Reading about the latest recall intended to protect parents from their own stupidity irritates me more than it probably should.
Media jumps all over a baby product recall – after all, our babies are precious and should be protected from injuries as a result of faulty products that don’t work as they should and put children in danger.
This Peg Perego stroller recall in July was important. Children could slip between the cup holder and seat of the stroller and strangulation could occur (a 6 month old died as a result in 2004). That’s mighty scary stuff and something that needs to be brought to the attention of parents and caregivers.
In June, there was a Evenflo High Chair recall because the activity tray could unexpectedly detach and children could fall. I’m super paranoid ensuring I hear that ‘click’ when my daughter is in her highchair, but this recall showed us that the click is not enough and in some cases a defect can cause an injury.
I appreciate recalls like this that help the average, attentive parent keep their children and families safe.
The recall this week, plastered on parenting websites and mommy blogs, sharing that Bumbo baby seats are not as safe as we think (!) makes me shake my head.
In 2007 when we had our second child, Bumbo chairs had been temporarily removed from shelves for awhile because they needed to have stickers affixed to them to advise parents and care givers that these chairs should not be used on a high surface. You know, like on the table. Or washing machine. Or hood of your car.
In case you didn’t realize this.
Chances are if you’re the type of parent that plops your child in a chair on a high surface and then wanders away to do God knows what else – this isn’t the biggest parenting issue going on.
Fast-forward to August 15, 2012 when my Facebook news feed fills up with yet another Bumbo recall. ‘What now’ I wondered.
It turns out that, news-flash, children don’t always like being placed in a device that holds their chubby legs in place and makes an adorable setting for posed photos of a baby unable to sit on his own. Sometimes they scream, sometimes they whine, sometimes they arch their back in defiance and decide to show you mom – and pop their little diapered behind right out of the chair.
If you’re that parent mentioned earlier, you likely choked on your Cheetos and soda, wiped your hands on your dirty t-shirt and declared you’re going to sue somebody because your precious bay-beh has been injured.
If you’re like the rest of us, myself included, who has watched your child do the Bumbo-pop (hey, it’s the latest baby dance craze!) you may have laughed at the maneuver, even applauded your little one’s talents, and maybe mumbled something about this ^%#*& chair not being useful anymore. End of story.
Thanks to the common-sense-impaired parents of the world, the rest of us have to be subjected to recalls like this time and time again when someone posts this (shocking!) news on your Facebook news feed, Twitter stream, or inbox.
I haven’t posted about the recall (beyond my rants here and on Facebook) because I am positive my friends, family, and blog readers are smart enough to know that leaving your child on a high surface in a Bumbo, or unattended in a Bumbo, is just not wise and bad things can happen if you do.
Are we as a society, in 2012, really that dense?
I know, I know, it comes down to legalities and companies covering their butts and posting ridiculous warnings.
I’m just so tired of treating the common-sense-impaired parents out there with white gloves instead of smacking them upside the head!
The one that really gets me is the ban on walkers and yet those in doorway jolly jumper things are ok?I mean if the walker is used in place without stairs etc its an excellent tool for those wanna be walkers and yet the jolly jumper can be used properly and still cause danger.
Not to mention that if your a sesible parent you have baby gates on your stairs so baby can’t fall down them walker or not!
Not only that but this strap is not going to keep them from arching their backs and falling. They are going to still do it while strapped in. I say this new recall will give parents a false sense of security.
THANK YOU! I’ve been saying the very same thing! This drives me crazy. How is it justifiable to recall a product because people are using it incorrectly? That’s like banning forks because someone jammed one in their eye!
AH! That is a great analogy why didn’t I think of that? Let’s ban forks…pokey little devils.
What really got me they had to put in the warning – Not to be used as a CAR SEAT!!!!! Seriously!!!!!!
I TOTALLY agree! That Bumbo recall in 2007 really upset me, and now this one?!
I’m happy to see I’m not the only one that feels this way! When I saw the stroller recall I thought “who the hell doesn’t properly strap their 6 month into a stroller? I mean it has restraints for a reason!” I feel like stupidity should not be the reason a product is recalled.
I totally agree. The company gives ample warning, the did not have to do a recall.
OR using it in a tub—it is made of foam, foam floats….where is the logic in that one? Baby reaches for something, tips over and is pinned by a giant blue butt holder. I like my Bumbo and am tired of people doing stupid stuff with it—keep it on the floor. Worst case scenario? Baby tips over onto carpet from a distance of what 8 inches??? Grrrrr….Glad other people are agreeing this is absurd
You so made my day with your rant! That’s *exactly* the same thing I’ve been saying over a number of these last recalls! How in the world do we account for all the idiots in the world and just how many warning labels do we need to print on items that have a little bit of common sense attached!?
My husband and I have always wondered when they’re going to recall CARS because some idiots out there don’t wear their seatbelts? You can put every safety device in place, yet if parents refuse to use them, children will continue to be injured, and not by the fault of the manufacturer!
Here here! I also thought, when did society get so dumb that they need reminders not to put babies in danger. Boggles the mind!
Loved the post! I have a Bumbo and never had trouble… but, I used common sense, watched my kiddos and never forced them or left them unattended. I also had a drop side crib, a walker and doorway jumper – back in the day! Seems like many of my fave products from my first child (5 yrs ago) are going away because they are unsafe. What happened to the days when kids played with rocks and sharp, pointy sticks? I guess in those days people took responsibility for their actions and accepted the repercussions of bad decisions … without the aid of lawyers and lucrative lawsuits.
I’m all for recalling faulty products and if, god forbid, a company put one out intentionally, knowing it’s not safe, then sue thier butts off! but I have never seen any product made for babies/kids that came with the claim “will eliminate the need for parenting!”
I agree totally. I have refused to post a “warning” anywhere. I had one, or a similar brand, with my youngest, and IF we had it in the table, there was always someone sitting next to her with their hand on the back, just in case. This was not recall worthy in my opinion.
Thank you. I’ve been seeing this on my FB feed as well and, while most parents agree with what you’ve said here, it amazes me how many other parents give reasons why this ‘recall’ was needed. The whole strap thing baffles me. “A strap will make it safer!” Call me crazy, but you don’t need the strap if you put it on the floor …ya know…where it’s suppose to be.
I think you should have to pass some sort of test to become a parent … this recall is ridiculous.
Totally agree with your opinion. I love this product. It’s one of my favorite. It’s just common sense that a parent supervise their children at all times. A child can just about get hurt using any product. Of course, their are some products that are defective and need to be recalled, but this is one of those that make you go, hun? Even if they add the strap it’s still possible for some children to fling themselves backwards or over on the side.
As @Cat Davis said, “I think you should have to pass some sort of test to become a parent … this recall is ridiculous.”
Like most things in our society today, persoanl accountability does not come into play. And it’s a huge problem. No one is held responsible for their own actions, They always place blame. This cannot be setting a great example for the youth.
I could not agree more. And people think they deserve everything and anything and can sue when any little thing doesn’t go their way. Crazy! I loved my Bumbo when my son was a baby.
I love the Bumbo. I had one with each of my children. As long as you use it correctly, it serves it purpose.
Ha ha…i”m just laughing about the cheetos and soda 😉 too funny.
I’m with you on the recall…”what, it’s not a bumbo babysitter???”
It also turns out that leaving your infant on the hood of your car (especially those slanty hoods on those mini-vans that moms seem to love) can result in them just sliding off and falling on the ground! They are going to recall all vehicles with smooth hoods, and apply grip-tape, much like that found on the top of skate boards. Also, skate boards are being recalled so as to place square wheels on them as opposed to those dastardly round ones that contribute to so many injuries. Unfortunately, they also have to recall anything square-shaped, as those corners can get kind of pointy.
THANK YOU!!!!!! I couldn’t agree more……..you said exactly what I have been thinking!!!!! Best rant ever and couldn’t have been said better!!! Kudos to you!
I heart the Bumbo and have used it with two of my kids. When I realized my kid could get out of it or threw his body out of it I realized he’s to darn big for the device. And placing your child on a raised surface unattended is never a good idea regardless if the device has a safety strap or not.
I can’t think of any other product recall of this magnitude where it was USER ERROR that motivated the recall and not a defect with the actual product. And “repair kit” ? As far as I can see the Bumbo wasn’t broken. Dumb Dumb Dumb.
Listen, McDonalds got sued because they never put “Caution: Hot” on a coffee cup, a lady got burned and sued. Companies probably know its overkill, but they have to cover their asses in case a baby gets hurt. If a baby can have a skull fracture from using the device, its the company’s responsibility to issue a warning. It’s rare, but they don’t want to get sued.
Delightful rant. The bumbo recall definitely smacks of “McDonald’s serves hot coffee.” I almost want to put these folks in a protective bubble, but they would find a way to hurt themselves and blame it on someone else.
This is the best post I’ve read “about the recall” yet! I received one of these when Ava was born and promptly exchanged it. After having raised 2 kids before her, it just didn’t make a ton of sense or make me feel as though I needed to “sit my baby up” any sooner than she was ready to.
and ummm….yeah, parenting 101 if you did decide to go with one. Eventually folks, kids DO move!!! xo
It’s not the child’s fault if the parent is negligent, sorry people but recalls are for the child’s safety not the parents convenience!
I heard of the recall but did not know more than it was a recall. Still I could do was roll my eyes. Come one people get over it. Is our society becoming that stupid that we need to have everything spelled out? Where is the common sense. Just like I SHOULD know with common sense that I should not blow dry my hair in the bath tub! REALLY? someone NEEDED to tell me that? *SIGH*
“Chances are if you’re the type of parent that plops your child in a chair on a high surface and then wanders away to do God knows what else – this isn’t the biggest parenting issue going on.”
This EXACTLY! When I saw it I immediately wen to Facebook with a rant. Bottom line – when are we going to start holding the PARENTS responsible and not PRODUCTS.
I can see both sides of this battle. But I wanted to share a product that I bought for my kids, that I love and trust!
Even thought it’s a bit of a different age group, eventually your infants are going to grow into toddlers, and let me tell you, this product will be your savior! http://www.soft-gear.com/my-booster.php
I really like the brown seat, it goes with everything in my house!
Tenille, I love your rant. I am in total agreement. I think that the recall should be on the stupid parents (ok, we all have stupid moments, I should perhaps say the perpetually stupid ones) I just saw a bunk bed recall that stated the top rail that keeps them in could crack and no longer be safe. There was one (yes one) incident cited where a child got bruises and scrapes. I’m guessing maybe they BROKE the rail? Really, we’re coming to a place where if we cover everyones butts, we’ll all just have to sit around and do nothing – like those people in Wall-E. I also loved the bumbo, didn’t take it off the floor and didn’t walk away from my kids when they were in it. (ps loved the visual you gave)
all my kids are teens and adults. we didn’t have this kind of things back when my kids were babies, BUT i have commented on a few of these ‘warnings’ that everyone’s posting, that parents need to be more responsible, too. so i’m totally with you on this one. personally, if i had a baby today, i wouldn’t even buy a bumbo seat. i just don’t like em lol
People are just sue happy. Simple as that.
Love it….you’re just sayin’ what the rest of us with a brain and some sensibility are thinking! I am your newest follower.
Anissa from Chasing Hailey
I had a friend that put the Bumbo up on the counter to make them feel part of what they were doing in the kitchen. I rolled my eyes! All I could think of was a face plant and them hitting the floor. She is a nice person, but lacks in the common sense department.
My sister had to buy a walker for her baby online. She has a son that has Trisomy 18, too much of the 18th chromosome. His physical therapist told my sister to get him a walker.
This is just common sense. You wouldn’t put your child up on a high surface on anything that could fall off. And of course they are going to arch their back and try to get out of it if they don’t like it. My boys started doing that at about 6 1/2 months and that’s when I knew it was time to move on. That said, we used the Bumbo with both my boys and they both loved it. We’ll use it with our next child too, along with some common sense…. 😉
I have no clue how this chair ever got to store shelves as it was. It is a hazard, I don’t care how closely you watch your little one it it. No, this latest recall was no big surprise, it was coming for years, why it took so long I’ll never know. Yes there are some parents who just don’t seem to have much in the way of common sense but I’m not one of them and I still don’t like this chair. It was given to us as a baby gift and was used a handful of times, maybe, before it was banished for good. I never used it on anything but the floor and always within “grabbing” distance of my little one but it became pretty clear pretty quickly that she was not going to stay in it so I didn’t see the point.
Pretty insane that stupidy won the majority and got it recalled.
I’m having a hard time understanding all of this due to the fact that I licked lead paint in our late 60’s house as a child, and I’m missing one of my eyes from a horrific lawn dart accident. Everyone goes way too far with the safety warnings, frivolous litigation, and the amounts of money that are awarded is absolutely ludicrous. I used to own a hand held poker game. It was a little smaller than an iPhone. The warning on the sticker on the back of the game, stated that it was NOT to be eaten or ingested. A little off topic, but I was doing laundry at an old boyfriend’s house, and on the tag on the back of his Joe Boxers was written CHANGE DAILY. That one does have some merit tho….
Thank you for this post! I’m so glad someone has finally stated how silly this recall is!
OMG! This is exactly what I was thinking and THAT’S why I didn’t post it on my sites either.. I totally agree with you and most recalls happen due to parental negligence- not faulty products!
I 100% agree! I used my Bumbo (safely) with both girls. Amazing, I never left my child in the Bumbo unattended on a high surface so they never got hurt! I LOVED the Bumbo and so did they. Used correctly, it is a great baby seat that now has an annoying strap added. Frankly, I bet some wiggly kid could still get out even with the strap!