Hand-me-down toys from Step-MIL

mbs427 · May 2009

My step-MIL gave Evan some toys from DH's and her daughter's childhood days...the toys are from the late 70s/early 80s. I'm worried about all of the stuff you hear in the news...BPA, lead, etc...but I don't want to hurt her feelings. Although I'm grateful for the thought of giving them to Evan, I was kind of annoyed that she didn't clean them and handed them to him to play. I had assumed she did, but then she then said, "I guess I should clean those up better...I didn't think he'd be putting them in his mouth"...LOL. One of the toys is a Playskool mailbox...and its legs have paint chipping off the wood.

I put the toys away since I didn't want to risk anything (DH didn't want him playing with them either)...but what would you do?

heatherchelle · May 2009

She didn't think he'd put them in his mouth? What infant doesn't put everything within reach in his or her mouth?

I wouldn't give them to him either. My MIL has all these old broken toys at her house, and I cringe evrrytime I see them. She's also big on yard sales and Goodwill. Some of the things she buys are so old, I really wonder about their safety.

hlh018 · May 2009

I probably would put them away too, especially the ones with paint chipping or falling off of them. Are there any that are plastic with no paint falling off? If so, maybe pull those out or put them up somewhere in the room(by his stuff where she can see) when she comes over lol.

sugarcube · May 2009

I'd put them away.

triumphantreturnofplanningbug · May 2009

I'd choose two to put on a "special shelf" that he can see and remember that So-and-So played with them and he's part of a very loving line of people who care for him very much.

But I wouldn't let him play with them, since he's such an odd duck who has the audacity to put things in his mouth. Seriously, who doesn't expect a baby to put things in his mouth?!