Babies & Kids Blog

Monday, I showed you how to shop for a tricycle. Today I am sharing my top 3 tricycles for all price ranges.

Barbie Princess Tough Trike $25.00

Don’t let Barbie fool you, she’s a tough chick and she’s got the trike to prove it! At $25 bucks you just can’t beat this one.

Styled for a princess, yet tough enough for years of fun and adventure! Girls can hop to troll around their entire kingdom. Trike features a pretend key that turns and clicks, and there’s a secret storage compartment under the comfort-ride seat for trinkets and treasures. Durable tires and rugged treads pair up for “off-road” fun. Trike has all the essentials that parents look for, too, like a wide, stable wheel base, easy-grip handlebars and big no-slip foot pedals. For outdoor use only. Holds up to 55 lbs.

Radio Flyer 53 Steer & Stroll Deluxe Trike $65.14

Innovative internal geared steering feature, freewheeling pedals, oversized steel tubular frame, durable molded wheels with grip tread, ringing bell, covered storage, adjustable seat.

This is one sturdy trike. The push handle is a bonus and it has a bell too! That could be awesome….or obnoxious. You decide!

Pilot Series Double Orange Tricycle $264.99

If you have twins, or run a daycare this may be the trike for you!

Italtrike’s Pilot Series Double Orange Tricycle is perfect for preschool and daycare students ages two to four years old – right at the age where kids need the freedom to move around and explore on their own. Up to two children sit comfortably on the ergonomic seats with backrests. The special steering design eliminates pinch points to prevent playground injuries, and the wide wheel base prevents tipping. Pilot Series trikes feature sturdy steel frames, rust-resistant finishes and spokeless wheels with solid rubber tires, so they’re safe and durable.

Shop for discount tricycles at Smarter.com.

The other day I wrote a post for the Smarter Beauty Blog that turned out to be pretty controversial (see Awesome Fing’rs - Rockin’ Nails Make a Comeback). The response shocked me, as I thought I was doing no harm in admitting that my little girl, of 4-years-old, loved to play with nail stickers and press-ons and thus I allowed her to. The differing viewpoints between the more conservative based vs. the more liberal based sparked a debate that made me really think. How old is old enough to mess with beauty?

Today I heard a news story that sparked a similar question in my mind: Mattel introduces ”Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie“, which comes complete with her own tattoo gun!

Now this is where I draw the line people! I may be a liberal, I may allow my child to paint her nails and play with stickers to dress up her hands, but those things are completely removable, so I see no harm in THAT. However giving a child a gun and allowing her to ink any part of the body (even if it’s only a doll) is sending a different message entirely. Little girls everywhere will now be able to learn how to make a tattoo and stick it to the skin. They will believe it to be “playing” and “fun”, thus I am not sure this will create the right frame of mind to think seriously about choosing to do something permanent as they get older…will they be able to make the distinction between marking themselves permanently versus experimenting with dolls?

Now, let me say this: I DO see how tattoos are considered artwork and, by all means, if you have one nice permanent marking as a memory installed on your outer body or are a tatted out freak (hey, my brother is full of ‘em and he’s a good person) - then more power to ya!  But can’t we let our children be children and stay young as long as possible?

Maybe I’m just biased since I have no tattoos; after having been a ballerina for most of my life I never could get a tat, otherwise it would mean I wasn’t cast in a musical or chosen for a recital so I wouldn’t know personally if most regret it or love their decision. So Let me know what you think but remember: this is not an argument over whether or not people should get tattoos, rather a discussion of whether it is appropriate for a child’s toy.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for Barbie dolls.

I heard on the radio this morning that Mattel was “finally” awarded $100 million in the lawsuit against the makers of Bratz dolls.  Mattel actually asked for 1.8 billion dollars!  You may have heard about this a while ago.  Mattel believes the idea for the Bratz dolls was developed while the Bratz designer, Carter Bryant was working with their Barbie dolls - copyright infringement.  So, basically Mattel sees it like this:  Carter Bryant was busy making Barbies when he looked at one and said, “You know, if I make this doll’s head abnormally large for her body, slap on some whorish makeup, clothes & long stripperish-extentions…we might have something that little girls will DIE for!”  Mattel is just mad they didn’t think of it first (just kidding).

I went to ABCNews.com for more details: 

“A federal jury awarded toy giant Mattel the damages Tuesday in their copyright infringement lawsuit against MGA, but lawyers for the two playtime powerhouses are still wrangling over whether MGA can continue to make the saucy Bratz line. U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson must also consider whether any of the damages are duplicative before setting a final amount to be paid to Mattel.”

I know many-a-parent who would be thrilled if Bratz dolls were off the shelves.  Same with this Kennedy doll.  Why so much makeup (first of all)!?  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my daughter playing with “Video-Ho Kennedy.”

Read the full ABCNews.com article here.