In recent times, parents have been buying toys like crazy. There are many attractive toys with amazing eye catching offers. On weekends we go to Malls with children, get super deals and buy those plastic toys to keep our kids engaged and happy.
So, today let’s take a moment to think if those toys are good for your child’s health. Let’s dig deeper and understand the complete process to know if it is hazardous to our child’s health. I have not only discussed the problem but there is also a solution waiting for you at the end of the post.This post will help you gift the best toy in this world to your kid. So please read till the end.
Why plastic toys are hazardous?
How plastic is made
First let us try and understand how plastic is made before analyzing why it is hazardous. Plastic is made from Crude oil extracted from Earth. It is extracted with utmost precaution, as crude oil contains many flammable chemicals. In the factory, the crude oil is first refined and then heated in a furnace. After heating we get the following products. LPG,Naptha,gasoline,lubricating oil,diesel oil,kerosene and Asphalt. They are collected in different sections. Naptha is used in plastic production.
Ethene is the major substance in plastic production that is obtained from Naptha. Naptha is sent to Naptha cracking center and undergoes thermal cracking,refining and combustion process to produce Ethene. Then Ethene is compressed and cooled and then a substance called initiator is added. It is a chemical which initiates chain reaction. Now ethene is converted to (Poly)ethene. Now this Polyethene is sent to a chamber where stabilizers like Cadmium and other antioxidants are added. Next it goes to an extruder and gets converted to polymer strings. These strings are grinded with a grinder and we get plastic pellets. These plastic pellets are used to make plastic toys.
How plastic toys are made
In the toy company,the plastic pellets are melted in an injection machine with appropriate color dyes and depending on the type of the toy, phthalates, PVC, lead, BPA are added.
Meanwhile the 3d designs for toys are made and the prototype is sent to another machine to make steel moulds for toys with exact precision. The molten paste of plastic is poured in the mould and left in a high pressure until it gets cooled. Then image transfer is done on the toy to make it look realistic. Now we know the whole process of manufacturing a plastic toy.
With this understanding let’s now dig deep into the hazards of plastic.
Plastic hazards
Phthalates-It is a class of chemicals, that are used to soften the plastic. It acts a fixative and also adds fragrance to the products.
Health Hazards
Chewing a toy that contains Phthalates and ingesting it’s fragrances causes asthma,hormone disruption,reproductive problems,low sperm count and development of some type of cancers😯
BPA
It is used to make hard clear plastics. It is majorly used in baby bottles, water bottles, sippy cups.
It causes hormone disruption,breast cancer, miscarriage,birth defects, hyperactivity and aggressiveness in long term.
Cadmium
Cadmium shows up frequently in children’s products particularly in children’s jewelry, toys with batteries and paint coatings. It is linked to many learning disabilities in children. It mainly causes kidney disease, lung cancer and breast cancer.
PVC
PVC often contains lead phthalates and production or destruction of PVC releases cancer causing dioxins into the environment. PVC is used in most flexible toys. It is mostly used in rubber duckies,inflatable swimming pools, dolls, crib bumpers,etc..
The hazards include developmental disorders,low sperm count, premature puberty and liver dysfunction🙄
There are still lots of dangerous ingredients that pose serious health Hazards.
We might be wondering that a child would have been doing well from birth without any health issues but suddenly they would have turned hyperactive or have learning disabilities. It is because of the toys with which they play on a day to day basis.
Now comes the question,
Which toys are good for our children?
The almost forgotten toy that our ancestors played with, is what I am going to reintroduce to you in this post. Yes, it is our traditional Marapachi bomai.
What’s so special about this toy?
This toy is made from red sandalwood or silk cotton wood. Though it doesn’t look very colorful like the toys we buy in recent days, it has amazing medicinal values. If a child falls down while playing and gets hurt, you can quickly rub this toy on a sandalwood rubbing stone and apply the red sandalwood paste on the wound. Red Sandalwood not only cures the wound, but also removes the blemishes quickly. It provides nourishment to your baby’s skin and makes it look healthy.
If your child is teething and chews this toy, like the plastic toys it doesn’t cause cancer but cures digestive problems, fluid retention, cough,cold and mainly does blood purification.
Unlike the cheap plastic toys which don’t look good or spark joy in two years, these toys last a legacy. You can pass it on for generations.
In ancient days, newly married couple were gifted this Marapachi bommai. As child marriage was prominent in ancient days, this doll was used for pretend play by the couples. They dressed this doll beautifully,like couples and enjoyed playing with it. A particular practice in South India is to gift the Marapachi bommai to the newly wed couples for their children to play with.During Golu festival during Navarathri, Marapachi dolls are a part of the display. It is lovingly passed on as a hereditary gift from mother to her daughter to display in her Golu.
The top tier of the golu is assigned for Marapachi Dolls. They are beautifully dressed and decorated with jewels. It is a delight to watch these dolls and they add a vintage feel to your decor.
How to find authentic ones?
It is said that authentic Marapachi bommai can be found by rubbing it in a sandalwood stone. If it is an authentic one,you get a red paste. Otherwise it is just paint that comes from the duplicate. Another test is to drop the bommai in water. If it sinks, then it is authentic Marapachi bommai.
Conclusion
Why gift your child hazardous plastic toy, when you have amazing Marapachi bommai with medicinal values. If you love this doll, you can buy it online, but authentic ones are available only in Andhra Pradesh. You can get it in shops near Tirupati Temple. If you cannot get Marapachi bommai also, do not encourage plastic toys in your home. Switch to wooden toys and gift your children a healthy playtime.
Marapachi dolls-PC:https://in.pinterest.com/pin/282178732881586820/
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