Thank you for checking out our FAQs page. All the answers below are from me, Jackie Raimondi, creator and president of BinkiBear. I will be straight with you, and by doing so I hope to not only relieve concerns and clarify questions you may have, but also let you see me as not just a phantom, money-chasing business owner, but rather as a mom, with an idea, who put all effort into making my solution safe and functional for my child first, and then thought to share it with others. I hope by getting to know me, you will be able to afford me an amount of trust, and where that trust ends, I know the credibility of the research and effort I have put into making BinkiBear will take over.
1.In your safety information you call BinkiBear a transitional object. What is a transitional object?
A “transitional object” is simply an object that helps baby learn to self-sooth and gain independence. A great simple read on this is by Donald Winnicot from an article in 1955 which can found in several places on the web (see references below)
2.How is BinkiBear safe for infants in the crib when the American Acadamy of Pediatrics(AAP) clearly says that stuffed toys and blankets and the like are a suffocation hazard?
BinkiBear is not safe in the crib until the child is at least 3 months of age and can roll over. These milestones show that the child can remove suffocation hazards, which means they are able to negotiate the skills involved with safely having a teddy bear in the crib. BUT you are the best judge of whether it is time to place an object in the crib. I am not telling you it is always safe, but rather I will give you information and you being the most intimate expert of your child will have to make the safety decisions. You will know when your child is ready to hold a teddy bear at night.
3.How exactly can BinkiBear reduce the risk of SIDS and what does the AAP say about this?
Let me be clear…. the AAP does not say anything about BinkiBear reducing the risk of SIDS! But they do say that the use of a pacifier during sleep can reduce the risk of SIDS. We say that “reducing SIDS is at the forefront of what we are all about” because BinkiBear makes it easier for parents to choose to use the pacifier because they know they have a solution to the problems of the pacifier. This in turn means that they can introduce the pacifier in the crib alone first, and then use BinkiBear in the crib beginning around 3 months of age in the crib, knowing that they have chosen a pacifier method that truly represents the baby’s best interest. Why sacrifice the protection a pacifier can provide if there is a way to reduce the adverse impact later deters from making a sound decision for safety in the beginning? Maybe a better way to explain that we all about reducing SIDS, is to say we are all about helping parents choose the best tools and use them in the best way to promote the safety and welfare of their children.
4.What safety standards does BinkiBear meet?
BinkiBear meets EN7 standards, the highest in the world, and meets ASTM requirements. We are CPSIA certified as required by Federal law.
NOTE: The BinkiBear bag IS NOT a toy. It is not CPSIA certified, however be rest assured that the materials are all tested to be safe, lead free, and non-hazardous. But the drawstring design does create a strangulation hazard. Although it is adorable to watch toddlers carry their BinkiBear in their little backpack, it is not meant for the toddler, but rather as a re-usable packaging for mom to use for baby and toddler. I myself have allowed my children to use their backpacks, but always under my supervision and recognizing the potential dangers in allowing a child to use something not intended as a toy… or even the dangers in those things intended to be a toy. That’s the nature of parenthood, and I appreciate your diligence in taking the journey with me!
5.Where is BinkiBear made?
All the parts for BinkiBear are made in China. Currently, the parts are sent to me here and I assemble each product by hand in my home.
6.Why not made in the USA?
Frankly, price. It is no secret that business choose to manufacture their products overseas, and especially China because of the cost difference. What most consumers do not realize is the significant different in that cost. For most Americans, China is a very far away place and for all the trouble in the media lately, it also has a shady reputation for safety. However, most factories, and most business doing manufacturing there have had great success and no problems. The potential for issues is real, but it exists everywhere, and when it is recognized and addressed, it’s limited. I looked in the USA and all over the world, and the pricing did move me to look mostly at factories in China. But, I will take this opportunity to say that I have a great relationship with the people I work with there. We are partners for success, and they care about you, even from far away. They are thrilled to see the customers’ pictures we receive. They love our customers’ comments on my facebook page, and they are our friends. We use Skype to chat and keep in touch even about non-business topics. We chat about pregnancy and the New Year, and we send pictures of our kids to each other. We sign our emails with “:)” and “ttyl”. I would be happy to work with anyone who shows that kind of care for my customers’ welfare, and if the future I find them in the USA, and I can afford it, then we will add them to the team.
7.Do I have to use the pacifier that came with the BinkiBear?
No.Loop style pacifiers are the easiest to use, but all pacifiers can be used with the Patanted loop design of the BinkiBear. Those using the full silicone style pacifier can even place the BinkiBear with the pacifier in the washing machine (air or fluff dry).
