In search of the perfect boy doll

A few months back we started looking at dolls for Christophe and quickly decided that the best doll for him would be a Waldorf style doll.

Before ordering a Waldorf doll we quickly looked at the dolls that were available at all our regular toy stores and was rapidly disappointed to find out that none of them truly carried non-toxic dolls. What we found was a mix of Corolle and plush dolls that were not very realistic looking or other no-name plastic dolls. Many plastic dolls are made with vinyl, a chemical often under scrutiny as soft vinyl's can contain phthalates (PVC). At our locale toy store we were recommended Tidoo from the Corolle collection, the sales rep said that many parents like me that are concerned with the toxicity of toys chose Corolle dolls and Tidoo is a boy doll. I rarely buy anything for Christophe without doing my research so I told them i would look up Corolle and find out if they were truly non-toxic. After a quick search on the net I quickly decided that no Corolle dolls for Christophe. Healthy Toys rate Tidoo as a medium hazard as he contains Chlorine, Bromine, Tin and Antimony ( I don't even know what antimony is but it sounds bad). I will give this to Corolle I don't believe they have ever had a product recalled - that is something to brag about.

Now that the decision was made that we were not buying any dolls that we could find at the various local toy stores we started searching the internet and was determine that we would be spending $100 plus for a custom made doll. Here are some of the highlights that we stumbled across:

(Keep in mind we wanted a white doll with fair hair to match Christophe appearance as best as possible, all these companies make great dolls of all ethnicity and hair skin color mixes)

Clay by Palumba cost $99.99USD plus $24.99USD for clothing.


Jan by Polar Bear Creations cost $130.00 USD.


Chris by isgood cost $125.00 USD ( I have to admit Chris was our favorite ans we almost bought him)


And the winning doll is... we found Karl by peppa at Parenting by Nature. Cost $54.99 CND. We call Karl Bébé .

HealthyToys.org

I think it is absolutly sad that we need a website that helps parents navigate trew all the various azards that comes with choosing a toy for your child. When you are shopping of a toy for your child you should not have to think those this contain lead, cadmium, chlorine, arsenic, bromine or mercury? Those are the chemicals this site will inform you about. The site is still a work in progress therefore it does not have all toys however I was able to find many items Christphe has at home and was very please that the majority of his toys passed the test. However we had one with a red flag - his Whoozit Activity Spiral.

The only thing that would be great is if this site also talked about what toys have BPA, vinyl and Phthalate.

Tasty Tuesday

For me tasty tuesday is al about Christophe and feeding him; in order to feed a baby in todays modern world you "need" gear so this entry and the next few weeks will be about gear.

Bibs:

there are thousands of bibs these days to chose from however and eco friendly parent or just an aware parent needs to ask themselves many questions:

• Is it made out of natural fibers
  
• Is it PVC free
• Is it Vinyl free
• Is it Phthalate free
• Does it have ties (ties are a no no these days with kids as they can strangle themselves)
• Can it be easily washed
• Does it stain easily
• Does it fit a long age rang (you do not want to be buying bibs every 6 months)
• Does it have a pocket to ketch falling food

I am sure there are more questions to ask but this is all we could think of. We found a bib that answers almost all these criterias from Crocodile Creek. We have 2 of these an so far these are our favorite bibs, the only criteria from above that they do not meet is 100% natural fibers. They are made of cotton but have a non-toxic coating for easy cleaning.

Refrences:
Image from Crocodile Creek

Plastic shower curtain smell may be toxic: study

Can your shower curtain kill you? According to a recent article on cbc.ca perhaps.

"Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shower curtains may release into the air 108 toxic chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and organotins, accounting for a smell that can cause adverse health problems affecting the lungs, central nervous system, liver and kidneys, suggests the study by the U.S.-based Centre for Health, Environment and Justice."

To read the full article click here.

Phthalates

I already knew I was not going to use your typical baby products bought at the Pharmacy or Grocery store now with the new information released on phthalates it just reinforces my decision. Our reason at the beginning to chose products that are more natural then the typical ones found in your pharmacy our drug store were as follows: both Geoff and I have sensitive skin which probably means baby will have sensitive skin; mass manufacturing companies tend to put to perfume and dies in there products; I don't believe in purchasing a product knowing it was tested on animals; buying organic is better for the environment. Now we add to that list phthalates free.

Phthalates are derived from phthalic acid and are used in many ways: the dominant plasticizer in PVC; as a solvent in perfumes and pesticides; as a finishing lure in nail polish, adhesives, caulk and paint; in the production of low end sex toys (if you own a rubber sex toy that did not say phthalates-free always use a condom to protect yourself from your toy); modern electronics such as computers, cell phones and MP3 players; and in beauty products to stabilize fragrances.

According to the interview I was listing to on CBC radio last night there is no law in Canada or the US at this time that forces manufacturers to disclose if they are using Phthalates in beauty products including those for children and babies. CBC also reported regarding phthalates: "In the study, they were found in elevated levels in the urine of babies who'd been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products"

Now why should we as parents be concerned; well in laboratory testing it was proven that phthalates cause damage to the reproductive system. I know I would like my son one day to be able to give me grand kids.

So the moral of this story is read labels make sure everything you buy is phthalates free; don't trust labels because they don't need to disclose if they use phthalates; don't buy PVC toys especially ones that will end up in the little ones mouth.

If you want to read up more on this subject here are a few interesting articles I found:

Wikipedia Definition

Phthalates found in Baby Care Products Linked to Infant Deformity

How to avoid Phthalates

CBC news article re Phthalates and baby products

CBC news article re Phthalates and obesity

CBC news article