Sophie the Giraffe is smaller than a hot dog wiener
When I became a parent some of the wisdom which we received was:
1. If you can pass the toy through a toilet paper roll means it is too small for a child under the age of 3
2. If the toy is more narrow than a hot dog wiener means it is too small for a child under the age of 3
Sophie the Giraffe Teething Toy by Bug in a Rug is an immensely popular toy for teething. I never understood her appeal with her cult-like following mainly because she has:
1. the squeaker inside
2. airbrushed paint on the outside
Those are a couple of no-no`s in our house.
On the net, she is simply known as `Sophie`. Touted as the classic toy from France, made of 100% natural rubber from the Hevea tree and colored with food grade paint. ’Sophie’ has been described as being excruciatingly cute and thoughtfully crafted.
Please note: This toy has not been recalled and no Canadian safety warnings have been issued
However, this toy has come up a couple of times in my research but it wasn`t until my highly trusted local toy store told me that they had a consumer complaint and promptly removed `Sophie` from their shelves that I started to pay her more attention.
This is what I found, she is bigger than big. There are millions of mothers who have postings with accolades to this cute and squeaky toy. But there have also been blog postings about choking hazards on infants having her legs rammed down their throats. I think this woman summed it up when she said `just because everyone seems to love this toy and have one doesn’t mean it is a safe choice.` On Chapters Online a woman with a similar experience had the following to say `Dangerous! My son choked!`
Sophie has long legs (more narrow than a hot dog wiener) and infants have short throats and almost no fine motor control to pull this toy out of their mouths. Just be careful and remember a frozen washcloth or a silicon spatula work great!
