Anyone else's MIL let LO's play with unsuitable toys????

[archiesmummy]

We had sunday lunch in a pub and I was holding DS (9 months almost) as he was a bit bored. MIL sat opposite and suddenly I hear this noise so I look at what he is doing... he was rattling a set of keys dangerously close to his face and making marks in the table.. !!!! MIL was smiling and thought this was a great distraction. How anyone can think keys are suitable toys for a baby I don't know.
Also she bought him a Golliwog , which I have hidden at the bottom of his toy chest so it will never resurface again..

So I'm the only one obviously. Not worried about the germs on keys as, like so mnay of you have said, he gets germs from everything else...
But keys are sharp and can hurt him. MIL wasn't playing with the keys she gave them to DS. A set of keys with 4-5 keys on and he was rattling them vigorously...
Maybe I'm wrong, but I remember we were advised as a young girls, if we were ever attacked, to hit the attacker in the face with a set of keys as this would hurt him and also leave a scar so he could be identified... So surely they must be dangerous????

bubbly1973, I think a toilet brush is worse than a fly swatter.

Ah albosmum, a kindred spirit...

urrggh that is worse..please dont tell me that was given for light amusement

well i dont actually let my kids lick the kitchen floor. not as such. laziness of the sahm notwithstanding.

germs are good for them anyway.

dettox is bad, very bad for them

my neighbour, an intensive care nurse, marched into our house on ds's 1st birthday, took the balloons down and popped them and put them in the bin. she said she had seen too many babies die after biting on a balloon

But, SD, DS1 went through a phase of loving playing with toilet brushes. I don't remember him putting them in his mouth, what he liked to do was dip them in the toilet water, and then spray the water all around the room (and on any of his companions - they would take turns using the brush, so everyone got sprayed).

It was a very popular game, and one he made up himself!

mil...cant live with them, cant live without them

LOL NotQuiteCockney, toilet brush.. yuck!!

Pretty much anything is dangerous if you're not supervising. Walk around with anything in your mouth and if you trip you'll probably hurt yourself badly.

Could live just fine without mine bubbly1973

hehehe... I was joking about the loo brush NQC, please tell me you are...

Keys are my 9 month old's idea of heaven and have been for about 4 months now. Couldnt do the weekly shop without a set! She's very much alive and totally unscathed by them!

MIL is right about the keys and you're being a first-time mum .. which we all do (first time) and then we look back and

Don't see the big deal with keys. It's your first I take it? I only say that because I think I thought the same with my first and by the time the second comes along and/or your first gets older you realise that loads of unsuitable things go in their mouths, you can't stop them all! Mil was trying to be distracting and kind, babies love keys.

I think the thought of my MIL actually doing anything right is almost impossible to accept!!

Letting your children play with keys is a big mistake IME, several times I have had to rummage around in the bin under leftovers, dirty nappys (in sacks thank goodness) to locate the keys ds has lobbed in there). Same goes for mobile phones.

Its fine to say supervision is the key but it takes only one distraction which i think as mums we all know can easily happen especially when you have more than one. DH felt awful but if he had the keys he would have all his teeth. Not much else could have caused as much damage.

I let ds play with most things but I draw the line at any sharp metal objects.

I have the same problem with mine, Archiesmummy!! Whatever she does is wrong, poor woman!

I let my 12 month old eat anything she finds on the floor nowadays - all that bending down is tiring for me

Keys are fine

Golliwogs are FULL of germs

YES!!! my mil the same. last time she visited she brought our dd's (4.5 and 2.5) crap dolls from the £1 shop!!! FFS!!! they collapsed when the girls tried to play with them and the second the in-laws left they were rehomed in the wheelie bin!!

oh liath, sometimes I feel bad, but I just can't help it. All her presents are left more or less unused..
Yes, I let him play with most things now even my mobile and the other favourite, tyhe remote (much to DH's annoyance), but cam't help to worry about keys..
We all have different things I suppose!
Thanx all

SewingMadMummy, I have half a toychest full of old second hand teddybears, many of them collectors items and not actually toys, she also bouh a big wooden digger and on the box it says "This is for display only. This is NOT a toy!!!" FGS

SD, I'm really not kidding about the toilet brush.

I probably should add, though, that this "game" was not viewed very positively, and we stopped him quite quickly (and with quite a bit of ) whenever we caught them at it.

Key rattling is an obligatory grandparent activity when entertaining small babies.

I would have no problem with keys but I was a bit horrified when my FIL took his sock off once and made a puppet out of it, flakey skin and all, got a bit too close to DD face for my liking - yuck!!