities to do this summer to combat the heat and still enjoy your time outdoors. Consider these ten ideas for having fun with pool toys and games to keep your whole family happy in the pool this summer.

Pool toys are often considered a luxury because they can be pricey, but that’s generally only applicable for larger swimming pool toys. Why not give these a try:

* Swimming pool basketball. This set has an adjustable net to allow for a quick game of water basketball. There are several manufacturers which offer the swimming pool basketball sets. Prices range from $220 to $825 and they can be purchased from Pool Toy Source. They also have combo sets with volleyball.

* Rock-It Totter is an inflatable toy that can be used on water or on land. For children six and up, this toy is made by Aviva and can be purchased for $115 from Wagon Depot.

* Poolmaster offers the Jumbo Hot Shots Water Launcher, a refillable toy that shoots water up to 45 feet! They can be found at American Sale and sell for around $15.

* Inflatable animals are always fun for children to play on. They come in any number of animal types and can be purchased from local discount stores for as little as $5.

* Swim noodles are an inexpensive alternative to some of the more pricey pool toys and games. They help keep children afloat as they’re having fun or learning how to kick when learning to swim.

* Depending upon the size of your pool, you may want to purchase a pool raft. They range in price from $5 for one person and up to $330 for four people. Pool rafts are available through Pool Toy Source and other sources.

* Remote control fish and other water creatures can be fun for the whole family. If you have a snorkel and a mask, you can pretend you’re on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef - however, at $25 a piece, your trip may or may not allow you to see too many fish at once. They can be purchased through INYO Pools.

* Water guns come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and water shooting powers. Some only shoot a couple of feet; others shoot water up to 75 feet and are easy to refill. Water guns can be found locally at discount stores for $1 and up, depending upon the type you want and how much water power you need.

* Underwater Soccer Challenge Pool Toys may be just the thing for a child that loves to play soccer. It comes with weighted balls that roll along the bottom of the pool and has a weighted goal. It costs around $30 at Pool Toy Source, but you could probably find it at other sources.

* For the golf lover in the family who can’t be dragged to the pool, there’s now a way to enjoy both at the same time. Pool Toy.com has a floating golf island complete with tee off pad, golf club, and 8 foam golf balls. It sells for $40.

The swimming pool beckons soon after warmer weather arrives. If you’ve patiently waited to have fun with pool toys and games, you won’t have to wait much longer. These ten pool toys and games are not all that are available, but they may give you some ideas about what you’d like to get for the whole family to enjoy this summer in the pool.

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