Stay on top of product recalls

By Heather

Recently, one of my favorite strollers was recalled for pinching little fingers (or worse!) and I learned about it via Twitter. Rather than chucking the stroller outright, I was instructed by the helpful Web site to order a free patch kit and be a little extra careful until it arrives. I can handle that.

But we can’t always be on Twitter at the right time to find out about these matters. So, what’s a safety-minded parent to do?

For one thing, we can stay on top of product recalls and repair notifications. To view recent recall notices or search for a particular product, visit recalls.gov. I like to periodically stop by and review the notices. You can also sign up for email alerts.

As the holiday season approaches, we see a dizzying array of messages about new toys, games, clothing, jewelry and household electronics … so many purchase decisions! When you choose an electronic gift, purchasing a UL Listed product means that samples of it have undergone rigorous safety testing. The product will proudly display the UL Mark if it has that certification.

Finally, there’s the money. The geeky engineer in me would actually like to create an algorithm to calculate the value I’m getting based on usage and cost, but since you never can tell which toy will become the favorite until after the fact, I’ll save that equation for another day.

For more tips about buying age-appropriate toys, see my five easy tips for buying appropriate and safe gifts.