I'm a horrible mom. I must be since I can't remember ever thinking about toy safety when purchasing a toy for my children much less authorizing a toy list from Santa. Toy safety just doesn't cross my mind when I'm doing my holiday shopping but it should.

Women Day By Day shares a list of things to remember when buying toys for the holidays.

The Better Business Bureau offers safety tips and US PIRG has several articles about holiday toy safety and toy recalls.

Here are the top safe shopping tips from the US Consumer Products Safety Commission:

Here are CPSC’s Top Safe Shopping Tips for this year:

* Magnets – For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. If swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
* Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
* Ride-on Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly. Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.
* Projectile Toys – Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and sling shots are for older children. Improper use of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.
* Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.

CPSC also recommends using the following tips to help choose appropriate toys for children:

* Be a label reader. Look for toy labels that give age and safety recommendations and use that information as a guide.
* Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
* For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.

Once the gifts are open:

* Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become dangerous play things.
* Keep toys appropriate for older children away from younger siblings or neighbors.
* Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery chargers. Some chargers lack any device to prevent overcharging.

Just for fun, here's a different take on toy safety. Read it all, it isn't really about toys at all, it is about words and meaning.

Inside that box, at any given moment, sat about twenty percent of my current ownership of toys. Every so often, my mother would rotate a few toys into and out of that box. She said that I never missed the toys that went into the box. She said that when toys came back out, I acted as if they were brand new. My mother said the box taught me to take care of my toys and value them. My mother should have been a child toy psychologist.

Over the years, I’ve come to think of that broken brown box as a toy safety box.

Have a happy and safe holiday - and I mean that.

~~Denise
Daily Dose of Denise and Fast Times @ Homeschool High

Image Credit: Safe Kids UK