Bye-Bye, Rubber Ducky?

As a new dad one of your top priorities is keeping your child safe. You’ve removed all potential hazards from your home, locked up the cleaning supplies and secured the doors and stairs. Did you also remember to toss out the rubber ducky and bouncy balls?

Lawmakers in Washington have passed a bill that would set tougher restrictions on the toy industry to reduce the amount of potentially harmful chemicals in toys. By current federal standards, a child’s playthings can have 600 parts per million of lead. The bill seeks to lower that number to at least 90 and possibly dip down to 40, which is what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends as safe, according to the Wall Street Journal. The bill will also set tough standards on any toys that contain phthalates, a plastic softening chemical that has been said to cause developmental issues in some studies.

The best thing to do is research each toy you bring in to your home. And lest you think that there will be nothing left to play with, remember—kids are usually happiest banging a spoon against a pot on the kitchen floor. Who knows? You may just have a future Taylor Hawkins or Larry Mullen Jr. on your hands! [Wall Street Journal]