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Saturday, December 6, 2008
Handmade Toys endangeredDear Friends, We are writing to inform you of action taken by Congress this past August to pass the HR4040
-- the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). We are pleased that Congress passed a bill to protect
our children from toys containing lead and phthalates and addressing other safety issues. However, parts of this bill
will directly effect all small handmade toy makers and store owners in a way that could put many of us out of business. Child safety and the environment have always been our top priorities,
but the CPSIA rules now requires all toys, including natural handmade toys, to be tested by a Third Party
Lab, often at a cost of up to $4,000 per toy. We would also be required to label each toy
with a permanent batch label. These costs may put us out of business. We are asking everyone to act quickly by contacting your U.S.
Congress Person or Senator. Tell them that you are concerned that the CPSIA will have a detrimental effect on small
business owners and ask that they provide third party testing at no charge for small toy makers and remove requirements for
batch labeling. Working with other toy makers and retailers,
we have created the Handmade Toy Alliance. On our website, you can view a proposal to improve the CPSIA
and a sample letter you can send to your congress person or senator. The website is www.handmadetoyalliance.org. The most difficult portions of this act go into
effect on February 12, 2009, so we ask you to please act quickly to protect our handmade toys. The
following are the regulations that directly effect handmade toy makers and threaten to put us out of business. * Third party testing charges of up to $4,000 per toy. * Batch labeling each individual toy on
the toy itself. Thank you for taking the time to read this
letter and we sincerely appreciate your help. Sincerely Priya Ramchandran The Little Tortoise
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Power of PlayFrom the Hanen Program, It Takes Two to Talk.
Play is one of the most important ways that your child learns about the world. From playing with adults and children,
your child learns how to interact and get along with others. Play also helps develop your child's problem-solving
skills. By experimenting with toys, he'll make interesting discoveries- for example, which toys float in the bathtub
and which don't. ...
But the best thing about play is that it helps your child learn many, many words
and important ideas about the world. For instance, he learns that he goes up the stairs and down the
slide. He discovers that a block is too big to fit into a little cup, and he pretends that the soup he's
just made for you is too hot. Once your child understands these words and ideas, he may be ready to try saying
them. It's easy to see that play skills and communication skills develop hand in hand.
The power of play
comes from the connection it creates between you and your child. If you catch him at the bottom of the slide, laugh
with him as he knocks over a tower of blocks or pretend to be a patient while he's the doctor, he'll want to keep
playing with you for hours. Learning while he's playing with you is fun for your child and makes him want to keep
the interaction going.
That is the real power of play.
7:19 pm pst
Ready, set, off we go!The tortoise and the hare.
When I was young, this was one of my least favorite stories. I hated reading about
the tortoise and the hare, because the dashing, beautiful hare never won. He was faster, he was (in my young opinion!)
more intelligent, and in general, deserved to win. But noooo, the little tortoise always came up from behind,
and while my boy hare was nibbling on a stalk of hay, checking out the clouds, tortoise plodded over the finish line. I
have a son on the autism spectrum. He is 4. He has a few words, a gut-wrenchingly beautiful smile, sly brown eyes,
and a generous personality. He loves his 2 yr old sister totally…shares toys and snacks and joy with her.
She is his “sweetie pie,” his “sissy,” his “baby sissy.” He is my tortoise. The
story feels very different to me this time around. The hare, he’s okay, but he doesn’t need anyone
rooting for him, you know? He can take care of himself, and live to win another race in some other story. But
my little tortoise? He needs me. And he needs his sister and dad and anyone else who is able and willing to be
a part of our life. And there are many out there…I just have to get up the courage to let them in, and let them
support me. And knowing how the story goes, my little guy will cross the finish line. And I will
bring you along on the journey.
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