The Old Schoolhouse® Product & Curriculum Reviews
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KidSwitch Review by April Elstrom
Just Kids, Inc.PO Box 1054
Troutman, NC 28166
704-528-7933
http://www.buykidswitch.com
If you've ever been awakened at 3 a.m. by a preschooler who can't turn the bathroom light on, you'll understand how excited I was to install the KidSwitch in my bathroom. The very day it arrived, I grabbed a screwdriver and headed into the bathroom. I didn't wait for my husband. I didn't set it aside for another day. I immediately put the KidSwitch to work.
The KidSwitch is a light switch extender that was designed by a father whose 2-year-old child couldn't reach the light switch. His daughter was injured by falling off a toy she stood on to reach the switch. After that incident, Greg O'Sullivan set out to fix the problem so that his daughter wouldn't have to climb to reach the light switch anymore.
The KidSwitch fits over your light switch, with a white plastic wand extending down beneath it. The regular light switch is accessible through the top of the KidSwitch, so adults can still use the normal switch. There is a moon shape at the end of the wand that is easily reached by children; they simply push up to turn on the light, and pull down to turn it off. KidSwitch glows in the dark, so it can be easily seen at night. The white plastic is unobtrusive, not gaudy or overtly child-oriented.
I found the KidSwitch to be very easy to install, and the instructions were clearly explained. It took me less than five minutes to remove the screws from my light switch plate and screw the KidSwitch into place. I have a standard light switch, but an adapter is available for those who have a Decora tilting light switch. The adapter is quickly installed with adhesive, and then the KidSwitch installs over it. The screws that hold the KidSwitch in place have a rubber ring around them that rolls up and down the slots in the KidSwitch, allowing the KidSwitch to move easily.
When we first received the KidSwitch, I was concerned that my children would break it. I had visions of them discovering that it was flexible and could be pulled out away from the wall and then released to make a slapping sound, which would lead to its early demise. However, it has proved to be very sturdy, and after two months of use, my children have not turned it into a plaything. My 2-year-old and my 5-year-old can both reach it, so I am not being called constantly to the bathroom for light switch duty. Even better, the light doesn't have to be left on all day long; my daughter turns the light on by herself and off by herself. We have not had any problems with the KidSwitch at all.
The KidSwitch is a wonderful tool for families to use in bedrooms and bathrooms. It is affordable, well designed, easily installed, and very helpful. I would recommend it to any parent or childcare provider with young children.
