IKEA is for kids

I have a confession to make: Instead of going to church this past Sunday, I DVR’ed the Southland Hour and went on a pilgrimage to worship the Norse god of retail at its temple in Cincinnati.

That is to say, I went to IKEA and shopped my little heart out.

In my defense, the trip was my friend Raviya’s suggestion, and I hadn’t seen her since she got back from a six-week stint in Iraq. And I want to kind of sort of brag about how, when I picked her up in the Herald-Leader parking lot, I managed not to throw my arms around her and cry like a homesick camper. Barely.

Anyway, we had a great time. The crowds weren’t nearly so thick as they were opening weekend, so I noticed quite a few things I didn’t see the first time around. The biggest thing I saw was how unbelievably family-friendly the whole place was. It was hands-down the most kid-hospitable big box store I’ve ever been to. Very smart decision on their part, too: women control 85% of household spending, so a store that offers inexpensive, stylish goods and makes shopping with kids tolerable is going to do very, very well. Just how kid-friendly is IKEA? Let me count the ways:

–The best parking in the lot is for families with small children and expectant mothers, and thoughtfully located so that you and the kids don’t have to cross any roadways to get to the store.

–They have a free daycare called Småland so you can drop off your kids and go shop for a while. It’s open to potty-trained children between 37″ - 54″ tall, and there’s a time limit–I think it’s 45 minutes on the weekend and 90 minutes on the weekdays, but I’m not 100% sure. An employee told me that parents can use Småland once per day and that the daycare workers all know CPR and first aid, and must undergo heavy background checks. The child-teacher ratio is 10:1, which is pretty standard for 3-year-olds.

–The women’s bathrooms have changing tables, Diaper Champs, and free Huggies. I’m not sure what size, though. Looked like 3’s, maybe? There’s also a very low sink there for little kids to wash their hands. There isn’t a low potty (like the kind you see in daycares), but some of the bathrooms have stepping stools. One or two of the stalls have those wall-mounted high-chairs so you can strap a baby in and go to the toilet without worrying about your kidlet wallowing around on the bathroom floor.

–There are also family restrooms available for parents with opposite sex kids, and a baby care room with a toilet, low sink, and a big comfy arm chair with pillows for nursing.

–Sprinkled throughout the store are these things called “play towers”: waist-high triangular kiosks with little spinny, touchy, whirligig games and stuff on them. That way, the kids will hopefully leave the merchandise alone and not bug their parents about being bored. I cannot remember, but I think some of them might have had little TVs on them with cartoons.

–Right at the store entrance there is a bank of free wall lockers so you can stash your diaper bag and/or purse while you shop.

–The cafeteria has children’s meals for 99¢ or $1.99. The portions are generous and the meal includes a drink. You can also buy jarred Nature’s Goodness baby food in the cafeteria line for 79¢.

–There’s a children’s area in the cafeteria with tiny, brightly-colored tables and chairs, soft flooring, a huge flat-screen TV showing PBS-type cartoons, and more of the aforementioned whirligig toys set into the walls for when the kids are done.

–Right next to the children’s area, there’s an island where you can pick up chunky neon plastic plates and cutlery, booster seats, and napkins. And for the babies, there are high chairs, disposable bibs, a microwave, and two bottle warmers.

–One more thing about the cafeteria: It was Father’s Day when Raviya and I went, so they had opened up a separate section of the cafeteria with paper and art supplies on all the tables so kids could make a card for their dads. I just thought that was a nice touch–the cherry on the thoughtful, convenient sundae that is IKEA.

Their commitment to children goes farther than the shopper’s comfort, though: IKEA is committed to using materials that are responsibly harvested and free from hazardous materials, and they require that IKEA suppliers in other countries do not use child labor and provide humane working conditions for their employees. Furthermore, IKEA actively works with UNICEF and the WHO in different programs aimed at preventing child labor.

Now, put all that together: the convenience of shopping there, plus the outstanding corporate philosophy, and it’s easy to see why IKEA gets my shopping dollars every time I get half a chance to drive up there.

Getting the lead out

You know, there’s nothing in the world that brings out my inner curmudgeon like the sight of Christmas decorations the day after Halloween. Or the warm glow in my son’s eyes that can only be described as rampant, unfettered greed.

I really, really don’t want to talk about Christmas yet. It’s just too soon, but the rest of the world seems to be ignoring me, so I guess I’d better get a move on. And realistically, those of us with tight budgets have to spread out the shopping, so it’s probably time to start thinking about that sort of thing anyway.

The big topic among parents this year is, of course, toy safety. Chinese toy factories are spitting out lead faster than an AK-47, and the acting head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission opposed the bill that would give her agency some real muscle. Instead, she favored voluntary self-regulation by the toy manufacturers, even in the face of evidence that such self-policing is wildly ineffective. Why, it’s almost as though she were somehow biased in favor of the toy manufacturers. Oh, wait.

So we can’t trust the toy manufacturers to effectively police their foreign factories, and the CPSC currently has only one toy tester, so we can’t trust them to keep the dangerous stuff off the shelves, either.

But…what to do? You can be the nerdy aunt (like me) who buys books for all the kids, or you can get them all gift cards or cash. Or—my favorite idea—you can give your business to manufacturers that pledge to produce quality toys (which are preferably made in America).

After doing some digging around online, I’ve found plenty of sites that sell such toys, and some of them have pretty cool stuff. I won’t lie, some of them are a little more expensive…but you get what you pay for, don’t you? I bet Aqua Dots are going pretty cheap right at the moment. And honestly, I’d rather spend my Christmas shopping money on one quality toy than on four cheapo toys that will poison my kids or break, and that’s only if they don’t lose interest by February.

Beyond that, our kids do not need all the trendy cheapo toys. Every kid I know has cartloads of loot, most of which they barely play with. The Sprog alone has four Rubbermaid tubs full of toys, plus a few Fisher-Price play sets and a train table. And do you know what he really loves to play with? Toilet paper tubes and my cookware. Dress-up clothes. And his Fisher-Price castle—he got that for Christmas last year, and he still plays with it every day. Let’s just hope it’s not chock full of lead paint, yes?

Anyhow, there are a few places in Lexington where you can buy toys that are a bit more reputable and won’t break the bank. Children’s Orchard on Richmond Road has a limited selection of non-toxic, Made in America toys, including paints, wooden puzzles, and other classic toys. Mother Nurture sells hand-made baby toys made with organic cotton (I keep meaning to buy the froggie for Baby Girl). And there are several big name toy manufacturers that are committed to making high-quality products, which you can find at most any large toy store (see below).

So here’s a handy list of links to help you in your quest for safer toys. Most of this stuff is made in America or Europe, and all the sites linked have pledged to conform to stringent safety standards. And please note that I’m not personally guaranteeing their safety; this is going off of the manufacturers’ claims about their toys and independent certifications. You should always, always follow up on this stuff. Also, I only included sites that have toys that are actually attractive, fun to play with and won’t break the bank. Now get clicking!

Of general interest:

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission toy recall list

Sign up for automatic e-mail notification from the CPSC whenever there’s a recall

Consumer Reports

The Consumerist: Shoppers Bite Back

Websites for toys:

Hyena Cart

Turner Toys

Hearthsong

Etsy (millions of cool, hand-made items)

Corolle

Oliebollen

IKEA

Moolka

Roy Toy (aka Lincoln Logs)

K’NEX

Step 2

Zome

Back to Basics Toys

Playmobil

Oompa

Maukilo

Melissa and Doug toys (at Toys R Us)

Kidkraft

Bright October

Made by Yankees