As a parent, you are constantly on the lookout for protecting your children from dangerous situations. Many times, parents assume that because painted wooden toys are sold in stores, they must be safe. This is not necessarily true, with so many imported products sold in local stores. Reading the labels on toy packaging can help keep your children safe, if the manufacturer provides the material list for the toy. Some manufacturers still use lead-based paint on wooden toys, which leads to many health concerns for your children.
Safe Paint
Any paint that is non-toxic and lead-free is safe for wooden toys. Most toys today are painted by manufacturers that adhere to paint safety standards but you still have to beware of unknown toy companies. When you are shopping for painted, wooden toys online, choose a site that explains their product and whether the paint is safe for children. Mother Garden is an example of a toy company that is straightforward and explains that all their toys use safe paint and non-toxic materials.
Dangerous Paint
Wooden toys painted with lead paint are hazardous to your children’s health. Lead is a poisonous metal that comes from the earth’s crust. When your children handle toys with lead paint, the residue or paint chips can rub off on their hands. If your children put their fingers in their mouths or put the wooden toy in their mouth, they are exposed to lead. Exposure to lead paint can lead to lead poisoning caused by swallowing or inhaling this metal.
Lead poisoning leads to hearing loss, attention deficit disorders, developmental problems and hyperactivity.
Choosing Wooden Toys
Your best bet is to choose a toy manufacturer that is well known for following product safety standards and has your children’s welfare at heart. Mother Garden is a trustworthy wooden toy company that makes handmade toys using paint that is safe for your children. You can be assured that their quality standards offer your children wooden toys that are educational and fun without any hazardous materials.
Avoid wooden toys from unknown manufacturers and even used toys that friends or relatives might give you. Older wooden toys, painted before lead paint safety regulations, could be dangerous for your children. Even though some of these older toys given to you by relatives might have sentimental value, it is better to give your children new wooden toys painted with safe paint. It’s a good idea to throw away any old wooden toys that could be potentially hazardous. Old, dry lead paint can become powdery and cracked, making the paint more dangerous to your children.
