We just got this Stethoscope for our 2 1/2 year old because she had been asking for one. This is a nice Stethoscope, but it really hurts when you put it in your ears! I had read the reviews but figured that maybe the other reviewers were exaggerating. They weren't. I can only put it in my ears for a few seconds and my daughter has not been able to put it in her ears yet. I am going to keep looking for a Stethoscope that does not hurt so much.
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Great toy. My granddaughter hung it around her neck and became a doctor. It is just like a real one, looks like one, works well and people can hear the heart beat. It is somewhat tight in her ears which we tried to adjust, but that is the only concern we had. Great value for the money we spent.
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I really like this stethoscope. The only reason I didn't rate it for 5 stars, is because it's actually very tight on the ears. I'm not sure if it will loosen up as we use it, so we'll see.
As for the durability and level of fun/education it's really great. I bought it for my kids for Christmas and they love it. You can hear your heart very good. The kids really love playing doctor and it's hilarious to watch my son (6 years old) take them off his ears and drape the whole thing around his neck like real doctor does.
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Learning Resources Stethoscope / B00004WKU2
When my heart starting skipping beats unexpectedly due, apparently, to chronic stress, I decided I needed a stethoscope on hand for quick assessments of my heart beat during my palpitation periods. Amazon is my standby in these emergencies and, among the expensive "med student" options, there was this Learning Resources toy. The results, in my opinion, are mixed.
First, this is not the most sensitive of stethoscopes. The heart beat is softer than more expensive stethoscopes, probably to lessen potential damage to a child's eardrums if the stethoscope is mishandled. (Seriously, that would be a huge concern of mine before handing this toy over to a child. Hearing loss is permanent and should not be flirted with.) The stethoscope realistically picks up every errant movement or flutter of clothing, so the user must hold very, very still in order to get a decent read on the already soft-sounding heart rate.
Second, as others have noted, the hearing pieces on this stethoscope HURT. I can't leave the stethoscope in my ears for more than a minute or so. The hearing pieces are fairly big (I'd estimate larger than a small child's ear could comfortably accommodate, but I can't say with certainty), very hard, and press inwards strongly, and at an uncomfortable angle. Attempts to "stretch" the metal out a bit have failed so far.
Bottom line, though, is that this stethoscope does work for what I purchased it for, even if it doesn't work as well or as painlessly as I'd like. I can monitor my heart during periods of bad heart activity, although I dislike that the stethoscope is too painful to use for frequent "spot checks". I can't imagine that this would be a particularly sturdy toy if I have to keep the chewy rubber away from inquisitive cats, I'd have to think that small teeth could so just as much, if not more, damage. Although I suppose the majority of children don't chew on their toys past age 5, a younger brother or sister could wreak a goodly amount of havoc on this toy.
~ Ana Mardoll
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Ordered this item, along with a pair of children's scrubs, for my 5 year old daughter. She was super excited when the box arrived. She has been playing doctor to her bears/baby dolls/family and wearing around her neck since. She loves that it looks just like Mommies (I'm a RN Nursing Student). Perfect size, fits perfectly in ears, and being able to actually hear heartbeats is wonderful!! I think I have a future doctor on my hands.
