Truth: I like to treat myself to a pedicure every now and again. It's one of the rare times that I don't mind waiting for something - unlike at the grocery store or being on hold waiting for a customer service representative - because I can sit around and flip through the glossy fashion and celebrity magazines that I'm too poor (and too cheap) to buy on a regular basis.
Anyway, this one particularly flashy layout catches my eye: "Must-have items for today's fashionable toddler." I have a daughter, and a few friends who are expecting, so sure, I'll check it out, maybe find a neat baby shower item.
[I love my little girl and before I actually had her, I admit to imagining myself dressing her in nothing but the latest fashions from Baby Gap and The Children's Place. However, the truth is, she's two years old. When she gets home from daycare, she's often quite literally covered in dirt, mud, and crushed Goldfish. It makes no sense to get her dressed up in a pointelle cardigan sweater set with matching tights and patent leather Mary Janes to finger paint and chase around other kids her age. So, her wardrobe consists mostly of items procured from Target and Wal-mart, and you know what? She's none the wiser and, frankly, could give a damn where her clothes are from. Just wait until she's a teenager.]
These hot-to-trot goodies include $70 "onesie" t-shirts and $800 bedding sets. $70! For a t-shirt! A t-shirt that will get drool, food, and, very likely, *** smeared on it. $800 for crib bedding! I don't think the mattress in my own bedroom cost $800, for crying out loud.
But what really gets me is the "bling"-ed out pacifer. These $63 dollar jobbies are hand-decorated in Swarovski crystals. You know, those itty-bitty, gorgeous sparkly little gems that are perfect for, oh, I don't know, CHOKING??? What kind of moron designed this? Better yet, what kind of mom actually purchases this for their little one? [And, no, I don't consider myself to be a perfect mother. My daughter asked for, and received, a stick of gum for breakfast. I'm a bad mom, too, OK?]
Well ... how ironic is it that today I receive this CPCS (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) product recall alert (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07254.html):
"Pacifiers Decorated with Crystals Recalled Due to Aspiration and Ingestion Hazards
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with
the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the
following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled
products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Pacifiers
Units: About 1,000
Retailers: Dara
Linda’s Baby Bling and Jewelry Design, of Davie, Fla.; Bling Toes, of
Cherry Valley, Ill.; Baby Bling Things, of Appleton, Wis.; PeaNaPod
Bling and Accessories, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; and MJM Crystal Designs, of
Boca Raton, Fla.
Hazard: These
pacifiers fail to meet federal safety standards for pacifiers. The
pacifiers’ crystals can separate easily, posing an aspiration and
ingestion hazard to young children."
Oy vez. Who didn't see THAT coming?
Anyway, if you love kids, have been thinking about becoming a child care professional, and also agree that a pacifier with glued on crystals is a BAD THING to give to a child, then check out our 'Mini-Guide' to Becoming a Child Care Professional. Hope you enjoy it.
Click the link to read more about becoming a child care professional.