Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The contraband crib

As of June, kiddette's crib becomes illegal-ish. That is, I think we can keep it but we can't resell it. Or we can't let it out in public. Or something.

The problem is that since our drop-side crib was never the subject of any recalls, and I'm feeling confident it was assembled correctly, and frankly we haven't even moved the drop-side part since before kiddette started sleeping in the crib, there's no clear-cut course of action recommended. This blog, which seems to have good info, basically says, don't use the drop-side and keep checking the parts for wear. One-half of which we've already done. The CPSC -- which now has an entire section on its site devoted to cribs -- says get an immobilizer kit anyway, because you never know.

The company that made our crib very nicely pointed out (after congratulating me for being such a conscientious mommy -- um, thanks?) that their cribs hadn't ever been recalled and they stood by their products, but if we'd like to buy an immobilizer kit they have one. Of course, there's no clear picture of said kit on their site, so I have no idea what it looks like or how it would work, and by the way wait three weeks for delivery.

We've had absolutely no problems with the crib, ever since it was kiddo's. If anything, the drop-side was too tough to lower, not too easy. And every time I pulled it back up, I'd lean on it and jump up and down a couple times, just to make sure it was firmly in place. Yes, I really am that way.

But I know hearing about all the other crib problems is going to get in my head. Which exasperates me to no end, because then I feel like we're being penalized for other people's screw-ups. "Other people" of course meaning the shoddy manufacturers as well as the people assembling the cribs who apparently had no idea how to follow directions. Really, installing the drop-side upside down? Backward?

And that just gets me worked up all over again about how many kids' products out there are cheap, useless, dangerous crap. It's like manufacturers and retailers have absolutely no regard for the potential harm their products could do, as long as they get your credit card number first. How can anyone seriously come down on parents for being neurotic crazy messes when they can't even trust their child's bed to be safe?

I don't know if parenting really is harder than it used to be, but I do know worries like this absolutely should not need to be part of the job description.

Anyway. Still debating the kit. Cause I guess I'd be some sort of bad parent otherwise, right?

1 comment:

  1. Mmm, maybe get it just to cross it off your worry list? I was thinking today ( as I tried to buy some freaking advil for peter) that the reason it's so hard to get cold medicine is that some people don't call their dr for dosing directions or just eyeball it. So we are paying because some parents are stupid and companies are afraid they will sue.

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