May 28, 2010

Silly Bandz...A dangerous trend?

silly bandz

The Silly Bandz craze-a-lama has hit our home.

To be honest, I don't really get them. 

But then again, I was into slap bracelets and New Kids on the Block when I was Big Girl's age.
My momma probably didn't get that either.

OH OH OHHH OHH OHH!

Silly Bandz remind me of jelly bracelets except they are shaped like "stuff".
(dinosaurs, hearts, rabbits...)

Kids are loading their arms up. They even trade with each other.
They are NOT cheap either.
(Maybe I'm a tight wad though)
A package of 8 costs nearly $3.00 at our Walgreens!

Back when I was a kid, we could get about 20 jelly bracelets for a dollar. We could also get a candybar for 50 cents and a coke was NOT one dollar!

Anyhoo...
Folks are saying that they may be dangerous.

I'll admit that when I glanced at the article I was thinking dangerous as in a choking kind of way but they are saying dangerous as in a "blood flow" kind of way.

What are your thoughts?



**edited to add: I was browsing the Sillybandz website and noticed that you can get a package of 24 silly bandz for $4.95.

What's up with that WALGREENS? HUH?
8 for $3.00....COME ON!
silly bandz danger


17 comments:

Celeste on May 28, 2010 at 11:32 AM said...

yeah. I was just about to say that they are waaaayy cheaper on their website.

I don't really see anything wrong with these...hey - they're cheap & kids like 'em (cheap entertainment).

But, I do think it's pretty tacky when I see a kid with like 100 on their arm. (no joke. I saw Sarah Jessica Parker wearing one on some random interview I saw on TV)

The only problem - is that they break easily. I had about 5 kids in my kinder. class ask if I could glue theirs back together. Sorry kid. Won't work. ha!

A lot of the public schools in our state (Florida) are banning them because they are supposedly a "distraction" - I suppose I could see that... but I don't really think it's right to ban them.

I teach at a private/Christian school - the kids where uniforms - so the kids in the school have kinda gone crazy w/ silly bandz because they're allowed to wear them.

(it's just a hunch...but I have a feeling next school year the kids may not be allowed to wear them)
...oh well - I gave the kids in my class silly bandz as an end-of-the-year gift. (because, you know - they were pretty cheap & they like 'em).

btw - sorry about this uber long comment. jeez.

My Trendy Tykes on May 28, 2010 at 11:47 AM said...

YES, they are very fragile. There are a few broken ones laying around here. I'm all "THAT'S MY MONEY WASTED!" lol

I don't care to see them on the "grown folk". I see women wearing them all the time and they try to use the "My kid begged me to wear them." excuse. Yeahhhhhhhhh...

Jodi on May 28, 2010 at 11:57 AM said...

I said something about them to my mom at a store counter the other day and the clerk told me that preschool's are banning them because preschool kids wear them and the bracelets cut off circulation while they were napping?

I had only read that they were being banned for being a distraction, so I don't know details about the circulation thing, but it's something to think about I guess. I don't see them as being small enough to cut off blood flow though. Maybe they're rolling on their arms or something while they're sleeping?

Might just be a ruse because of the distraction too? lol

Kristin on May 28, 2010 at 11:57 AM said...

We're inundated with silly bandz here too. It's crazy that my 3.5 year old has become victim to this fad! Yikes!! Check out my post on the topic: http://amothersworkisneverdone.com/2010/05/now-i-know-how-my-mother-felt/

lesa on May 28, 2010 at 12:03 PM said...

Ok, my hubby asked me about carrying them in my store, and I said I was unsure. My big beef is that I am afraid if I do, my kids will keep bugging me for them kinda like the time I got a brilliant idea to have sticky hands at the counter. Also I don't want a lot of parents mad at me for carrying them. Glad you posted this. I am still thinking...

My Trendy Tykes on May 28, 2010 at 12:10 PM said...

I say go for it Lesa. Kids are wanting them and moms are buying them. Do you guys remember when Crocs came out? All the grief they got because some people said that they were dangerous.

I don't know about the danger part but I do think they are U-G-L-Y.

(sorry, I had to say it)

When something like this blows up (so to say) there is always going to be controversy of some sorts.

Parents need to be parents and supervise their children when wearing them. My girls never wear "THAT" many on their arms. They always take them off a night.

Honestly, I would be more afraid of a smaller child choking on one.

MySentimentExactLee on May 28, 2010 at 12:32 PM said...

I don't get this craze. I get the bracelets, but not why they are shaped like things. You just about made me snort water out my nose though with your "cheap" story. Yes a coke was NOT a dollar, this is true. We sound like our parents. LOL

Lee

Cat@3KidsandUs on May 28, 2010 at 12:37 PM said...

I'm drowning in Silly Bandz over here. My son had about 50 of them on his wrist one day. Strange.

Christina - Rant Rave Roll on May 28, 2010 at 1:36 PM said...

My kids have some of these too. Their schools haven't banned them, but you can only trade at recess and if you're caught with one off your wrist it gets confiscated.

I'm a tight wad too. I think they are ridiculously expensive.

Kelly on May 28, 2010 at 4:02 PM said...

We bought our at our local Hallmark for $4.95 for a pack of 24. Still a little chunk of change. As far as cutting off circulation I feel it is no different then them wearing ponytail holders on their arms. We use them as bribery ;).

Anonymous said...

My daughter is obsessed with these things. Her wrists are super thin so no circulation is being cut off but I'll be closely monitoring it now.

Creative Junkie on May 28, 2010 at 4:22 PM said...

ummm - I think I pressed *enter* too soon. I was saying that my daughter is obsessed with these things but she has thin wrists so I don't think this will be a problem but I'll be closely monitoring it now.

Ms. Sarah on May 28, 2010 at 6:05 PM said...

my kids have them. We get them at Palmetto moon for 325 for 24. I see nothing wrong with them. Mine dont trade theirs. They sit and play out scenes with them. IF they were older I maybe a bit more worried but at 5 and and almost 7 they dont know what the jelly bracelets ment. I know they arent putting anyother conotation on them now.

Lynsey Jones, The Party Plan Coach on May 28, 2010 at 10:30 PM said...

My Little Diva (nearly 11) is hooked on these - daily offering to do any horrid chore possible to get $3 MORE dollars for more of them. (she's going to do psychotic when she sees what we can order them for, lol)

I think it is cool for her to wear, I think she is old enough to know when they are too tight, but I wont let Littlest Diva (just four) wear them except for around our house where I can occasionally check on her/them.

Faythe on May 31, 2010 at 7:05 PM said...

I would be more worried about the chocking hazard myself...
an older child takes it off or it breaks & it lays on the floor unnoticed and a baby find it & in the mouth it goes... but that could happen with anything small or large... I don't get the craze either... since you can't tell what kind of animal it is once it is on??

maybe we are just mad we didn't think of some relatively cheap toy that every kid wants, doesn't last long & they get more...
it will probably be over by next school year...

Faythe @GrammyMousetails

Brittany on May 31, 2010 at 10:43 PM said...

Can you believe these are the first I have ever heard of these. I have yet to see any kids round here wearing any!!! Odd huh.

Angela on June 1, 2010 at 1:01 PM said...

I saw these all over kids at kings dominion Friday when I went. I couldn't figure it out, but we all had our fads. I think its fine for older kids.

 

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