Designed by Leslie Barbazette. The credits on the calendar page list at www.craftnation.net but that goes nowhere. So, I'll be tracking her down. (found her here: http://www.vivaponcho.com/about_us.html )
But, the point of this post is Buttons on Knits for Wee People.
Good, bad, rules, guidelines? What is the ongoing debate saying these days?
At what point does a button become big enough that it isn't a choking hazard? When are they small enough to not be a problem? When they're small enough to not be a choking hazard, don't they become a nose stuffer hazard? Please don't tell me that you don't know that little kids sometimes stick things up their nose that should not be there, or in their ears: cereal, corn, beans, peas, tape, string, beads, rubber bands, the key to Big Sister's diary.
Holes or not: Would the holes in a button work like the hole in a lifesaver and help out a little in choking situations? Would they air whistle, alerting adults to the crisis?
Teething: Buttons make great teething chewies from one point of view - they really help the teeth make it through. Grandma used to make strings of buttons on a cord for the babies to play with. On the other hand, how often does a baby chew right through the cord, string or other attachment to get that button off? How often would you have to keep checking on the attachment to make sure it's still secure? If it's a Gift Knit, how do you know that the responsible adult will know to keep checking?
Brain Development: Buttons are colorful, textural interest. Playing with buttons and figuring out how they work has got to be good for fine motor skill development. I know that my nursing babies were very clever about unbuttoning my top at the least opportune moment (think about Church, the grocery store, yep...). And everyone of them has grown up to be so brilliant now.
Strings are out on hoodies for children - because they get caught on so many things and choke the little ones. Blankets and Bumper pads are in question right now, or they were last time I checked. Car seats keep getting better, but keeping a little one comfortably warm on the way to and from the car without cooking them in the car is getting more difficult. Then there's the sleeping thing: Back to Sleep, Wedge to not roll over, Tummy Curling, propped up, sling, swing, bottle, water bottle, no bottle. Pacifier, thumb, ortho development device?
That's one of the problems with having kids; the experts keep changing all the rules. I refuse to give birth ever again until they quit changing the rules.
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