They sure don’t make things like they used to, and parents aren’t being as diligent as they used to be either.

The Easy-Bake Oven, one of America’s most popular toys, is being recalled.

From the CPSC website:

Name of Product: Easy-Bake Ovens

Hazard: Young children can insert their hands into the oven’s front opening, and get their hands or fingers caught, posing entrapment and burn hazards.

Incidents/Injuries: Since the repair program announced in February, Easy-Bake has received 249 reports of children getting their hands or fingers caught in the oven’s opening, including 77 reports of burns, 16 of which were reported as second and third-degree burns. Easy-Bake also received one report of a serious burn that required a partial finger amputation to a 5-year-old girl.

Description: The Easy-Bake Oven is a purple and pink plastic oven that resembles a kitchen range with four burners on top and a front-loading oven. “Easy Bake” is printed on the front of the oven. Model number 65805 and “Hasbro” are stamped into the plastic on the back of the oven. This recall includes all units with the retrofit kit. The Easy-Bake Oven is an electric toy and is not recommended for children under eight years of age. Ovens sold before May 2006 are not included in this recall.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Easy-Bake at (800) 601-8418 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.easybake.com

Bear with me here, as I have a couple issues I want to discuss with this recall.

Isn’t this getting old? It’s just another example of the fine products we are receiving from China. When are we going to put a stop to this?

I just did a post on Tuesday which discussed the fact that 96% of children’s items and toys that have been recalled this year, were made in China. Oh sure, someone, somewhere is responsible for the faulty design, but that doesn’t negate the fact it’s a shoddy product that was produced in China.

Why the heck was a 5 year old playing with that Easy Bake Oven in the first place? Where were the parents? Didn’t they read the warnings on the product? The Easy-Bake Oven is an electric toy and is not recommended for children under eight years of age. You can’t get much clearer than that.

Should toys be recalled simply because parents are to apathetic to the rules? Think about this before answering. If a toy clearly states “not for children under eight years of age”, should that toy be recalled because morons allow their child, who is under 8, play with the product?

Now, don’t get me wrong, we have three kids, and sometimes we allow them to play with items, or work with something for a homeschool project, that is clearly not for children of their age range. The difference though, is we are right there with them. My nine year old loves woodworking, but we never allow him to make something without one of us standing right there by his side, guiding him, watching out for him.

While the CPSC lists the remedy for this recall as “take the recalled Easy-Bake Oven away from children”, maybe they should also require parents to “read the instructions and warnings in full”. But, again, that takes effort and so many parents these days just don’t want to be involved with what their children are doing.

1. Actually I also ( a parent) had my fingers trapped and scraped when i was trying to remove a stuck pan from the (cooled) oven. So yes it does happen and yes it is dangerous no matter what age.

   Comment by Trina on Jul 19th, 2007 @ 21:22

   
   

2. :grin: Right on, Slobakan :!: You hit the nail on the head…
   If something’s stuck, make sure the Easy Bake Oven is off, cool, UNPLUGGED, AND use something other than your fingers to dislodge! Common sense, people! These toys have been around forever. (Showing my age :shock: ) My sisters & I played with the Easy Bake Oven (mom was always nearby) and never had any type of mishap.

   Comment by Linda on Sep 22nd, 2007 @ 08:52

   
   

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