Toys

Maryam has lots of toys. But when given the option, what does she go for? Kitchen tongs, whisks, the cat, and my screw driver! It's her other toys that have me worried, though.

Almost all of Maryam's toys are made in China. There have been so many major recalls lately from major companies whose products are made in China due to lead and magnets. None of Maryam's toys have been recalled (yet), but I'm still scared. Every toy can't be tested. Even bibs have lead in them! I just don't want to take the risk.

So Jim and I have made a somewhat drastic decision to clear out nearly all of our toys that are made in China, with the exception being some stuffed toys and toys without paint or magnets. In some ways, this is good. Maryam doesn't need so many toys, and as you can see in the above pictures, she is fairly happy with whatever she can get her hands on. My intent is to sell her made in China toys to a consignment shop and get one or two wooden toys that are made in the USA or Europe. They're definitely more $$, but at least I'll be more confident with their safety standards.

Wish us luck with this - over 80% of all toys are made in China. Perhaps we're being overly dramatic with this, but I guess I'd prefer to be safe on this one. And it does encourage us to be more particular about what toys we do purchase for her. There are some very cool things out there; they're just harder to find than all of the plastic junk that fills most toy stores.