i hate to be rude but…. what is an 8 year old doing eating her toys? if this was done by a 2 year old i would understand. how can the parents sue? shouldn’t some kind of common sense be required?

i totally agree, my 3 year old doesn’t even put toys in his mouth. i do feel for the child, but there is no need to recall a toy that is marketed towards kids that are of appropriate age to play with it and should know better. its not like these are marketed toward toddlers.

8 years old?? Haven’t her parents taught her not to swallow anything that’s not food? She needs her fanny paddled!!!

8 years old? Are these parents serious?

Let’s just ban every toy that has swallowable parts.

There’s obviously something wrong with this child, don’t blame the toy manufacturer.

You wonder why I shake my head.

You’re not being rude Julie. Our society teaches us that for every action there is a financial reaction.

If I were her parents, I’d be embarrased to admit I had an 8 year old that still ate her toys like some toddler.

Her parents a partially to blame for this the girl is eight years old and should have known better than to eat such things If the kid was known to do things like this the parents should’ve been keeping a better eye on her

Let me get this straight, the parents want the toy removed from the shelves because they didn’t do a good job teaching their 8 year old not to eat her toys? That’s the problem today, everyone wants to blame someone and sue and not take personal responsibility for their own stupidity.

I agree with what Julie mentioned; this child is 8 years old and if she is swallowing her toys maybe you as parents should have been watching her to make sure she wasn’t swallowing her toys. This is where some responsibility comes in. Everything in America is becoming too high priced and companies raise their prices to compensate for the frivilous lawsuits we are filing. Why can’t people see its our own negligence why things go wrong most of the time. In this case the parents are responsible not the FDA or anyone else monitering the use of toys to school age children.

My son has a large set of Magnetix. He is ten now, but received the toy for Christmas when he was seven. Swallowing the pieces was never an issue. By the age of seven, he certainly knew better. It is a shame that Haley Lents required emergency surgery. My heart goes out to her. What in the world would possess a child to swallow steel balls & magnets? Instead of “ripping the toy from the shelves” MAYBE parents should educate their children on the possible danger associated with a toy. If a child is unable to understand that marbles and magnets shouldn’t be swallowed, then the toy should be forbidden for that child unless play is supervised by an adult.

I agree. Perhaps the company should sue the parents for not controlling their child.

Ever heard of parental supervision? This child was obviously left alone for some time to take in that many parts. When will we as Americans stand up to those who shun their personal responsibility? My children and I use this toy often, and safely. That’s because I use “toy time” to interact with my children and not get them off my back. Better toys? I think not….what we need are better parents!

I agree with Julie, I have an 8 year old who wouldn’t swallow magnets from his building sets. I could definitely see a small toddler doing that but, an 8 year old?

I don’t mean to be mean, but if this child likes to eat her toys at age 8 why wasn’t her parents watching her while she played with the toys? They need to be teaching their child that toys are for playing with NOT eating!

I’m with you Julie. For an 8 year old to be swallowing her toys is ridiculous. If she is doing this, there must be something we do not know. But to pull all the toys because of one child is again going over the top.

I was thinking the same thing, the girl is 8 yrs old, what is she doing eating part of her toys!! I can undertand a 2 yr old also but not from an 8 yr old. Sueing seems to be everyones answer instead of taking responsibility for their own actions.

I agree. So are we going to take old-fashion marble sets, refridgerator magnets, Polly Pocket and Barbie and similar toys off the market too? They have parts small enough to swallow. I understand being a magnet makes it worse but is taking them off the market really the solution? There will be a similar toy next year at Christmas, will it be pulled because of what this one child has done?

There is a difference in a product being dangerous to a child because of age and a child not being mature enough to play with a certain product. Maybe the age range is wrong but maybe there were other issues in this case that prompted this child to eat them.

It is impossible to predict every possible scenario with every single product. If anything should come out of this maybe a better warning on the product about the strength of the magnets and what age the product is for. I think it should also stress UNDER PARENTAL SUPERVISION ONLY.

Manufacturers can only do so much. It is up to parents to take responsibility for the choices they make and the consequences.

What provoked an EIGHT year old to swallow those items? My five year old knows better!

I’m sorry. She was 8 and swallowed how many? Way more than an accident or simple curiousity. My 6 year old daughter knows not to put toys in her mouth let alone swallow them repeatedly. I think there is a problem with their daughter or at the very least their supervision of her. And they want to blame the toy company? Shocking.

I’m sorry for their daughter, but to be fair, most 8 year olds aren’t that stupid and after the age of 5, you can trust that they won’t be shoving small toys in their mouths and swallow them. I’m so tired of every parent blaming someone else besides their kids or themselves.

Hmmm, I believe the company states not for children under 3 years of age. Any child that has not been trained by the age of 8 to not eat toys deserves the consequences it may bring on her and her parents. Why should those of us who are responsible suffer for negligance of one family?

I don’t mean to be mean, but if this girl likes to eat her toys at age 8 why was her parents not watching her while she played with her toys? They need to teach their child that her toys are for playing with NOT eating them.

I don’t feel like all the information is here causing me to not be very sympathetic. Is the girl handicapped? Which would indicate better monitoring of her toys needs implemented. Otherwise, I’m inclined to be in Julie’s corner.

I agree. This is exactly why we have so many ridiculous laws. This is just inefective supervision of your child. Eight years old and swallowing that many pieces. Crazy. And now they are going to sue! Ridiculous!

I tend to agree with Julie. If my two year old swallowed a toy, it would not surprise me. However, if she is still in the habit in six years, something is really wrong. (And if I have a special needs child that is eight and is known to swallow things, then something is wrong with me if I let him/her near small objects.)

I agree with Julie…I thought the same thing when reading the story. I have a 7 year old and he does not eat his magnetix…very strange! Common sense is what is lacking in our society today!

I think this is ridiculous. An 8 year old should know better than to swallow anything that’s not food. Her parents are trying to blame a toy when they should be blaming themselves. I’m glad she is okay. But her parents are idiots!!!

20 steel marbles and 10 magnets, swallowed by an 8 year old? Am I being punked? This toy is in my daughters preschool (ages 4-5), my 3yo son plays with this toy when he visits her preschool. Neither has even put the toy near their mouth. Three and younger, I wouldn’t dream of not surpervising while playing with this but 8? Something isn’t right here and the toy maker should not be held responsible.

This was not a toddler, but an 8 year old child. If she suffers from a developmental disorder then the toy was not appropriate for her to play with. If not, swallowing 20 steel balls and numerous magnets is aberrant behavior and not the fault of the toy. If she had swallowed an equal number of quarters and glass marbles, would her parents be calling for a ban on coins and marbles?

This child must be mentally disabled. If that is the case and she has the mentality of a younger child, then the parents are idiots for letting her have this toy!! If she has not been diagnosed as disabled, then she needs to be! A normal 8 year old doesn’t do this kind of behavior! They cannot win this case. There is an age listed on the side of the box and if the child’s mental age is less, the parents are the ones at fault. Even my 3 year old knows not to do that!

She was eight years old — old enough to know NOT to put things in her mouth, let alone swallow them!!

Julie, I thought the same thing. Why is an 8 year old swallowing that many marbles and magnets?

Nothing rude about Julie’s comment, when the heck does personal and parental responsibility ever come in? The set has labeling for 3+. So, if the kid ate thumbtacks, sue that manufacturer as well? Even if a settlement outside the courts is made to avoid publicity, I would be hugely disappointed. I have a 7 and a 9 year old. I have yet to contend with something as ludicrous as this. And if my child did do something so stupid, I would not blame the manufacturer. This is another example of a generation of parents and society that foster their children’s “privileged” attitude, sense of entitlement and complete lack of responsibility.

Eight years old and still eating her toys??? The parents need to be aware of their childs abilities and buy toys that are suitable.

I’m with the comment above. An 8 year old (for pete’s sake…my 4 year old!) is old enough to know not to swallow toys…or ANYTHING other than food. Did these parents ever think to TALK to their child about what they eat/put in their mouth? And if this was a mentally disabled child-she would have no business having toys small enough to swallow, anyway, without supervision. I can’t imagine my 13 or 10 year old sons even THINKING about doing this and you better bet I will continue to make sure my 4 year old daughter knows never to swallow anything that isn’t a food because it can hurt her! Gesh…let’s take responsibility for our own kids.

Why punish toy manufacturers for the stupidity of children who want to swallow stuff that is not food? Shouldn’t children and parents be held accountable for the actions of their children when they do dumb things? When will stop blaming others for the mistakes we make? One would think that an 8 year old would know better anyhow.

I agree Julie. This doesn’t seem to be a problem with the toy or the manufacturer but a problem with the child. An 8 year old knows (or should know) better then to put anything non-edible in their mouth. Not intending any disrespect to the child or family, but perhaps this child needs a psychiatric evaluation to determine an underlying cause for putting toys/magnets in their mouth.

I think the parents should teach their 8-year-old not to eat toys rather than waste their money on court fees and a lawyer because they shouldn’t win the case. Kids that old should know not to eat their toys, and if they don’t, the parents should know not to give them small toys that they can swallow

Oh, sure, go after the toy manufacturer - what about the parents? Shouldn’t they have been checking on her. Question is, WHY did she do this - is she a little bit off, or maybe there is something weird going on in that home. Needs to be checked out.

Swallowing steel balls and magnets at eight years old!?!? Obviously there are other issues with this child and she never should have been allowed such a toy unsupervised. On the other hand, my seven year old who would never consider such an act at her age, loves her Magnetix and plays with them regularly without incident or emergency room visit. Parents, take responsibility!!

Comments by Julie are not rude at all. An 8 year old knows better than to swallow her toys. This has nothing to do with toy safety but with teaching our kids to think before acting.

AMEN Julie - I was just telling my 15 year old daughter the same thing. Eight years old is plenty old enough to know better; I have an idea who & why but it wouldn’t be “PC” to say it I suppose.

Taking a product off the shelf want stop mishaps. You pick the toys you want your kids to play with. Be a smart shopper. Even as young as eight, you have to watch kids, especially when they become too quite in play. Toys are not to be eaten.

seriously, who do you blame when your EIGHT-YEAR-OLD swallows magnets? Maybe we should ban all magnets in everything all together? How can you blame a manufacturer who states on the box, small parts not suitable for children under….and if your kid is too immature, then don’t get them the toy.

I have to agree Julie . That just doesn’t sound right to me . An 8 yr old should know better than to swallow objects … especially steel balls and magnets ! That’s just craziness there .

What I would like to know is what were the parents doing while the daughter was swallowing 20 metal balls & 10 magnets? It took her some time to do this & I believe some of the responsibilty lies at the feet of the parent for not keeping an eye on their daughter.

Good Lord, people, an 8 year old should know better than to even put toys in their mount, is this a child with a learning disability perhaps, I see no other reason for the child to have been so stupid at that age…………the judge should toss it out if it gets that far…….and teach proper behavior in the children, please!!!

I have a 9 year old that has been recreationally shooting REAL firearms for the last 2 years… i know that if a 7 year old can understand the concepts of firearms safety, then surely he could understand the concept of NOT PUTTING TOYS IN HIS MOUTH!!!

BTW, the magnetix are great fun, and even my 2 year old knows not to put them in his mouth… but he does like throwing the little metal balls so you gotta watch him close…

I agree w/Julie. At 8 years old that shouldn’t be the expectation that these would be swallowed. Especially in this case - 20 STEEL BALLS AND 10 MAGNETS? Come on!

Yeah, no kidding. Eight years old and eating toys? If she’s mentally disabled, then this rests squarly on the shoulders of the parents. If she’s not disabled, she’s an idiot.

um yeah, choking hazard warnings are always clearly stated on the box. Typically it refers for children under three. If an 8 year old is swallowing toys than she may have some special needs. If that is the case her parents should be using their discretion. Sounds like a parnt error to me and the toy company is a nice escape goat.

HOW STUPID OF THE KID AND THE PARENTS…..YOU DO NOT PUT TOYS IN YOUR MOUTH…….EVEN 5 YEAR OLD KIDS KNOW THAT……EDUCATE THE 8 YEAR OLD, AS A PARENT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY DONE AT AN EARLIER AGE

First of all, 8 years old…she should have known better.Second , where were the parents. What is to keep this kid from eating rocks or some other object. No one to blame but themselves.

My thoughts exactly Julie. I could also maybe understand swallowing one or two but why and how in the world do you eat that many at that age?!? I have a lot of sympathy for the child and the family but am astonished she ate so many.

I think an 8 year old should be smart enough NOT to swallow things. I also feel the parents law suit against the toy manufacturing company is a ploy for money. It wasn’t the toy companies fault the child was stupid.

Magnetix makes a perfectly fine toy that is not dangerous. It is not the toy that needs examining.

Most toys with small pieces have age restrictions listed. I certainly believe in safety when it comes to children’s toys, but shouldn’t an 8 year old be past the point of swallowing small objects? I don’t know how that could be anticipated by a manufacturer.

I couldn’t agree more. If kids would get off the computers and get some common sense, maybe they would be a little smarter.

I am wondering the same thing as Julie. 20 steel balls and 10 magnets is a lot of mass to be swallowed. What were the parents doing? Also, my children at 8 years did not swallow toys.

Common sense? What’s that? This is the 21st century, common sense has been dead for 20 or 30 years. This story is proof of that.

I am sorry that the child is hurt, but the child should not be eating their toys at 8 years old. My kids (6 and 4) play with these toys without incident. My kids have known since the age of 3 that the only things that belong in their mouths are food, drink, and medicine.

People, I have a phrase for you - “personal responsibility”. Just because you make a bad choice does not give you the right to banish things that millions use without incident. What would happen if this kid had swallowed coins, pen caps, or any other common item? What happens when this kid turns 18 and gets hurt in a drunk driving accident? Will Mommy and Daddy seek to ban alcohol and motor vehicles?

8 years old and swallowed all that stuff?!!!!???? Not the manufacturers fault. Shouldn’t this kid have known better?!!? WAS SHE NOT FED SUPPER? CANNOT BELIEVE THE PARENTS WANT TO SUE. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER “HOT COFFEE HELD BETWEEN THE LEGS IN A CAR WILL BURN YOU” CASE!! Maybe the ages on the box should say common sense required or do not eat. Completely senseless!!!!!!!!!

True that it was an eight year old, and it does get me to wonder why parents are not more diligent in choosing toys for the children. I would not buy these type of things for my daughter!
However the only thing I see coming from this lawsuit is that this has happened a few times before with previous lawsuits so these companies are continuing to create these type of hazardous toys. I have not seen one, but for the companies benefit, I hope it states something like “For `12 years and older”.
To bad children are continuing to be affected by today’s toys made in China, when are we going to learn?

I totally agree with Julie. This kid is eight and what on earth was she doing swallowing soooo many pieces?? If the kid was 2, sure, but a 2 year old shouldn’t be playing with this toy anyway. My oldest is 6 and if I saw him put a toy in his mouth at his age I would think he was regressing or something. People complain about the government getting involved in stuff telling us what we can and cant do with our kids etc. Well its thanks to parents like this who appear to have no common sense and are obviously not teaching their kid any either. And then something stupid like this happens and instead of taking some responsibility for it they blame blame blame sue sue sue. It cracks me up sometimes when I see warning on some things that are so nuts but you know some moron somewhere has done it or there wouldn’t be a warning.

Julie, I agree with you. As a parent, I think we should be more concerned with supervising our children than blaming toy manufacturers when toys aren’t used properly.

Why would an 8 year old put toys in her mouth? She should know better. I also think the parents suing the toy company is just as dumb as their kid putting steel marbles in her mouth and swallowing. I would hope after the first marble she would have thought before putting in the other 19. Obviously I am wrong. Obviously good parenting skills were available in this case.

Can you say stupid? Gee, what 8 year old in their right mind would do something so dumb. I have a 4 year old that knows better. Maybe the parents should be jailed for not teaching their kids normal behavior.

I agree with Julie, my kids stop trying to eat there toys by age 3.
It looks like another parent just trying to pass blame and not accepting it.
I’m glad Haley is aright.

What is an eight-year-old doing with this play set in the first place, esp. if this child may not understand the ramifications of swallowing magnetic marbles. While most children this age are well aware that swallowing these magnetic balls can be dangerous, some may not due to diminished mental capacity. Regardless of any case, these products should either be marketed to children over a certain age or not sold at all. If this eight-year-old had the capacity to understand the consequences and thought it would be fun, she certainly is lucky! So are her parents for that matter! Which begs to ask a common question, did her parents not speak to her of the dangers ahead of time? People can’t expect for children to be baby sat by their toys. Or worse, parents cannot assume their child knows not to ingest small parts at age eight. Whether a child responds in that crude “I already know this” tone, the recollection of the discussion stays with them even as they think about embarking on foolish behavior. If this child did not have the ability to follow basic logic/ reasoning, why give the Magnetix play set to her in the first place? Take this comment for what it is: Wake up and watch your children, people!

Why is she eating toys at 8 years old?? Maybe she lacks the mental processing of an 8 year old (severely autistic or something else). However, if that’s the case, and she had the mental capacity of a toddler or preschooler, her parents should have limited her access to this toy. It’s not the toy manufacturer’s fault. It’s the parents’ fault.

BY AGE 8 A CHILD SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAT SWALLOW STEEL BALLS AND MAGNETS,SHE IS NOT A 3 YEAR OLD AND I FEEL THE PARENTS SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE NOT THE TOY AND OF COURSE I WISH THE LITTLE GIRL A FULL RECOVERY.

How is it the company’s fault if an EIGHT year old swallows the pieces? I still maintain in all of the cases like these that it’s the parents job to make sure their child isn’t eating his or her toys. I understand people have busy lives but if you can’t trust that your eight year old can play with small pieces like marbles and magnets then you should never buy that toy for them. It’s common sense. The fault lays with the parents here not with the company. AND just because one child can’t play with Magnetix without eating them doesn’t mean every other child in the country has the same problem.

Well, no electric train, no erector set, no chemistry set, no Barbies with their small accessories.

Hey, mom and dad, you had the child — SUPERVISE HER PLAYTIME.

I agree with Julie. How ridiculous does it have to be for the court to throw this out. If this suit is successful, can we call DHS for these parents buying their child such a “hazardous’ toy? Maybe the girl should sue her parents for not supervising her properly or not teaching her that toys shouldn’t be eaten.

I agree. I have a 8 year old and he stopped putting things in his mouth when he was 2 or 3. If the child is special needs, then she should be supervised playing with small toys, other than that, I think the parents should stop looking to blame someone. Reminds me of the adult that sued for holding hot coffee in their crotch while driving.

I agree with Julie. I had to read the story twice to figure out how old the girl was. My 4-year-old knows better than to eat toys.
So sorry this happened and wish her the best, but parents need to take some responsibility.

Julie, I couldn’t agree more. My kids have this same toy (since they were 4 and 7, they’re now 6 and 9) and even at 4, my son would never stick these things in his mouth. I would never have bought them if I thought he would. And even if he did, the responsibility would be mine, not the manufacturers. Supervise your kids, buy them appropriate toys for their intellect and maturity, and quit blaming the toy-makers.

These people are insane. Obviously this family has larger issues than this toy. Next week the kid will staple herself to a moving car.

News flash for all eight-year-olds: Magnets are not meant to be eaten, boiling water is hot and falls can cause broken bones.

The only winners here are, once again, the ambulance-chasing attorneys.

Where were the girl’s parents?

Why doesn’t an eight-year-old know that she shouldn’t eat things other than her food?

Why should the toy company be blamed for the incompetence of the parents?

Personally, I love the toys! And I do believe that the age on the toys isn’t for toddlers, so most kids would know NOT to put them in their mouths. Unfortunately, this is just another case of parents not paying attention to what their kids are playing with.

An 8-year-old swallows 20 steel marbles and 10 magnets? It sounds like she needs to see a psychiatrist as well as a surgeon. At that age a child should know better than to be putting objects in their mouths like that, much less swallowing them! If the child has a mental problem, the parents should not have allowed her to have a toy such as this.

Teach the kids some common sense, and quit suing the toy companies!

I am truly sick and tired of our litigious, media-attention driven society. It appears that personal (or in this case parental) responsibility is thrown out the window and replaced with shoot-from-the-hip soundbites and a “BAN IT” mentality. Just because this 8 y.o. girl was not mature enough to handle her toys does not mean that my 6 year old (who loves Magnetix) should be denied his ability to play with them…
…and yes, I am an attorney!