I’m really starting to think that all babies should just sleep in empty dresser drawers on the floor.
This week one of our cribs was recalled. This is the second crib recall we’ve faced in just over a year. After our first drop-side crib was recalled, we purposefully sought out a crib with no moving parts.
Apparently, there are dangers with fixed cribs, too.
I am grateful for these recalls because they help protect innocent children from a life-threatening danger, and my heart breaks for those who have lost their babies in a crib-related death.
Yet, I’m also frustrated by the way the way crib recalls occur. They send out a notice months or even years after a child has been injured or died in a crib accident. The notice says something to the effect of “Discontinue use of the crib immediately” and then creates an inordinate number of hoops to jump through before you can get your repair kit, replacement crib, etc. And then it can take weeks before parts arrive.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a spare crib lying around. So where is my child supposed to sleep? And how am I supposed to sleep until I’ve figured that out?
Now… I must admit, this time we lucked out because our son is ready for a toddler bed and we happened to have one in storage. But what about all of those people who don’t have that option? What about folks with tiny infants or multiple babies with multiple recalled cribs?
Unfortunately, parents are forced to make some tough decisions when a crib is recalled:
Do they allow their child to sleep on a mattress on the floor, knowing that there are safety risks if the child were to wake up during the night?
Does the child sleep with them in their bed – which also has serious risks and long-term sleep consequences (for both them and the child)?
Do they ignore the recall and believe nothing would ever happen to their child?
Or do they rush to the nearest department store and fork over money to purchase another crib or toddler bed and chuck the old crib, knowing that the purchase most likely ends up benefiting the very company whose crummy product was recalled and caused them to be in this situation to begin with? I can bet this is what a lot of parents do. If we hadn’t already had the toddler bed, that’s exactly what we would’ve done. I may be a cheapskate, but I have no problem spending money when it comes to my children’s safety.
Of course, all this decision-making assumes that most parents KNOW about the crib recalls. How may parents don’t know about these safety recalls. If you are a parent, or you frequently care for children, please, sign up for the e-mail alerts at the Consumer Product Safety Commission so that you know when infant and children’s products are recalled.
It’s time for parents to speak up about this issue. As the recalls have shown, it doesn’t matter if you spend $100 or $1,000 on a crib because so many of them are cheaply constructed. There needs to be higher quality standards for all infant and children’s products.
It’s time for parents to start demanding better quality products for infants and children. We need to contact our legislators and remind them that parents lack enough sleep already without worrying about the safety of their babies sleeping in their own cribs.
Have you had a crib recalled? What was your solution? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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