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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my baby play with my keys

30 replies

CantThinkOfAGoodUserName · 30/08/2014 16:15

9 month old baby, my baby as I'm sure all babies do, loves keys...
Plastic teething ones just don't do it for her the way real ones do for obviously jangly reasons.
But now I am told not to let her play with keys as they contain lead.
I was thinking MN will either tell me to stop being so precious OR that I'm bad mumma for even letting her look at my keys! Wink
I'm hoping that someone might give a suitable alternative??

OP posts:
lotusisaddictive · 30/08/2014 16:22

YANBU Sometimes my keys were the only thing that would settle my dd when we were out, if I tried to stop her from chewing them she would laugh and think it was a game Smile

Original poster
CantThinkOfAGoodUserName · 30/08/2014 16:24

Seriously if she goes into meltdown, keys always work! It's crazy

OP posts:
Charitybelle · 30/08/2014 16:33

My dm told me that my grandad would let me suck on a big bunch of dirty keys when I was teething. Whilst this is completely repulsive and I would never let my dd do this (PFB Grin) it didn't actually do me any harm.

TidyDancer · 30/08/2014 16:33

I never let the DCs near my keys for fear of them cutting their mouths when I wasn't watching. Never even thought about the lead issue.

KoalaDownUnder · 30/08/2014 16:39

Everyone I know lets their baby play with their keys. The only time I've seen anyone take them away is when she was worried about the slobber ruining her electronic door-opening thingy!

TheFairyCaravan · 30/08/2014 16:40

I didn't let mine play with keys because I worried they would cut their mouths. Plus keys are dirty, filthy things ime.

Pipbin · 30/08/2014 16:41

Do keys really contain lead?
Lead is a very soft metal and not the kind of thing you would make keys out of.

CMOTDibbler · 30/08/2014 16:41

I don't like babies playing with keys as they aren't toys, and you don't want them fiddling with them when mobile and you end up searching the house for your keys

fluffyduffydoo · 30/08/2014 16:43

grotty!

get new keys or old keys and clean them and give them to your dd

It's not wrong but keys must be of the germest things around....do you really want her to stick functonal keys in her mouth

Plus she mght hid them and then you'll be locked out

TakesTwoToTango · 30/08/2014 16:45

Wow, I never knew brass keys contained so much lead. I let mine play with them all the time. A quick google does suggest that it's advised against, particularly in the states. No real idea whether that's an overreaction or not. I don't really know much about lead poisoning (other than you don't want your little ones to get it!). Maybe it's one of those situations where moderation is the sensible approach?

Pipbin · 30/08/2014 16:47

All the water that came into my parents house came through a lead pipe.
I'm fine.

TakesTwoToTango · 30/08/2014 16:47

Without doubting that there may be some truth in what they say, Fisher Price do have a vested interest in people buying toy keys instead of letting DC play with really ones though don't they?!

ArabellaTarantella · 30/08/2014 16:47

Don't do it (in light of the number of people who come on saying that their toddler has lost their keys and they need to go to work/out Grin). If you must do it then get a bunch of old keys together and let them have that.

Pipbin · 30/08/2014 16:49

I agree TakesTo, when looking at any research it is always wise to see who funded it.

PacificDogwood · 30/08/2014 16:49

YANBU.

There may well be some truth to the lead-in-keys, but hey ho. She'll not chew the keys for hours and this phase won't last forever.
Yy re vested interest of toy companies.

NoraRobertsismyguiltypleasure · 30/08/2014 16:50

That article is on a Fisher-Price website - they want you to buy their stuff for your child to play with! Unless your child is sucking on the keys for hours at a time I wouldn't have thought there was much danger. As for them being filthy, most things babies put in their mouths are pretty germy unless you are whipping everything up and sterilising it every time they touch it.

TSSDNCOP · 30/08/2014 16:57

I was meh about it right up to the point DS locked the car with me on the outside.

sykadelic · 30/08/2014 16:58

A quick google (rather than dismissal just because it's on the Fisher-Price website as well) reveals there IS lead in keys.

All of that (plus the many many other links) convinces me that kids should never be allowed to mouth keys.

So yes, YABU to let your child mouth your keys.

PacificDogwood · 30/08/2014 16:59

Hm, yes, letting her play with a set of keys made up of obsolete keys is probably a better idea.

Although she might reject that because babies always want what's NOT for them, don't they - we had an old remote control for our boys when they were tiny, and that was totally rejected in favour of the real RC which was thoroughly gummed and chewed. Delightful creatures, babies Grin

LatteLoverLovesLattes · 30/08/2014 16:59

Generally I don't because they are really dirty things keys and because I worry they might cut their mouths on them as some of them are really sharp.

However, as a last resort, is has happened, but I try to get them to jangle them rather than chew on them.

LatteLoverLovesLattes · 30/08/2014 17:01

Lead - wouldn't have even thought about it, but it would come 3rd on my list, not first.

ICanSeeTheSun · 30/08/2014 18:11

Another bad mummy moment nailed to my bad mummy board.

I don't think I have ever heard of a baby who has been injured or ill from a set of keys.

HippyPottyMouth · 30/08/2014 18:35

Signing into the bad mummy club. Keys keep her quiet and happy, and I have never heard of any baby suffering ill effects.

fredfredgeorgejnr · 30/08/2014 18:39

Lead might be in brass keys - but who actually has brass keys?