Toyland Here We Come!
The crib's been bought, the clothes folded neatly, and the milk bottles sanitized. Time to shop some more, this time for toys - to keep the little one entertained.
Some common toys that make it to the nursery -
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
| hochets | rattles |
| poupée | doll |
| maison de poupée | doll house |
| animal en peluche | stuffed animal |
| casse-tête | puzzle |
| jeu de contruction | building blocks |
| tapis de jeu | play mat |
| trotte-bébé | baby walker |
| cloches | chimes |
Reading various posts on Internet discussion forums regarding monthly expenses for the baby has been an eye-opener. After crunching figures, even the parents themselves are shocked at how much they spend. Expenses for toys and books and DVDs - NOT including clothes and food - range from $100.00 to $500.00 a month on the average.
Parents say there's a need to cut back on toy dollars. This desire to adjust the toy budget is more pronounced these days when the recession is still hovering about. They believe cutting back is a logical move. One reason is that the baby receives a fair number of gifts on special occasions. A second reason is that the older children's toys are recycled and passed on to the baby.
Parents who wonder about the safety of toys can go to the US government site to find out about the latest recalls. This list is regularly updated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Browsing through the list, we learned the more common reasons for product recalls:
- lead paint violation
- possibility of choking
- chemical burns
- risk of fire and burn hazards
- fall hazard
- laceration hazard
Keep this URL on your favorites list in case. It's a good idea to consult the government's recall list before you boogey over to the toy store: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html.
This post ends our baby series. I'll start a new theme next week - Quebecisms!
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