I spent some time last night looking into getting Charlotte a personalized learning laptop or computer. I was excited when I cam across the positive reviews of the Fisher Price Computer Cool School toy. It was perfect! I loved all the elements to it and the fact that she could even practice writing. Charlotte is almost 4, so she is just hitting the time where this is all making sense to her. Woo, Hoo, Christmas gift! Right? WRONG.

You see, my daughter is a leftie. And this toy is only made for RIGHT handed children. So what did I do? I called Fisher Price. I have always wondered what those 1-800 numbers were for, and today, I used it. I call them up and get a person.

Him: how can i help you (very nice, poor guy didn’t know what was coming)

Me: I want to know more information about the Computer Cool School toy….it appears to be only for right handed children and I want to know if it converts to left handed.

Him: (pause) gooooooooooood question. Can you hold for a minute?

Me: Sure

(holding…holding…holding…)

Him: Ok, Im back. Can I get some information from you first.

Me: Sure

Him: Address….phone…..email….(me giving all that out)

(at this point he tells me he likes my email address….i know he is preparing me for the worst now with buttering me up)

Him: I went and got one of those and I’m pulling it out….(pause)……Looks like it cannot transfer to the left

Me: So, what your telling me, and I don’t like to throw this word around that much, but that you discriminated against my left handed child and we cant use it.

Him: (uncomfortable silence) Im not a toy engineer, but we don’t make a lot of parts that can bust off, so if its movable, its more likely to break.

Me: Why didn’t they just make it as a separate piece that plugged in and had a longer cord, like a mouse, where you can sit it on either side.

Him: (silence) Well, your daughter can slide down to use it so its on her left.

Me: Ok, so you expect me to sit this up in front of my computer and have her slide down to write and slide back to see it on the screen , and then back down….isn’t that a bit much to ask of a 4 year old?

Him: Um. Was that your only question?

Me: Yes, and you have answered it, but I would like to put in a formal complaint to Fischer Price and I want you to note that this toy cannot be used by LEFT handed children and I guess Ill just fight back by blogging this and emailing the company.

The conversation ended right after. The guy was pretty nice, it wasn’t HIS fault that the “toy engineers” suck.

So am I right and they should have made this toy a little more compatible? We are in the computer era. They should have had this as either detachable and a stand alone that could have went on either side OR connected to both sides and engineered another way. But ill tell you, I don’t believe for a second they didn’t do it for fear of “breaking” more often, but rather, they just didn’t THINK about it.

How annoying.

~Trisha

ps not done today w/ rants..stay tuned.