One of the greatest times of the year is getting together with family for Christmas morning. Two of my favorite reasons are my niece and nephew. They are fun, happy and are a joy to be around. They are 7 and 4. Great ages for Christmas. Young enough to still believe in Santa Claus, and old enough to know what is going on and be excited about it. Both of them, bright eyed, and full of wonder on Christmas morning is a beautiful sight. In their home surrounded by a mountain of toys, most requiring batteries, with blinking lights, talking, beeping and whirring. Or left in a toy box because they are broken, the batteries died, or their parents are tired of the noise. I was struck by a series of connected revelations. Watching them unwrap their presents I noticed several things. They were only really interested in the process of opening present and finding the surprise inside. They wanted the toys, but only for a little while. Quickly forgotten once the surprise was over. It might be that they only wanted the toys because of tv commercials etc. but it could also be the overwhelming amount of toys they already have. I don't know. But it was clear they wanted to OPEN presents, not really caring about having the contents. For some time I've believed that most toys have taken the imagination and fun out of playing. As a child I loved the original legos, before they started making all the specialty kits. When the kids come over, they love to get out my old legos and will play for hours. This is something I've never seen them do with their pile of battery powered gizmos at home. I also can't help but wonder whether all the blinking, talking, whirring, buzzing, lights and sounds of modern toys doesn't increase the occurrence of ADHD. With so many things, including tv and video games screaming for attention in their lives, how can it not contribute to Attention Deficit Disorders? What we are teaching them. They are constantly surrounded by disposable throw away toys, and items that only fill a want propelled by advertising and "keeping up with the Jones's". Shouldn't we be teaching them the benefits of quality over quantity? Shouldn't we want them to seek the best in themselves and the products they buy? Over the last couple of years there has been a great deal of news about toxic food, pet food, medicine and toys coming in to the US market from China. Most recently the press storm has been sparked by the massive recall of Chinese-made Barbie dolls, Polly Pockets and other toys. Honestly I'm not surprised. When you import products without restriction or inspection from a country without safety or labor laws you should expect cheap, and dangerous products. China has no labor laws to protect workers, they have no product safety laws to protect buyers. Caveat emptor, indeed. With "Free Trade" we don't enforce our own laws regarding product safety on imports, but we force US companies to follow them. We also expect living wages in this country. Americans require actual pay for their services. But in China they will. This all lead to the horrible trade deficit and high unemployment in the US. We can actually help solve the trade deficit, unemployment and make the products we buy safer, by doing just one thing, buy American. It will cost more, for all the reasons I have listed, but it actually will usually be a superior product and will definitely be a safer product. You'll also be helping keep American workers on the job. The toys we buy today are typically bright, flashy, disposable and potentially dangerous. They are distracting, annoying and offer little in the way of imagination. They are made in nations without product or worker safety laws. They are created by workers in slave like conditions who are paid next to nothing. Next time you are out go to a store and try to find toys made in the United States of America. There is too few places to buy safe, green toys for the health of your child and the planet. One of them, that I have found and like the products, is Hazelnut Kids. Yes, they are expensive. But I prefer to pay for the quality and safety. My wife and I made the decision to only buy American made, safe toys for the children in our lives. Our niece and nephew loved their presents this year, and we feel good about the purchases we made. We know the toys will last a lifetime, and possibly be passed down through several generations. they are that well made. Next time you need to buy a toy for a child in your life, check out Hazelnut Kids and give a gift with value.
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