Total Recall!

Yesterday, as I was waiting in line at a big toy store to make a purchase using a voucher we received as consideration for a recalled swing, I was wondering which of the many plastic items I was purchasing with said voucher would ultimately be recalled due to lead paint, or magnets, or small pieces, etc. (and what then would I spend the future vouchers on, as I had already poured through the catalog of toys from this manufacturer and everything is fair game for a recall). It can drive a normally sane (unless you ask my hubby) woman nuts!

My son is just shy of eight months. To date we have been affected by 4 recalls: 1) a travel swing (for which we received said voucher) that was dangerous and could trap a baby's arm; 2) a bouncy seat that was recalled due to a design re-do for a stronger base (by the time we got the new base, our big boy had surpassed the weight max, natch); 3) a convertible car seat that was recalled due to a faulty strap loosener (which also had a fix by adding new parts); and 4) lead paint in toys (fortunately the toy was a train that was above my child's age group, so we only let him watch it from afar so he never stuck anything near his mouth).

As a diligent parent, I'm all for toy and gear manufacturers taking initiative and making their products safer.... I just don't understand why it can't be done BEFORE my son has been using the item?

Fortunately for us, at the moment our son's favorite toys are: mixing bowls, cardboard boxes, cell-phones, remote controls (he's all about the gray and the black) and eyeglasses... So even though we may have to worry about carcinogens and small screws falling out, at least right now I don't have to be as diligent about checking the recall lists.