By Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Go down a toy aisle at Target, Wal-Mart and other stores and you will see hundreds of toys. Read the boxes and packaging of the toys sold and you should see an age recommendation for the use of the toys. These age recommendations are very important and should be seriously considered by parents when selecting a toy for a child. This is especially important for young children who have a habit of putting things like small objects like toys, coins, paper clips, and other items in their mouths. Children are just plan curious. As part of the curiosity or exploration process, small children will put objects in their mouth. A very good article was recently posted at The Northwestern Website (Osh Kosh, Wisconsin) – Watchdogs Get Tougher on Toy Safety, but Parents Must be Viligant. It was pointed out in this article that even brilliant or gifted 3 year olds will put things in their mouth. As such, age recommendations even apply to so called smart kids. It is also important for parents, teachers, and day care providers to provide close supervision of children at play as well. Many incidents of child injuries / choking can be avoided with careful selection of toys combined with consistent adult supervision.