My mother and the magnetix...

[Flllightattendant]

I'm feeling pretty fed up about this and just need to vent so please ignore if you like!

Yesterday morning I found a tiny magnet with the magnetix, which prompted a thorough count and check of all the bits, this took about an hour as there are hundreds.

I found the piece it had come from, packed up the entire box and was preparing to take it back to the shop as I was not happy to have it in the house, knowing it could come apart like that (health and safety issues if you haven't heard about it yet!)

My mother came round to see the boys and she said she thought it was a 'massive overreaction' and that I was 'obsessed' about it (I am not, they had been lying on the floor mixed with other stuff for weeks, uncounted and only just avoided by babies etc! - but I was careful as the consequences of ingestion can be lethal).

I said, well I'm sorry but I don't think I can live with the risk. I want to protect the children. Are you cross with me now?

She said, 'what do you want me to say? Quite frankly I think it's cruel'.

I was really upset by this. I had explained that it was no longer his favourite, wopnderful new toy, had not been played with much for a week or two, he had made everything you can make with it and it was not causing him terrible grief. I also produced an instant replacement in the form of a Knex kit I'd had wrapped for his birthday in June, which he was really pleased with.

She sat there the whole 2 hours looking miserable and hardly speaking to me for 'taking away his best toy'.

I am fully aware that her own mum took away a lot of her toys while she was at boarding school - but frankly resent having that light cast upon me, as her mum was also physically abusive and cold.

It sometimes feel like there is nothing I can ever do regarding the boys, that will not have a cruel or selfish motive ascribed to it. She seems to see her mother in everything I do.

It is very hard to maintain the 'wall' around my inner knowledge that this is not me, as she is pretty much my only support in practical terms at least.

Anyone else got one of these? Thanks for reading...

[chocfest]

Hi, not heard about it, sorry. But is there a health and safety issue as we have at least 4 boxes of the stuff?

[bubblepop]

has she actually watched that programme,warning parents of the dangers of this toy? she would surely be an idiot if she had watched it and was still happy to let her grandchildren play with them. we got rid of all the magnetix toys in our house, not because of the older two children though,but because we have toddlers. yanbu.

[SnappyLaGore]

i dont really understand the background stuff. your mother seems to have some issues with a sad childhood that i dont feel qualkified to comment on... and her hangover from that is a hell of a burden for you.

w/ rgds to the magnetix stuff, dss was given some a few years ago, whn my 2 ds's were at putting-stuff-in-mouth stage... and i just put it away out of reach of any of them for the time being. he played with it maybe twice, then i locked it all away agiain... i too thought it dangerous for babies.

but then, dss was only with us every other w/end and has always had so many toys he forgets whats here one visit to the next (his mother buys him everything he couldnt even have time to dream of, but thats her issue) so its not the same really (in terms of your mothers assertion that you are depriving him of his 'favourite toy')

i actually think your mother and you counld do with going to relate or something. she needs to understand you are not her mother, and you need to re-learn how to hear her without defensiveness.

[NutterlyUts]

Choc fest -If swallowed the pieces can stick together and can form blockages and strictures in the stomach and intestines

[Flllightattendant]

Thanks - Snappy, you[re right, there is a big lot of background, she had an awful time as a child and is badly affected by it.

I had not been too worried about the toys until yesterday, because I assumed the design had been altered after those children in the States were kiled. It would appear it hasn't.

The trouble is that there is just no way of telling whether something has been swallowed, say you lost a piece, you would be worrying the whole time that it was that piece which had magnets loose and that the baby had found one and swallowed it in the instant you took your eyes off him.

I can live with plastic stuff around and anything that wouldn't kill if swallowed, but this was going to keep me awake at night which is why it had to go.

Thanks for reading, anyway. I sometimes wonder if I need to get further away and less dependant on my mum. It might do us both some good...

[Flllightattendant]

Chocfest

It's been updated, click on the link...kids were still being injured apparently last year.

I even rang Megabrands yesterday to let them know and they were defensive as hell, citing the 'warning stickers' and age limits, as if that stops children swallowing them...

[chocfest]

crikey, this stuff sounds a nightmare for very your families. We have loads of the stuff as I think its fantastic, but looking from parents with babies point of view, it would have to go.

Mine are slightly older so will keep it, but will be aware of what it can do., thanks nutterly.

[chocfest]

and flightattendant!

[SnappyLaGore]

bloody hell! i had no idea about that, thanks for the link.

the stuff i thought it was is slightly different to the stuff we had as it happens... but it would appear that any swallow-able sized magnets are to be kept well away from babies and little, um, curious people.

well no wonder you wanted it out of the way and counted every piece. i did think that was a bit ott tbh, but not having read that link !

[Lulumama]

if i had not seen the programme about magnetix, i would have said it was an unreasonable overreaction, but it can be dangerous. as has been shown.

your mum is clearly very , veyr sensitive about this sort of thing, and you are very aware of her ishoooos.

does not make it any easier though.

[Lulumama]

if i had not seen the programme about magnetix, i would have said it was an unreasonable overreaction, but it can be dangerous. as has been shown.

your mum is clearly very , veyr sensitive about this sort of thing, and you are very aware of her ishoooos.

does not make it any easier though.