The Hidden Danger of Noisy Toddler Toys

As an adult, when I go shopping for my daughter or any other toddlers and infants I know, I usually have only a few questions in mind: Will she like it? Is it too expensive? Is it age appropriate?

But there's one important question that we should all be asking ourselves when buying toys for our little ones: Is it too loud?

With Modern Times...
With modern times come modern toys. Although old classics like wooden building blocks and plastic rings are still favored among the young crowd, you have to admit that there's something enthralling about the newest toys. So many toys nowadays come with bright colors, all kinds of buttons, and sometimes imprints of favorite characters. Even as adults, we're geared more towards the high-tech gadgets, and subconsciously want the same for our kids.

How do you know if a toy is too loud?
Unfortunately, you can't trust a toddler or infant to tell you if a toy is too loud, because they don't yet have the capacity to even know if it is. But if your child plays with a new toy and even you balk at the level of sound, you know there's a problem.

Specialists say that a toy should be no louder than a running vacuum cleaner, which is about 70 decibels. But some toys are even louder than that, believe it or not. And if your child behaves like a normal child and sometimes holds a toy right up to their ears, the danger increases.

What are the dangers?
There's really only one danger with noisy toys, and that's hearing loss, plain and simple. But here's the catch: the hearing loss is permanent. So just because your child is young, doesn't mean that hearing loss might be temporary and they'll outgrow it. It is in fact permanent, and will effect the rest of their lives. Also, hearing problems with young children, especially toddlers, can interfere with their speaking and language skills, and that also can effect them for the rest of their lives.

What are some toys to look out for?
Some of the culprits may surprise you. There are toys even meant for infants that can be quite loud, like certain mobiles, musical crib attachments, and playmat attachments. For toddlers, there's toy cell phones, radios, character dolls (ex. dancing Elmo's and Mickey Mouse's), and learning toys with music. The most surprisingly noisy toy of all (in my opinion) is the audible book. Some picture books with play-along buttons are measured above 100 decibels, and as one study put it: the equivalent of a chain saw!

Is there any way around noisy toys?
I have noticed more recently that a lot of the newer 'noisy' toys are now including a volume button, which is VERY helpful in the plight against possible hearing damage. It's definitely something to look for when purchasing a toy for your toddler.

Also, as a parent, you could take action to make sure your child is playing with the toy correctly. Many toys are meant to be played with as tabletop toys, meaning away from the ear. Just make sure the toy doesn't seem too loud and that your child isn't playing with the toy held up to her ears, which should help a good deal.

And lastly, you could try to avoid any noise-making toys altogether. There is still a great variety of toys available without any noise-making components.