Spotlight on Spirituality & Health

Authored by the Christian Science Committee on Publication for Washington State

Think twice before giving your child a disease for their birthday present

May 5, 2012 By washingtoncommittee 5 Comments

girl sleepingI like toy stores. Seeing the old classics (Legos, pogo sticks, balsa wood gliders, etc…) always provides a pleasant reminder of childhood innocence.

Yet on a recent visit to my local toy store, my reminiscing received a disturbing jolt.

Turning a corner, I found myself confronted with colorful representations of various disease microbes like “Cholera,” “Anthrax,”  and “The Pox”!  Each were huggable-looking stuffed toys with big playful eyes.  They were also tagged with a “Fact” description noting the prevalence and frequency of each ailment.

All I could think was, why? Don’t we hear enough of health problems on television commercials?  Now dreaded diseases are being represented as attractive, lovable toys for children to adore!

What would you think if your little one unwrapped a birthday gift only to exclaim, “I’ve got polio!”  A 2007 Newsweek article addressing the toys noted, “This combination of gag gift and educational toy can be an awkward marketing fit. Toy stores steer clear of STDs, and [the manufacturer] aims bugs like HIV at health-care professionals… “

Are these really the type of “educational” toys to give small children?  I can think of so many more important things to teach children than about cholera or the black death.  And the toy store I visited didn’t get the message about steering “clear of STD’s.”  The stuffed “Herpes” toy was front and center.

ear acheI asked the women at the register about the colorful stuffed microbes and she told me they were popular with doctors and nurses.  OK, fair enough, but why are they being marketed in a children’s toy store?

For instance, each tag includes a child safety precaution that notes, “Remove plastic hangtags and ribbons before giving to a child under three years of age.” Does this mean there is an educational motive to get children over three years old to read which stuffed disease microbe they are snuggling up with for the night?  Sounds like some scary science fiction novel, doesn’t it?

It reminds me of the Stockholm Syndrome.  Patty Hearst was said to suffer from this malady during her captivity.  She became so mesmerized by her long-time captors that she grew to embrace them. These toys make me wonder, has our society become so saturated with health fears and concerns that we also feel helpless and are now suffering from the same syndrome that would embrace the inevitability of diseases?

Surrounding children with reminders of disease and potential health problems goes against scientific studies that indicate how important thought is to maintaining good health. Nocebo studies and the science of epigenetics are discovering the importance of our mental environment and the thoughts we embrace.

For me, I would rather surround a 3-year-old with stuffed toys that are tagged: loved, cherished, nurtured, healthy and safe.

Even the Bible notes, “whatsoever things are of good report; … think on these things.”

I’m grateful I grew up with a trusted teddy bear and a calm assurance and understanding that good health was normal and should be expected.

This article first appeared on Blogcritics.  

 

Filed Under: Spirituality and Health Tagged With: Bible, children's health, epigenetics, Health, noetic studies, spiritual thinking, Stockholm Syndrome

Comments

  1. Joy says

    May 10, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Thanks so much for making us aware of this. We certainly need to consciously pray for the enlightenment of mankind on this subject. With Mothers’ Day coming up, let’s pray for all mothers to be guided by God’s wisdom and to reject such deceptive “toys.” [ Thanks for your comment Joy! – Bill ]

    Reply
  2. Georges Tchuileng,CS says

    May 9, 2012 at 9:58 pm

    Thank you so much Bill for bringing that nonsense to people’s notice.
    Best regards. [ Thanks for the comment, Bill ]

    Reply
  3. Robin says

    May 7, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    Thanks, Bill! I heartily agree with you. Children do not need to be exposed to descriptions of disease – ever! And it is certainly not cute or wise to try to make disease “cuddly”. [ Thanks Robin! – Bill ]

    Reply
  4. Sally Bergquist says

    May 5, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Thanks for the heads up. [ Happy to bring it to your attention, Bill ]

    Reply
  5. Katie Brotten says

    May 5, 2012 at 2:56 am

    Wonderful article. Thank you for this; I love your thoughts on instead embracing the good and true. [ Thanks Katie, Bill ]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Professionally, I'm a licensed architect in both Washington and California State. I love architecture, but when it comes to priorities, it’s hard to top good health. That’s why I’ve shifted my interest from the physical to the mental environment that we abide in. My articles focus on presenting helpful ideas regarding the important connection between what we think and our health. I’ve been writing for Blogcritics and other online and print publications since 2011 and I was published in the international medical/science journal, "Global Advances in Health and Medicine" in 2012. I also serve as the media and legislative liaison for Christian Science in Washington State. Feel free to contact me at: washington@compub.org, 206-349-1229 or on Twitter @WilliamEdScott.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Archives

  • May 2016
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • June 2013
  • August 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • November 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • January 2008
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • April 2006
  • January 2006
  • August 2005
Copyright © 2016 ComPub Washington / Privacy Policy / Terms of Service