Communicating and Providing for Children Today


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Jul
31
By: kathy2 | Discussion (1)

Image Courtesy of CoolBaby.com

Image Courtesy of CoolBaby.com

Kaboost is an alternative to booster seats or  high chairs.  The idea is that it has these adjustable arm things, so that instead of raising up a short kid by putting him on a booster chair or even in a high chair, you just raise the chair up, so the child sits squarely in the chair and at the right height just like everyone else.

Now, I’m not saying it’s not a kind of cool idea.  It does make it so that a little kid can sit on a chair  like everyone else and not be set apart or infantilized by having a special baby-ish chair.  And it does, admittedly, reduce the chances of the booster chair sliding sideways off the big chair and the kid landing on the floor.  In addition, it’s all plastic, so it won’t do any damage to your carpet or floor.  And it’s portable, so you can take it to a restaurant or Grandma’s house or whatever.

But this is one of those things that makes me wonder why bother with it?   At $37.95 each, you have to have some extra pocket change to get one, anyway–and that puts it in my category of things rich parents buy not because their kids really need them, but because they have the money to buy them.

For $37.95, my kid can sit on a couple of phone books.  I did a pretty thorough search, and I came across no reports of any child being injured by sitting on a phone book, and no reports of any child’s self-esteem taking such a hit that they grew up to be mentally unstable.

So, rich parents, knock yourselves out.  Kaboost seems like a cool thing to have.  I think the rest of us will just stick to normal booster chairs and their inexpensive substitutes.



Mar
26
By: kathy2 | Discussion (0)

Fisher Price has recalled the 3-in-1 high chair because the back of the seat can detatch with the child still in it and allow the child to fall out.  They’ve gotten one report of a child falling out of the chair and getting a skull fracture when that happened. 

This 3-in-1 high chair is a pretty new product, having only been sold between December 2008 and March 2009.  It was sold only at Target. 

I’m glad for companies who are willing to admit mistakes and make them right, and even for government agencies who hold them accountable.  But I can’t  help but wonder what goes wrong with the testing process that allows so many faulty products to get out there in the first place.

Anyway, if you have one of these high chairs, you can call Fisher-Price 24 hours a day at (800) 432-5437, or go to their website at www.service.mattel.com.



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