When Cell Phones Interfere with Safe Play

by Daniel Sean Kaye

phone1.jpg class=righthand width=250 height=180 As I drove through my neighborhood recently, I saw something I should be happy to see – a mom playing baseball with her three children. It was very Norman Rockwell-ish, with the children running madly about and all sorts of sports equipment tossed around the yard haphazardly.

But as one of the kids hit the ball Mom had just pitched, I noticed she was on her cell phone, not really paying attention to the kids. The ball went high above her barely outstretched arm, winding its way at my car and bouncing inches away from the car that followed me. Just a split-second later and the ball may have hit the driver’s window or – because her window was open – struck her in the face. One can only guess what would have happened after that.

The mother pointed to one child and mouthed, “Go get the ball.” The child ran across the road, retrieved the ball, and ran back. The mother, focused on her phone conversation, never looked up to see if it was safe for her child to cross the street.

It’s easy to get distracted, especially when we get a phone call. And since our society has become so attached to cell phones, it is often hard to ignore a call. Maybe it’s work, maybe a friend, maybe even a wrong number, but regardless of who it is, the truth is that a moment’s distraction can lead to a potential tragedy. We shouldn’t rely on our children to predict potential consequences. Running into the street to get a ball is an innocent action for a child.

We need to be vigilant. We can’t take it for granted that our children will always take precautions or that others will be watching out for them. Maybe we need to leave the cell phones aside when we’re playing with our children in order to ensure their safety and to give them the attention they deserve. That decision can make all the difference.

April 16, 2008

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Springtime Means New Dangers

by Daniel Sean Kaye

As the weather slowly starts to shrug off winter, I see the first real sign of spring – children playing outside. And as nice as that is, it soon brings the second sign – children playing outside without realizing potential dangers.

I can’t believe how many worrisome things I’ve seen kids do on my street lately. From intentionally running in front of cars in some sort of frightening competition, to groups of teens (and younger) walking absentmindedly across busy streets. There have even been instances of kids grabbing each other’s hats and throwing them into the road, inciting others to jump out and get them before another car comes.

Parents need to know that their children may not be using caution when they’re with their friends or on their own. I am always worried when I see children run out into the street, because you can’t assume that every driver on the road is looking out for them. We may take it for granted that children will always be careful in what they’re doing, but sometimes they are more focused on the fun and not necessarily on safe play. Parents need to remember that children can do dangerous things without considering the serious consequences. It’s up to us to remind them of the need to use caution and to keep them safe. 

April 14, 2008

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Sprawled on the Floor, Doing a Puzzle

by Daniel Sean Kaye

puzzle_chaos.jpg class=righthand width=300 height=199 On President’s Day my 4-year-old, was off from school. I’d taken a half-day to watch him (even though I was on deadline and my mind was elsewhere) and I was trying to find something to do to keep him occupied as I disappeared to try getting some work done at the computer.

All of a sudden, he appears at my office door with a gentle smile, holding a puzzle.

“Will you do this puzzle with me?”

“Of course, I will,” I say, secretly wishing I could get him to do it by himself.

But then we lie down on the living room carpet, dump out the pieces, and start working together on a picture of farmyard animals. An hour and three puzzles later, we are still having a great time working together. He tells me what “picture” he’s looking for and the two of us hunt for it, both giggling as we pretend the pieces don’t want to get in the puzzle or that one piece wants to eat the other.

Even though I’ll be kicking myself tomorrow as I struggle to get 64 pages of my magazine done, this is the most well-spent morning I’ve had in a long time. Just me, my son, and a simple puzzle—a Norman Rockwell moment I hope to remember for a very long time.

March 03, 2008

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A Worldwide Safety Standard?

by Daniel Sean Kaye

kid_at_map_v2.jpg class=righthand width=300 height=199 “Why can’t we have one mandatory global safety standard for toys?” No, this question isn’t being asked by every parent, grandparent and child advocate in America. It’s being brought up by Alan Hassenfeld, chairman of Hasbro, the US-based toy company, in a recent interview with the Financial Times.

Hasbro wasn’t directly involved in last year’s recalls, so it was easy for Hassenfeld to not sound like he was passing the buck or shifting blame. It was a good thing for him to say (and makes for a good sound bite and solid p.r.), but it is an amazingly complicated issue. We all would like such a thing, but I can’t see any way it would happen.

Who would make these rules and why? Could the U.S. demand certain manufacturing standards be set up in China? If so, how could such standards be adequately enforced? Would these new rules further raise prices (as is rumored to be the unpleasant reality of the upcoming 2008 holiday season)? Would U.S. consumers be willing to pay more money for toys if new security measures led to higher prices? If the public’s responses to the steep financial increases impacting travel due to security are any indication, that answer is no.

These are issues being thrown about all over the toy-making world, as well as in the offices of legislators everywhere. Are we ready to shoulder the burden of higher costs in order to be more certain our children’s toys are safe? Or will we decide to pay less and hope a problem doesn’t happen again?

March 03, 2008

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Simple, Universal, Fun

by Daniel Sean Kaye

Here is an “alternative toy” that doesn’t cost too much or generate too much worry. They are simple, inexpensive, and come in endless varieties. They are probably already a part of your child’s life.

Stickers. Yes, those cute little drawings with the sticky back. There are big and small ones, simple and elaborate ones, colorful, clear, and even colorless ones. Often for less than a cup of coffee you can buy a pack of stickers containing dozens, and you can find them in a vast array of stores.

So why bring up stickers? Because kids today, just like when I was growing up, still love them. My four-year-old son decorates page upon page with stickers of smiley faces, Spiderman, cats, Earth, and on and on. Whenever we see them, he asks if we can get some and, usually, we do. Then he is transfixed as he pulls them from the smooth backing and arranges them on paper.

Sometimes putting stickers on paper is all he’ll do for an hour and he is completely content. We even put him to work over the holidays, giving him the job of putting the postage on our holiday cards. He took the responsibility seriously and was very proud of himself when the task ended.

If you’re looking for an activity for your child, pick up a bunch of stickers and give them some paper to stick them on. You’ll watch your child enjoy an activity we have all enjoyed at one time or another.

March 03, 2008

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