Parenting Today: Mattel Toy Recall

If in doubt, throw it out.

That’s the motto for parents today. The bad news is the recent recall of toys. The good news is that information is available more quickly and more efficiently than ever before, thanks to the internet. What this means for parents is that they have an obligation to stay connected to websites that offer up news that affects their children’s health and safety.

Parents need to stay connected in order to keep their children safe. Web sites are the best way to get the most information about this kind of news. Links to and from the sites allow parents to find out more (and more and more and more) about any given subject from lead in paint in toys, vaccinations that contain mercury and back to school information as well as any emergency updates.

This is a great time of year to make sure extended family and friends have a way to connect to your child’s school website in case of any types of emergency where phone lines and internet and other forms of communication are temporarily wiped out. Emergency cards no longer have just telephone numbers on them — they have e-mail address AND school websites.