What is the #1 warning label we parents see? The one that we all ignore? I pay attention to the choking hazard ones, the electrical shock ones, etc. But I always ignore one certain label.
I put my children in pajamas that are not intended for sleepwear and fail to meet flammability standards for such items!
Oh yeah.
Breaking the law, breaking the law, wah wah, breaking the law, breaking the law, wah wah!
Guess how many people died in 2004 from “ignition or lighting of nightwear”?
Seven.
Why are we so concerned with this issue? I don’t get it. Shouldn’t we be reminded of greater dangers, like being bitten or struck by a dog (27 deaths in 2004), confined in or trapped in a low oxygen environement (16 deaths in 2004), electrocution by electric transmission lines (94 deaths in 2004) or exposure to excessive natural heat (226 deaths in 2004)
Seriously, where did this PJ label phenomenon come from?
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Rachel said,
September 30, 2008 @ 8:17 pm
I have never understood this either. I mean, I don’t have kids, but I am around them all the time, and I have never understood this. The bedsheets are flammable. The pillow is flammable. The whole damn mattress is flammable! If your bed is on fire, is it REALLY going to make that much of a difference if your pajamas are flame retardant? Probably not. I think more effort should go into preventing the fires from happening in the first place.
A big problem here in TN is children accidentally being left in cars, or more frequently, daycare vans. Horrible, horrible stuff. I think more could really be done about this.
Marcy said,
September 30, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
The weird things that “keep out kids safe”
I was thinking of you yesterday. I was a substitute one-on-one (read: aid) for a kindergartner in a sped room. Out of the 5 kids that came to class, 4 of them wore harnesses on the bus. I had to ride the bus with him and when I strapped him in he looked so helpless, I felt awful. I made a decision yesterday that if we are still living here when we have children and if we have kids with special needs they will NOT be going to public school. They literally sat around watching Spongebob during class! GAH!
Baby Gig Fan Club said,
October 1, 2008 @ 8:11 am
The BAGM blog is the only spot on the web where one can find discussion of Robeez® and sewing projects interspersed with heavy metal lyrics.
Anne said,
October 2, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
There are studies that suggest that the chemical that makes the fabric nonflamable is harmful. http://parentingtimes.gainesville.com/default.asp?item=2259324 I always wash the kids’ bedding & clothes with fabric softener (liquid and dryer sheets) to make sure that the chemicals are removed.
I believe California started this with a law requiring kid’s jammies to be treated.
Or, instead of needing more laws, you could keep your kids away from, I don’t know, fire? matches? candles?