With the economy down and holidays upon us, I am urging parents to shop wisely for toys for their kids that are not only fun, but durable, safe and eco-friendly. As a pediatrician and a mom, the safety of the toys my patients and my children play with is paramount! It is also an obvious source of concern in light of new information coming out each month about toxic exposures in children and their effect on toddler development.
Wise toy shopping toy breaks down into two categories- safety from the point of view of physical injury such as choking, falling, eye injury etc and safety in terms of the resources used to make the toys. In many countries, commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold but safety usually is defined as accident risk. Yet, of equal concern is whether they contain toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, and chemicals that can produce cancer, etc.
SHOP CAREFULLY:
1. SAFETY FIRST:
Read warning labels
Check for hazardous sharp points
Avoid toys with long cords or very small parts
Make Sure That the Toy is Not Recalled (Consumer Product Safety Commission and Recalls.gov to check if the toy you are buying is not on the Toy Recall Lists.
2. SHOP GREEN TOO:
Make Sure the Toy is Non Toxic and eco-friendly!!!!
- Remember: plastic is not only environmentally unfriendly but potentially toxic unless it is PVC –free. Phtalates, found in plastic toys and shampoos, among other things are potential carcinogens.
- Search for wooden toys painted with non-toxic paint made from sustainable wood. The paint on your child’s toys may also have VOCs (volatile organic compounds) but there are now a lot of new toy companies that use water-based and low-VOC or no-VOC paints
- Avoid toys that need batteries or have remote controls : This helps to remove the risk of exposure to toxic batteries AND reduce the burden on the environment of disposing with expire batteries.
- Buy toys that will last: Toys that are durable, well made and safe not only add to your child’s safe fun but save you money and can be passed along to other children when your child is finished. This means less garbage, less waste and more fun.
FINALLY: The holidays can be stressful for everyone, even when finances are not so strained. Try to remember that there is nothing more important for your child then participating in play – the toys are only a part of the process- lots can also be done with stuff around the house, like pots and pans and water, and undivided attention!!!
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Last week, an old friend of mine from my days working at MTV e-mailed me, saying he was in from LA, and his buddies were having lunch at the Spotted Pig downtown and would I come meet them. When I received this e-mail, I was dropping my daughter off at school. I looked around at the “other” moms and wondered who in this grou would even consider lunching at the Spotted pig with some ‘rock n’ roll MTV boys. 
We know that pesticides and other chemicals contaminate our food supply. Most notably lead and mercury. These chemicals can cause serious health problems such as cancer, school learning issues and behavior problems, and hormone disruption. A recent study showed that Children who ate conventional diets had mean pesticide concentrations in their urine 9 times higher than the children who ate organic!
Save the environment and avoid more metal and plastic toxins by packing your child ‘s lunch in an eco-friendly and fun option that is reusable and safe- Check out the fantastic ones at 
Get your kids involved as much as possible with the shopping and planning of their meals. They can make lunch with you and can pick out healthy fruits and vegetables at the market. Then make a menu for the week so you and your child knows what each day will require- and then sneak in an extra treat of a note or a sticker reminding them that they are special to you. For some healthy recipes check out Laura Pasetta’s latest DVD “The Visual Guide: How To Make A Healthy Lunch For Kids”, along with demos, recipes and shopping lists, can be found at: 
