'Found out the hard way': Mum's warning over popular Kmart toy
By Kate Kachor|
Parents have taken to social media to debate the safety of a Kmart toy plane, with some declaring it a potential choking hazard.
One mother, from Queensland, sparked the in depth discussion after posting a warning about a $3.50 foam glider on the Kmart Hacks and Decor Facebook page.
"As much fun as these planes are, be very careful with little ones," she wrote yesterday about the toy.?
"Found out yesterday (they) have ball bearings in them."
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She posted two photos of a bright blue foam glider จC one with the nose of the plane intact, and a second photo exposing two small metal ball bearings in the nose.
In the product details, the glider is listed as being suitable for ages three and above.? A choking hazard is also mentioned, specifying "small parts".
Fellow parents swarmed the woman's post with more than 120 comments.
Many shared in her concerns over the potential hazardous nature of the toy, while others eagerly alerted friends by tagging their names.
"Yes I found this out the hard way! My son chewed the tip. The ball is in the tip of the nose," one parent wrote.
"Ours is broken in the cupboard (and) had no idea they had ball bearings in them. Should have a proper label on it," another wrote.
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"Ours had a big bolt in the nose not ball bearings. They must grab what they can," yet another wrote.
"Bit dangerous as it's advertised for 3-9yr olds, all it would take is for an older child to be too rough, and a young baby to be near where it lands," another parent wrote.
Some parents were quick to point out the toy's hazard warning, while others suggested parents should supervise and teach children not to put toys in their mouths.
One parent explained such things are not necessarily that easy to teach.
"Simple lessons aren't always so "simple" though," they wrote.
"If I bought this for my son who seeks sensory output with his mouth then that could of ended tragically. And yes, I've tried teaching him not to put things in his mouth but he is autistic so sometimes parents need that extra bit of caution on a toy to make sure it's safe.?"
A Kmart spokesperson encouraged any customers who have concerns to get in touch with the company's customer care team.
"At Kmart, we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality products to our customers at prices they love," the spokesperson said in a statement to 9Honey Parenting.
"We take feedback on the safety and quality of our products very seriously and are looking into these comments with our quality team.
"We encourage any customers that have a concern with one of our products to reach out to our friendly customer care team at kmartcustomerservice@kmart.com.au to ensure that it can be investigated properly.
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