The Recall

Have you seen it? I'm sure you have. If you have children, you certainly need to see it. Thomas and Polly and Dora and Diego and Batman...Fisher Price?...it makes me sick to my stomach. Fisher Price toys are for teeny babes. Teeny babes put toys in their mouths!

Mattel's website has a letter for parents, "Because your children are our children." Um. No. My children are MY children. And because they are my children, I will be the one making their toys from now on. I can't trust you anymore. You say that you hope you don't have to recall any more products, but if you do, you'll do it swiftly. That makes me feel so much better about all the other toys we have...Made in China. Because we all know that China is at the forefront of safety and ethics. (BIG eye roll here).

I don't believe you when you say, "nothing is more important than the safety of our children." Unless by "nothing" you meant to say "nothing, (but profits)" are more important....clearly, the MOST important thing to you is your bottom line. We all understand that you are in business to MAKE money. You and everybody else. We get that. We understand mark ups, we know that if we want to pay you $5 for a toy, you'll need to find someone to make it for $.05.

My friends, those days are over at this house. No more $5 toys. No more little plastic trinkets, no more matchbox cars, no more Polly Pockets...it's JUST NOT WORTH IT. How do I know that the toys we bought 3 years ago are exempt from today's issues? I don't know. I chose to err on the side of safety. Because safety actually IS one of the most important concerns I have when it comes to my children.

Which brings me to my current project(s). Christmas 2007 will be the year of handmade gifts. I've been busy all morning sketching ideas. You know what? It's REALLY fun! And to think that one day, my kids might understand just how much I love them...just how important their safety is to me. Perhaps the REAL meaning of Christmas won't get all clogged up in the wrapping paper and plastic and cardboard and twist ties. Maybe, just maybe, they'll begin to understand that I love them SO much, but that God loves them even more...something that Mattel can't teach them.