Hidden dangers of "safe" toys.

HIDDEN DANGERS OF "SAFE" TOYS

Some toys may be perfectly harmless physically -- but unsafe psychologically!

As you shop for toys this Christmas season, you'll want to make sure that you're buying safe ones. But beware of hidden dangers. Some toys may be perfectly harmless physically -- but unsafe psychologically! TOYS THAT ARE EXPENSIVE AND BREAK EASILY. Last holiday season, 5-year-old Sally received the doll she had been begging for since she first saw it advertised on television. It was the doll of the century, the doll that could do everything except count as a tax deduction for her parents! The strange thing is, Sally has hardly touched the doll since she first found it under the Christmas tree.

Sally's grandma gave her strict instructions about what good care she must give her new "baby." Her dad commented casually that it cost more than adopting a real baby. And her mom had complained when Sally had tried to feed it water (which the directions said the baby could drink) because Sally had accidentally spilled a few drops on its pink satin dress.

Those instructions were necessary. It was important that Sally knew how to take care of such an expensive gift properly. But it made the doll an unsafe toy for Sally to play with, so on Christmas night Sally put her pretty new Christmas dolly on the shelf in her room and has hardly touched it since.

Expensive gifts for young children sometimes become psychologically unsafe toys to play with. Often the more a gift costs and the more movable parts it has, the more breakable it is. Plus, by the time children are 3 or 4 years of age, they have a pretty good idea about how their parents (and grandparents) will react when they break a toy -- especially an expensive one. So to avoid the possibility of parental wrath or disappointment, a child often feels that the safest thing to do is to put the expensive gift on the shelf, even though she had wanted it above all else. Instead of having a good time with the expensive toy, the child chooses to play with toys that won't break or get ruined easily.

So the next time you are tempted to buy that overpriced toy that is guaranteed to do everything, stop and ask yourself these questions:

1. Will my child really use this toy? (If not, it will just clutter the house and be forgotten in a day or two.)

2. Will the toy likely break down in the normal everyday wear and tear that it could receive from my child and playmates? (If it's likely to break soon, why waste your money on it? It will make your child feel guilty for having been accidentally destructive, and it will make you angry.)

3. Will I be overly upset if the toy should break within the first week or two? (If so, you'll probably put so many restrictions on the use of the toy that it no longer is a toy. And who wants a museum piece for Christmas!)

If you have to answer yes to any of these questions, then the toy you are considering is probably a psychologically unsafe toy for your child at this time, and you should continue shopping until you find one better suited to his or her needs.

Have you thought of giving something practical, such as blocks or Play-Doh or some other simple toy that will give your child ample opportunity to use his imagination and creativity? A good toy is one that he can play with without constantly worrying about its condition. Of course, children never beg for inexpensive toys, because they aren't advertised on television as the expensive ones are! But for your child's sake, don't let the TV do your shopping for you. TOYS THAT CAUSE HARM TO THE HUMAN BODY. Any toy that promotes unhealthful practices should be banned from toy stores, but they aren't, so you are going to have to make sure they don't find a way into your home. Can you imagine a toy store selling imitation hypodermic needles that come with the slogan "I'll try anything," or play cigarettes that come packaged with a toy lighter? You should avoid any toy that promotes the use of drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, or anything that is commonly associated with any of these things. A child's imagination gives life to a toy. That's why you want to avoid mosters, robots, or other make-believe toys that have a scary nature or whose primary function is to destroy or kill. These "toys" become real to the child and make great content for nightmares! Your child doesn't need this fearful influence in his life.

And stay away from toys that promote the mutilation of the human body. Can you imagine a child bouncing a ball that looks like a human eyeball, or trading plastic body parts with a friend?

"Boys will be boys," and they will make their own guns with sticks or Lego pieces, but you don't need to sanction warfare and violence by purchasing for them guerilla-warfare figures, guns, rockets, and hand grenades. Many of these war toys look so real that they become commonplace, and children lose their respect for the potential danger in the instruments of war that they symbolize. TOYS THAT PROMOTE THE OCCULT. Toys are a child's introduction to life. If your children have discovered He-Man, GI Joe, Rainbow Brite, and the Care Bears and are clamoring for more, then you should be aware of the hidden dangers in these innocent-looking toys.

Nothing's intrinsically wrong with the toys themselves. It's the TV shows, comics, and books based on these toys that carry the danger. They vividly portray questionable theme topics for children to act out; they share dangerous or imaginary characters with evil intentions and actions that interact with or against the main character. Yes, these toys even introduce the children to the inner workings of satanic cults and witchcraft.

To confirm this statement you need only to buy the latest comic book or watch an episode of any of the TV broadcasts featuring He-Man, GI Joe, Rainbow Brite, and the Care Bears. You'll be shocked at the questionable concepts presented for your children to act out in their own fantasy play. These anti-Christian messages are being portrayed to more than 9 million children, most of them boys aged 4 to 7. And their popularity is growing.

The He-Man cartoon alone is being aired on more than 150 televisions stations every day. Phil Phillips, who has written the book Turmoil in the Toy Box, says, "Everywhere I go during my extensive travels across America, I see little boys and girls who have put their precious trust and faith in He-Man. They have opened their little hearts and filled them with masters of the universe, even going so far as worshipping this omnipotent savior of the universe."

Phillips tells the story of a little boy who was riding in the car with his mother when a radio preacher started to pray, "Our Lord God, the master of the universe..." The little boy jumped from the back seat of the car and said, "Mommy, God isn't the master of the universe. He-Man is!"

Kids soak in everything the media tell them. It is not hard for them to believe such things as "He-Man has more power than Jesus!" I understand that one episode of He-Man portrayed the exact incantations used by spiritualists to conjure up dead spirits. Do you really want your children exposed to these satanic influences?

The weaponry, violence, and killing that are promoted with the He-Man and GI Joe series of figures should be enough to cause parents to say no at the checkout counter, but unfortunately they aren't. The next time you are about to plunk down a five-dollar bill for one of these figures, especially one on the evil side, I urge you to first read the role description of that character. Is this really the type of influence you want to bring into your home?

It doesn't take much imagination to see the negatives in the war toys, but what's wrong with lovely little Rainbow Brite and those darling, cuddly Care Bears?

If you'll read the books and listen to the TV cartoons based on these toys, you'll soon pick up bits and pieces of magic and witchcraft that are excess and burdensome baggage for our Christian children to carry around. It builds a subtle familiarity with certain practices within spiritualism and satanic cults that can ultimately deaden a child's sensitivity against evil. For example, with Rainbow Brite there are the magical rainbow, unicorns, and other symbols that are used by Satan worshippers, and with the Care Bears there is the special force that emanates out of the bellies of the bears that is able to influence others. All of these are concepts of witchcraft!

It's easy to say "These magical things are so subtle, why worry?" But there is so much evil in this world that we have to be as wise as Solomon to counteract all the negative influences that are being imposed on our precious children. Protect your children from the hidden dangers that can be found in their toys.

Kay Kuzma, Ed.D., M.A., is president of Family Matters, Inc., and adjunct associate professor at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.