Comments

Reviewer here--in the video I forgot that I wanted to talk some more about the dog toy aspect. What I wanted to say is that Sophie is designed like a dog toy for the same reason it's designed for dogs, which is that it feels good in the mouth to have a firm but soft toy with a giving surface. We have hard teethers and while Theo likes those as well it doesn't provide the same texture and springy feeling of rubber. He keeps returning again and again to Sophie. The feeling of a firm but springy chewing toy is different than a hard teether or stuffed animal. There are other rubber and rubber-like (silicone, for example) teethers on the market, but as far as that goes, it really depends on what you'd prefer to have in your child's mouth. Since Theo clearly prefers this type of teether, I feel better letting him chew on something that I know is safe and non-toxic and made in a country with very stringent requirements for children's toys. The lead incidences recently really opened my eyes to something I never thought was a danger, and it was even found in toys from major American toy manufacturers. With Sophie I know where she's made and what she's made of, and that there are no toxic chemicals. Yes, she is expensive, but I'd much rather have that in his mouth than a toy where I don't know really how it was made and if it passed the same standards. We only learned about the lead problem after the fact.

With regard to actual dog toys, I implore people to think twice about allowing your baby to chew on one. There are minimal (or basically no) standards for what goes into a dog toy, and some packages explicitly say they are not for human consumption. Additionally, the rubber is much thinner and a child with teeth could easily chew off a piece and choke (Sophie is very thick rubber and when I gnawed on it myself, I didn't make a dent). I'm not saying that everyone needs to buy Sophie, but I really would recommend that people NOT buy an actual dog toy.

Shelby, I read your post tonight- you provide a well balanced analysis of the teether. And congrats, what a darling baby boy! I love your video- bravo for taking the plunge. Do you know if with new moms and dads, if there is less emphasis placed on the need to actually hold the toy and mouth it? I have observed the toys to dangle in front of or over the babies, while they bat and make attempts to get to it, but the parents are not connecting the dots as to actually allow the toys to be used (seriously). I work with children with special needs but all infants need essentially the same early stimulation and opportunities. You could advertise the device as an oral motor - for feeding and pre language toy due to what is taking place, as well as the comfort and work of teething. I was just impressed to find that as a young mom you found this exercise so essential that you took the time to promote the activity as much as the toy itself (I do agree with the advantage aspects of Sophie). I just thought I would take a moment to write to thank you. As an older mom with grown children, I was afraid toy mouthing was a dying art. I hope to see Sophie or any recommended toy in the hands of the infants. Perhaps my young moms will read your review. Sometimes more is caught than taught. Hope this finds you well. Thank you, again and enjoy your little one.

Thank you for this review. I have wanted to buy our son (one week shy of 5 months) a Sophie but was having trouble convincing my husband it is worth the money. After seeing your video review, he is now on board and we are going tomorrow to buy one! THanks so much and Theo is adorable!

Thank you for the review. Your son is adorable and you can tell he really loves his Sophie! I am due in 6 weeks and received a Sophie for my baby shower and was wondering whether to keep it or not. Your review definitely assisted me in making my decision to keep our Sophie. I only hope our baby loves it as much as yours does. Thanks again!