Really important study--we need your help

Hi all. This was supposed to post Monday, so I'm attaching Tuesday's post to the end of it. Please please read through the first part and pass it on.

Leslie Davis, a researcher at Illinois State University (in the U.S.) is doing a study on pre-natal and post-partum depression, and she's trying to tease out the differences in mood disorders (depression vs. anxiety, etc.) so that they can work on more effective plans for treatment.

She needs women to fill out their online survey. You are eligible if you are pregnant and 26 weeks along or more, or if you are between 6 week and 6 months post-partum.

Please, please please, if you are in this category or know people who are, fill out the survey. Forward on the URL to everyone in your childbirth ed class, new moms' group, breastfeeding support group, online support group. Ask the moderator of any online boards you post on if you can post the link there.

The more responses the researcher gets, the better info she'll have and the better prevention/diagnosis/treatment we'll be able to offer to pregnant women and new mothers. (The results of the study should be available in the summer of 2008, so I'm going to ask Leslie to update us then on what she found.)

Now, for Tuesday's post, I'm cleaning up holiday gift requests.

A grandmother is looking for good toy suggestions for 2 1/2 year-old twins (boy/girl, if that affects your response any).

Following up on the post last week about asking friends and relatives for nicer quality toys, Kristen wants to make things as easy as possible for her relatives:

"So I need some help...I have a 6 month old son and I'm trying to buy him toys that are made in the US or Europe.  Any good websites or stores that you can suggest?  I'm trying to encourage my family and friends to buy him the more expensive toys that are of better quality than the cheap plastic ones and I know that options are important."

Melissa writes:

"My son will be 4 in mid-December.  As one would expect he is full of questions about the world and everything in it.  We have gone to the library with some questions and done some research on the internet, but I thought we might also want to look at having a good children's illustrated (we are not quite reading just yet, but trying hard) dictionary or a set of encyclopedias at home for some old fashioned look it up exploration.  Do you are your readers have any recommendations?"

My 5 1/2-year-old is loving the Scholastic Children's Dictionary I listed over there on the left in the sidebar. I'm not sure about encyclopedias, but I'm sure someone will have suggestions. I just discovered Simple Wikipedia, which is just Wikipedia, but using simple language and without some of the content that makes regular Wikipedia so much fun but also too wild for kids.

Then Liz writes:

"I am looking for a good book that might have some good suggestions for fun and developmentally-beneficial activities I can do with my 5 month old.  A kind of "Daring Book for Girls" for babies.  I consider myself a creative person, but I'm running out of things to do with my baby. I'm not sure I can play on that playmat and simply pass toys back and forth with her for too much longer.

Any good ideas?"

I, personally, think you should just do your normal activities with the baby in a sling and narrate what you're doing and that will help her development more than anything. But that's also because I'm not a "down on the floor playing kids games" kind of mom. Which may explain why my kids are great at baking and cooking and doing laundry with me, but good at playing Legos with each other and not me. ;-)

I know someone out there will have suggestions of books or of activities to do. And toys for the other questioners.

But first please pass on the survey info to any interested parties you know.

Comments

[katydid6]

When my daughter was 4 1/2 we got her the "First Human Body Encyclopedia" from the DK Publishing First Reference Series. She was really into anatomy at the time. Since then we've gotten a couple of others from the same series (First Animal & First Nature Encyclopedias). They've all been huge hits. We'd read a few pages at bedtime, but she's also spent countless hours just looking at them on her own. I think they're very age-appropriate for curious older preschoolers and early elementary and I highly recommend them.

As far as baby toys go, I've been pleased with the European toys offered in the Magic Cabin catalog/website. My 4-month-old is loving a Kathe Kruse towel doll that I believe they carry.

Can't wait to read everyone else's suggestions!

[iheartnewyork]

I can't tell you how happy this statement makes me:

"But that's also because I'm not a "down on the floor playing kids games" kind of mom. Which may explain why my kids are great at baking and cooking and doing laundry with me, but good at playing Legos with each other and not me."

Ahhhhh... I'm not the only one... :)

[debinsf]

We also love the kid's scholastic dictionary. A nice encyclopedia set for kids is the Child Craft series from World Book. http://snipurl.com/1u9nl

The books have science, nature, folk tales, earth, animals, etc. They are exciting with a nice balance of pictures for younger ones to text for older. My husband had a set as a kid and now my 7 yo son is reading them in bed.

[michaela]

@iheartnewyork: I am right there with you!! I loved reading that.

[Linda]

I relate because of all the toy recalls...I have a 2-year-old, and we've been doing:

Plan Toys (made with food dye)
And also love the Blabla line (even though they are expensive)...

I just read that Melissa and Doug are made in China though supposedly they test the toys...but...since they are painted, we aren't taking any chances.

[hedra]

In order - I miss the cutoff for the survey by a mile, sigh.

2 1/2 year old twins: It helps to know their 'approach to life' personalities, IMHO. I have 3 year old twins (G/G), but one is very into things that DO stuff (commonly assigned as 'boy things'), and the other into things she can do things TO/with (often considered 'girl things'), though there's a fair degree of crossover. One item from each category for each child is nice if you don't know their respective personalities well yet. Things they both enjoy: Play food/dishes, stuffed toys (bears, dolls, sharks) for pretend play, trucks and cars (those shake-and-go cars are fun - make sure the girl gets one, too!), books with photos (check concept books section of the book store - Alphabet, Colors, Numbers, etc.), I Spy books, hammer-through toys, play tool sets. Also basic art materials (crayons, paper, safety scissors). My kids also love post-it notes, bandaids, and tape (stickers can be a choking hazard, leave those for over 3 unless the mom has a different opinion). Blocks to stack (we love architecture blocks, with the shapes of castles and far away places in the blocks themselves), and toys that 'categorize' or 'sort' (like stringing beads of different colors or sizes, or large size duplo/lego, etc.). If they have any developmental delays, then check with the mom for specifics.

For the 6 month old in need of quality toys, I'm not much help. I've tended to search by item, and then find some company that makes just one kind of thing, buy that, and forget who it was. Sigh. Try organic sellers, though - you may get better luck with those.

Melissa, another vote for the Scholastic dictionary, here. We also tend to get collections of 'all about bugs' or 'all about mammals' books from the Scholastic Book Clubs folks, which creates a mini library of science topics for the very young. My mom tends to buy the HUGE MONGO COFFEE TABLE BOOK versions of things like human anatomy, astronomy, geology, gems, history, art, etc. Something about having a book that is way bigger than you are... kinda cool. And the photo quality is amazing. The 4-6+ kids love those things. Try Costco, or pick up the ones that are on super-discount at the book store near the checkout. Also at this age, field guides start being more interesting, though maybe closer to 6 for those? There's also a Look Inside (I think that's the title) series that is fun for exploring topics in more depth. We're book people, so more books isn't a bad thing.

Liz, I so suck at games with babies that my daycare provider once oh-so-casually loaned me a book of games to play with babies. Sigh. BUT, I'm a big fan of carry around, point, and talk, with a dose of music and silliness tossed in for fun. My kids as a result tend to fail those early developmental tests of 'SO big!' and pat-a-cake (huh? I was SUPPOSED to play those? Is it required?), but can point to their body parts and name them earlier (and with more variety of parts known) earlier than usual. Pointing to body parts, and making silly faces, and blowing on bellies is about my level of game. Making up silly songs is my favorite, though. I don't remember any of the 'real' baby songs (maybe rock a bye baby, but I don't really enjoy that one), so I invent my own. At 5 months, they start being more interested in things they can manipulate themselves, though (like teethers, or carpet fuzz), so a play mat to explore might be an absorbing activity.

[Wendy]

for Kristen: thewoodenwagon.com is an online store out of NY state and has all European-made toys and goes by age, which is nice for relatives. And, shipping is always I think around 5$ regardless of how much you spend.

for Melissa: DK publishing Eyewitness books that are encyclopedic with information, but have nice big pages, beautiful photographs, etc. and cover a huge range of topics like mummies, vikings, American revolution, the Ocean, universe. Hardcover books are around 10$ from Amazon but also are carried often in local bookstores. Many studies have shown that kids, of all ages, much prefer non-fiction and real pictures to any other kind of books, and I've never found a kid that didn't like these.

for Liz: It's hard, I found, at that age, to engage the baby with books and toys. So, I gave up and focused on doing things I wanted to do and needed to do. When the baby was 5 months old, we started wearing out the sling, baby bjorn and stroller. I just talked out loud to the baby while I walked, jogged, shopped, went for coffee, anything. It worked well for a couple months because he could hold his head up and look around, but wasn't trying to crawl or walk, so he was perfectly happy looking out at the world.

[Nutmeg]

I'm not a play on the floor kind of person either, and my best friend who has a baby 1 month younger than mine is, and sometimes it honestly makes me feel a little inferior.

I'm pretty sure Moxie isn't inferior, so now I feel better.

We do a LOT of the walking around talking about vacuuming and folding laundry and sorting clothes and cleaning out closets.

I'm not sure what to do about toys and all of your arguments in the last post about it were very convincing on both sides. I am doubly troubled, as the kid's first birthday is 10 days before christmas.

[Kathy]

I like Guidecraft for high quality wooden toys. They have a wide variety of toys for different ages and abilities. I think they're all made in USA.
http://www.guidecraft.com/

[electriclady]

Oompa.com sells European-made toys--Haba, Selecta, etc. I want everything on the site!

Babycenter.com has games/activities organized by age (http://www.babycenter.com/baby-games-activities). I haven't tried any (some seem like a lot of work to me!) but a lot of them are just intuitive (pouring water back and forth, peekaboo, etc.). Also, IME 5 months is a tough age for "activities" as the baby isn't able to really manipulate objects very well...at that age I think I also just put her in the sling and talked to her about the things we saw. Now at almost 10 months she can really PLAY and it's much easier to come up with things to do.

[julie]

I also am not a play on the floor kind of mom for any length of time. There is just too much to get done in the day for me to be able (or willing) to do it.....plus, it's just not that much fun. I hate to admit that.....but for me it's true. I'm lucky my parents ARE good at that (I'm sure I will be too as a grandparent) and they spend a lot of time with A during the day while I work.

Like Moxie, I spent a lot of time wearing him while I did my chores, worked, walked, socialized, etc. As a result, A is able to engage with adults, talk to them (he's 2), laugh with them, listen to them......without demanding people pay attention to him 100% of the time. He only demands that about 75% of the time. Also, because I would put him in his crib to play in the mornings while I got showered and dressed, he's pretty good at playing by himself - which is a HUGELY important skill IMHO.

So my point is....playing on the floor with your baby is great if you have a natural affinity to do so. But if your floor skills are limited, don't beat yourself up about it. There are many ways to parent a baby.

[rose]

For baby activities: I have Baby Play by Gymboree, somewhere. I think mine is an older edition, but the TOC looks the same as the one currently listed on Amazon. It has lots of age appropriate activities to do with babies; lots of them are things you do naturally to entertain the baby, but the book explains in what ways those activities are beneficial.

For good quality toys: I recently discovered a website that lists "safe" manufacturers: http://www.chinafreechristmas.info/ Also, two toy sites that have lots of the European brands are Oompa.com and Moolka.com, and I just discovered that they are selling through Amazon. Which means you can add those toys to an Amazon Wishlist. :-) It's easy to browse toys by age group and seller.

For encyclopedias: we tend to find lots of cool kids books at our local thrift store. Many of the encyclopedia style ones we end up loving are Dorling Kindersley.

[Carla]

An activity book that I liked for my kids are the Gymboree books. They have one for babies and one for toddlers. All kinds of home made actvities divided up into developmental and age groups. They include physical play, art, music, building, science and finger play. It helped me remember a lot of nursery rhymes that I'd forgotten about in my sleep deprived state.

[hedra]

Ah, Eye Witness - that's what I was thinking of! And ooh, new stores to shop in online... mmmm. Bad bad! Toys already bought! Bad! Sigh.

[Simone]

I am not much help for the toys, but interested in the same thing, so I'll shamefully just absorb what others post! :)

As for the "playing with the kids" thing, I, too am relieved to hear that doesn't make me a bad mom! My son hangs out with me, we read together, do other activites--I've always been one to narrate the day's events. But as for getting on the floor and lining up cars with him, he prefers to do that solo or with his friends. But hey, at least he isn't too timid to walk up to a salesman in a furniture store and say, "we're looking for a bench for our table...a nice long one!" He knows the drill!

[mamagoose]

I also would love to recommend Oompa.com. Not only do they have great toys, but their customer service is wonderful too.

[Sheila]

There's a good book called "Baby Games: the Joyful Guide to Child's Play from Birth to Three Years" by Elaine Martin - you can find it on Amazon. She has great suggestions for games, rhymes, songs, fingerplays and more, sorted by age group every few months from infancy to age 3. There are tons of ideas to choose from, and many are good for preschoolers and kindergarteners too.

For the gifts for 2 1/2 year old twins, I would recommend a selection of dress-up clothes - hats, ears and tails, and capes are best because they fit for years.

Also Lego Duplo sets, and Brio wooden trains (if they are not painted in China.) These have play value for up to age 6 or 7. FisherPrice Little People sets are excellent too, very durable, and our kids are still playing with some of them in Grade Two. Unpainted wooden blocks are very worthwhile.

For active play: soccer balls, trikes, sleds, hoops, how about a miniature parachute?

Books are always great, both fiction and nonfiction. We like the DK Eyewitness series and other Dorling Kindersley nonfiction. Picture books by Lauren Child are great fun, both fairy tales and the Charlie and Lola series.

Also how about some top-quality children's music for your CD player or iPod? Raffi is always a winner, and you can get picture books of some of his songs, called "Raffi songs to read". He has a terrific Christmas album that we play every year.

[Jill]

Usborne books are great for encyclopedic information on specific topics. They are great early readers later too. http://usborne.com Many of them are internet linked (with supervised sites) for additional follow up a child may want.

Also, my son got a DK First Encyclopedia when he was about three and we still love it. I figure it'll be used for research projects for years!

[Christiana]

You have no idea how relieved I am to hear Moxie and so many others of you say that I can still be a good mom without being capable to playing on the floor with a baby for hours. I am terrible at that and was a bit panicked at the thought of having to entertain my baby (eventually).

I have no suggestions for the questions, but as I'm 27 weeks pregnant, i did do the survery.

Any ideas for what to bring as a gift to a 1-year-old boys birthday party?

[Shannon]

In order to relieve my guilt about not playing on the floor with my son, I signed him up for a little baby music class through our local park district. I figure that at least for that half hour, I can sing and play with him, and basically be what I envision as a good mom. Then when we're at home and I try to do the little ditties from class with him, that lasts like 30 seconds and then I'm at a loss for what to do, so I just go back to household chores.

[Brooke]

In terms of kids music: We really like Gemini and the Chenille Sisters.

Depending on what you want to spend, the Tupperware Shape-O toy is fabulous for a kid 1-3 (ish)

[Lucky]

When my DD was a baby we got handed down to us a Gymboree book "Baby Play" which, I must say, had all kinds of fun-for-an-infant ideas that I would probably have not thought of myself. We ended up passing it around our newborn baby group and then I shared it with the parents of newborns "support group" that I facilitated. I never did a Gymboree class - but the book was great.

It is available on Amazon so you could click through Moxie's link!

[wavybrains]

I couldn't find a way to leave feedback on the survey--but I was disappointed that it didn't ask if you were currently on medication/therapy/treatment. Without therapy and medication my answers would have been WAY different. But, I'm so happy to see this research being done!

[kelli]

For Kristen:
I like setting up a registry on http://whattoget.net/ or a similar site. You can use various sources for the registry -- not just Amazon.

As for specific stores, I really like Nova Natural (http://www.novanatural.com) not just because my husband's cousin owns it. We own quite a few of the wooden cars & trucks, and I'd love to get a set of the beautiful blocks for our kids. I've asked for some of the crafty items for myself this year.

Willow Toys: http://www.willowtoys.com
Lots of bigger toys (kitchens, playstands, dollhouses)

Willow Tree Toys: http://www.willowtreetoys.com
A small business in Bend, Oregon.

Others -- I don't know much about them, but here are the links:

North Star Toys: http://www.northstartoys.com
For Small Hands: http://www.forsmallhands.com
Montessori Equipment: http://www.montessoriequipment.com
Green Tara: http://greentaramama.com
Bella Luna Toys: http://www.bellalunatoys.com

A blog post by Angry Chicken about Toys which includes lots of links:
http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2007/08/not-made-in-chi.html

Oompa Toys (carries Haba, Plan, Selecta, etc.)
http://www.oompa.com

Maukilo Toys (Haba, Ravensburger)
http://www.maukilo.com

Moolka Eurpoean Toys (Haba, Selecta, Sevi)
http://www.moolka.com

http://www.quiethourstoys.com/index.php

http://soulemama.typepad.com/soulemama/2007/11/acorns-are-fun.html

For Liz:
My kids have been enrolled in inexpensive local programs through the library and Adult Ed/Community Ed programs (Babies & Books, GymKids, Wiggles & Rhymes, Parent+Child preschool) where we have socialized and learned a few songs & games to play together. The first three were appropriate for pre-walkers.

We also enjoy the Bright and Beyond card pack from PalToys (http://www.paltoys.com/). It's inexpensive, has ideas for using stuff around the house, most of the ideas can be explored by preschoolers as well as younger kids (i.e., putting things in a box which is covered by a silk scarf -- the preschooler can reach in and guess what the object is while the younger is just working on where the toy went when you put it in the box). Some of the ideas are great for giving you a few minutes to make dinner while the kid is playing in a high chair or whatever.

Sorry this ended up being so long!

kelli

[tish]

I can't believe how utterly relieved I am after reading all the comments from the mamas who aren't "floor-players." Sometimes I freak out and think "Oh no, I haven't sang a song/played a game with him in 10 minutes!" BUt then when I do he could care less about "baking a cake as fast as you can"...he just wants to watch the garage door go up and down. Thanks to all for making my day!

[Shannon]

For baby games and toys: There is a wonderful book called "The new language of toys" by Sue Schwartz Phd. it's written for children with disabilities but has universal application. it sets out developmental stages from babyhood to at least 5(? if i recall correctly), and suggested toys, home made toys, games and books for each stage, with a short blurb on how each toy/game helps development at that stage. I really recommend it.

[Susannah]

Toys for 2 1/2-year olds: We have been loving Magnatiles. They aren't cheap, but they have transfixed all the "kids" in our extended family, from 7 months old to 77 years old. Seriously, they are way fun to build with as adults, and since they sort of fly together, they are tons of fun for uncoordinated little hands, too.

It kind of covers the "get down on the floor" angle too because it's hard for grown-ups to resist playing.

[julie]

Tish you crack me up. We also have that fascination with things that are not "toys", but can also become somewhat tedious for adult minds - putting the phone in and out of the cradle, turning light switches on and off......we have just weathered a major temper tantrum because Daddy doesn't want A to play with his electric toothbrush and base. Which would, if allowed, end up on our nasty family room floor covered in dog hair. But try explaining that to a 2 year old....who feels it is the absolute end of his world to not be able to incorporate a cool electric toothbrush and base into his imaginary game, which already includes way too many "real" things we have given to him simply to keep the meltdowns to a minimum.

[Briana]

I'm also not much with the play-on-the-floor games, but I take Wes out a lot with me in the sling or carrier and I point out the tugboats on the river and say hi to all the neighbourhood seniors. He likes that. Also: try putting your baby on some paper. It crinkles when they roll around, and mine liked to mouth and tear it (obviously newsprint might be messy. Plain paper might be better!

Also break out some of the kitchen 'toys' - Wesley's new favourites include our silicone basting brush, a clean plastic yogurt container and a plastic cup.

We've also been playing lots of sound games, where I make really silly sounds and faces and he smiles and giggles.

[Ami]

I looked through the comments and didn't see this site listed for toys..
http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com/

[Meika]

Also not a floor mom, and so relieved to hear that I'm not alone! I was talking to my mom about that one time and she said that she never really played with us that much - it just wasn't done then; the housework came first and we were expected to fend for ourselves. I think I turned out okay. :)

[stacy]

Oh, phew. I don't really play with my son, either, and I'd been kind of worried about that for a while now. For the first 8 months, I wore him all the time; now that he is crawling he wants to be on the floor, and can play by himself just fine. Which is a huge relief for me, but makes me feel a little guilty. Especially since I'm a SAHM and I feel like if I'm lucky enough not to have to WOH, I "should" be "working" by stimulating his little mind 24/7. Ah, motherhood.

I'm disappointed that the survey cuts off at 6 months PP. Some of my worst PP moments came around 7-8 months. But yeah, it's definitely better than no research on the issue.

[LauraLou]

Another "get things done" mom here. My son (6 months next week) does do plenty of playing on the floor, but pretty much by himself. I'll lay out a blanket with a few toys and he can keep himself amused while I tidy up, get some work done, and (of course) read blogs. Of course, I'm often talking or singing to him, but he's pretty happy as long as he knows I'm near. Like Moxie, I'm also a big fan of the sling and I pop him in there while I narrate the rest of my daily chores (Oh look, now your clothes go from the washer to the dryer; Aren't daddy's socks stinky?; Let's put the plates back in the cabinet!)

On the toy front, I've been relying on Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy guide. They highlight a lot of natural stores as well as great toys and some discount codes:

[m]

Just did the survey, and was also a little disappointed with it. But, I'm just heartened that someone is taking an interest and maybe something good will come of it.

For natural toys, I'm a big fan of: http://www.naturalpod.com/shop/

I'm also not a play-on-the-floor mom. Babies need time to just be, learn to explore the world on their own as well as just dream. I think being a baby is a lot like being a writer. Sure, it might not look like anything is happening but a bit of drool, but worlds are being formed. My boy (now almost 20 months) has always loved playing with stuff from the recycling bin and a drawer of linens more than any 'real' toys. Now he's big into buttons. Don't sweat it. You'll be longing for the time when you could just put the babe on the floor and get stuff done before no time.

[Mete]

If you're looking for more feedback to pass on for the survey (which you probably aren't!) I was a little disappointed as well. I had an issue was with the 'within the last 7 days' stuff. Right now, it's post-holiday and crazy busy and not a typical situation. I answered more honestly for how I've felt over the past month. I think it's more relevent to know how I felt for the majority of time since my baby was born, rather than strictly this week.

Also, this is baby #3, so my answers are affected by my being well-informed from dealing with anxiety & depression with the first two. For example, I still had panic attacks this time, but I knew what they were and could shorten them, preventing a lot of the stronger symptoms. Without looking at my past history, I think I sound a lot healthier than I felt. If that makes any sense.

Anyway, overall it was good and I obviously think it's very important subject matter. For polling a large group of people, it meets the need.

Regarding the playing on the floor thing - yay! I'm normal! I also do the "help me work/bake/clean" substitutions for floor play. But my problem is not the baby, but my nearly four-year-old. He INSISTS I play with him on the floor, and I'm fine as long as it's legos or blocks. When he decides we have to play trucks AGAIN, I fake it as long as I can until he's distracted. It's the guilt factor. He doesn't go to daycare, and his siblings (an infant and a five-year-old with special needs) can't play with him.

I guess I've got to suck it up and start scheduling play dates, don't I?

[Christiana]

Mete - I remember being stuck "playing" with my best friend's 4yo while he played with his tool bench and I was expected to watch - it was 4yo he** for me. I thought I'd never get rescued! And i have no idea how to "play trucks" either - I'm screwed when I get a boy or a girl who likes to do that srt of thing!

[Gladi]

Last Christmas my 3 year old daughter wtaend only two things for Christmas one of them being a blue tea party set. Blue girl's items can be hard to find, but I finally came upon this adorable set. She has been using this now for a year and it is still a favorite and part of the hundreds of tea parties held throughout the last year. I gave it a 4 for durability simply because it is a breakable toy since it is ceramic, but my child has not broken a piece yet. She is gentle with it because she loves it and knows it is breakable, but for a less careful child, it could break. Overall though this was one of the best buys I ever came across. It could even be used a display item once she outgrows playing with it and I hope it will be something she keeps her whole lifelong.

[Prachi]

I looked thgourh the various child tea sets as a gift for my turning-4 daughter. I really like the photo that showed a picnicesque perspective and mobility of the basket, so I ended up choosing this set. When the set arrived, the box noted that this was a PORCELAIN tea set, which I had not seen under any of the headings or basic toy descriptions when I looked online. From the looks of the picture, in my mind, this set was plastic. Anyways, it's a very cute set, but I'm just not ready to send my 4 yr old and her 21 month old sister off to play with toys that could cause damage or injury. After several I'll be careful s, followed by repeated clanking sounds from the next room, this set will now be waiting a little while until the girls are a little more capable of using such delicate tea service.

[Sukarno]

I, sadly, have not been able to view the movie I have tried on both Firefox, and Internet Explorer not sure why it will not play for me. However I did Take Action and plan on not only telling feirnds and family about this but also posting something about it on my blog. This year I was/am very serious about removing lead from the toys I am giving as gifts. I made most of the items, and have bought several wood toys for my kids In this day, it seems everyone wants kids to just sit to play, what ever happened to using your imagination, instead of having a TOY do all the work for you Anyway thank you for this site, and I look forward to telling my readers about it!

[Kumar]

I bought this tea set for my 9 year old dtauhger for Christmas. She enjoys giving tea parties for friends and family. We were having a difficult time finding a decent set for a 9 year old. The dimensions are very unclear. The set is cute, but the size is very small. The little cups might hold a tablespoon of water (maybe). I showed my dtauhger the gift that she had helped me pick out online (prior to Christmas because I was afraid that it would be disappointing), and she almost started to cry. I am still looking for a slightly more mature tea set.

[Jerri]

I just watched your crotoan about unsafe toys being imported.I really think you could provide a service by printing the dialog of the song so everyone could understand what the little character was singing about. Pictures do not alway tell the full story. Words would be a plus.Thanks for your efforts.

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