Product safety and information

To make any purchase a good one, you must make sure it is worth the money, is of good quality, and is safe. For children’s products and toys this is of utmost importance. Just because a product is on the store shelves does not mean it has been tested for safety.

There have been many occasions where toys we own have been recalled or needed a minor adjustment. When we were gathering booster seats for our boys, I found that we were missing a few straps. When I called the company to order the needed straps, I found out that one of the seats had been recalled. The company sent us a new seat (a newer, nicer model) for free! We didn’t even pay for the first one; it was given to us by another family.

How do you keep up with information on all the numerous products in your home?

∞ Email alerts: The Consumer Product Safety Commission does the work for you and has many resources on their website. They have articles on childproofing and other kids’ safety issues as well. They also have an email mailing list that you can sign up for. You will then receive alerts about any recalled products or safety concerns. You can tailor your subscription choice to what kinds of products you would like to learn about (i.e. kids’ products, sports and recreation, outdoor, household, etc). Check out: http://www.cpsc.gov/

∞ Register your products: It also helps to fill out any warranty or information cards that are included in some product packaging. Because we had contacted Fisher Price in the past, we were sent letters when our highchairs needed a minor safety adjustment. We would have missed that information otherwise.