how strict are you on the 3 years and over toy rule?

[nightowl]

just wondering if im a bit ott with it. on starting to get some christmas presents, im noticing in shops that dd is increasingly interested in toys marked up age 3 and over. im not talking barbie dolls, but large baby dolls, accessories and those oversized "my little ponies" and things like that. most of the baby things she already has or some variation of so no point buying them. but she will only be 2 at christmas.

im starting to look dodgy because im taking boxes off the shelves and rooting through them to see what's so dangerous for an under three! is it mainly the choking hazard? because dd doesnt put things in her mouth anymore. if i check them for potential finger trappings etc etc would they be ok? or are there other reasons why i should not buy these things? ive not bought anything yet but wondering just how much other people stick to this?

I've had to ignore it for ds (now 2.5)or else ds would have nothing to play with. He does 50 piece jigsaws,play dominoes etc.

If it can fit in a 35 mm camera film case - it's too small for an under 3. I had to remove some of the smaller stickle bricks, and other stuff like lego I will let him play with under close supervision - and I mean close, I sit with him all the time and if I have to leave the room we have to put it away or he has to come with me.

I have noticed that lots of stuff at his preschool has 3+ on it when you see the original packaging in the shops, and his room is for 1.5 to 3.5.

thats just it, the things she is looking at are all chunky toys anyway and i cant seem to see any small parts as such even if she did still put things in her mouth. but me being me, i always think "well maybe its not that simple, i must be missing something here", and i wouldnt want to overlook something.

It depends what you mean. There is a difference between age 3+ on the box as a target age range and things that are not suitable for 0-3's. My dd has alot of stuff that is target age range 3+ but not that has that little 0-3 icon with a line through or that specifies small parts.

Thinking about it my dd1 has two dolls that were marked no 0-3's. She has had them since she was under 2. I can't see anything that might cause a problem on them so she has had them and plays beautifully with them (esp since I had dd2). I do think the manufacturers err on the side of caution for obvious reasons so I would say to use your common sense. You know your child and she won't wake up on her third birthday suddenly knowing not to put small things in her mouth etc. HTH a bit.

It is not just small pieces, it is also bits that could come off and stuck in the throat - like hair off the doll's head or mane of a "my little pony". In addition, if a toy is proposed to be for 3+ it has to meet less stringent standards - I believe. I would say fine if you watch, and don't let your dd keep in her bedroom.

At least you are checking. My dd at 2.5 years got a Hallowen game for age 8 plus for Christmas and this year for her 5th birthday got some letter learning activity for age 2 plus from my brother & sister-in-laws (they have no children) and dd can read reasonably fluently as she had been at school for one year by then!!

I don't really pay much attention to the not under 3 sign. I would be careful about say, small toy cars since those wheels come off quite easily, but apart from that I wouldn't worry. I can't see the problem with those big dolls for example.

I don't pay attention to this. My dd doesn't put things in her mouth and so she's had loads of toys that have stated not suitable for her age. Companies are over cautious with their labelling so that noone can sue them. But you know your child and what they would enjoy, and what would be a hazard!

When you have older children, it's impossible to pay attention to it anyway. The baby just plays with the older childrens' toys because they are there.

I was going to say the same as RosiePosie ...
My DD has been playing with lego and little cars etc for yonks and she is not only 19 months ...

Well when you have more than one you can't be too fussed about it anyway as the older one will have loads of toys that are 'officially' not suitable. On that basis I relied upon common sence and didn't let mine have things that were obviously not suitable - such as insecure fixings or little bits.

Honestly, this does seem to be overused, my mum bought DS a little table and chairs yesterday in wood and it said 3 yrs+ on it. I cannot see any earthly reason why a 2 yr old can't use them!

I think the 3 yrs+ sign just means, "don't sue us if your baby manages to hurt themselves on this". I think it's laziness on the part of the companies involved.

My DS2, like everyone else's second kids, plays with loads of not-safe-for-under-3s toys. He does put stuff in his mouth, but he spits little things out if they're not food.

Agree re fine as long as you check for small parts - but don't forget things can break off/have sharp edges. Ds was given a JCB toy digger which he loves but has very small nails to hold it together and, of course, it eventually came to grief. Luckily it's one I've always kept my eye on and never let him play unsupervised with it.

Toys have to be a bit more robust for under 3s as they don't have the agility/fine motor skills of older kids so are more likely to break something with smaller parts.

Bona Fide toy companies don't have a choice about labelling

CE indicates a product is a toy and is suitable for children 14 and under

a 0-3 with a cross through indicates that it does not comply with the stringent regulations for under threes

So it's not so much that it is over used but that it would be too expensive, negate the point of the toy to make it compliant.

In a nutshell NQC. It's to get them off the hook. And like Ghosty and RosiePosie, I have children of 6 and just 2 who are doing three-piece baby puzzles together one minute, and fiddling with minuscule Batman stickers and bits of Lego the next.
I just try and make sure dd has access to developmental age appropriate stuff if she wants it, but she seems keener on Lego vikings

I think it depends on the toy if its something my son would use and the bits arent too small as like your dd he doesnt put stuff in his mouth then I let him have them. He is 2 next month. He has had some spiderman figures for age 3 plus since he turned one as he loves spidey...lol I just got the chunky figures rather than the older ones for 3 plus.

Kama I have just bought that keyboard for ds from the baby when it arrives as for the past year in the shop he has wanted to play on it. AS I say he is 2 next month and apart from the mic wire/footpedal wire nothing is dangerous to a toddler and the two things with wire can be taken off. Although will be leaving them for ds now just thinking at 8mths they could be dangerous but nothing else is.

I got ds a ride on car that said 3+. A 3 year old would be able to ride a trike and not remotely interested in it (and probably too big and heavy).

i think that they put a blanket not for under threes to cover themselves.
i was reasonably strict with ds1. but with the third child. she has been playing with them since she was 1.5ish. she is 2.5 right now, and the living room floor is covered in hama beads