Say the name “Sophie” in a room full of non-parents and you could spark any number of conversations, say it in a room full of parents and you’ll be talking about a six-inch tall squeaky giraffe that babies drool all over. I’m not sure why this particular toy has become so ubiquitous as it’s essentially a doggy chew toy, but ever parent I know has one. Seriously, if you were presented with this thing out of the blue and weren’t a parent, I’d bet 9 times out of 10 the person would guess that it belonged to Fifi instead of your daughter Fiona.The funny thing is that our daughter Lucy doesn’t even seem to like the squeakiness of the toy. Every time we give it a squeeze, she just looks up blankly. Plus, I find the noise to be pretty annoying. However, she has gotten pretty good at grabbing the legs and loves to slobber all over it, though, to be fair, I’m pretty sure she’d gnaw on just about anything she could fit in her mouth.

I actually did a little research into the Sophie phenomena (by reading the “The Story” section of their website) and found out that she not only came from France, but is also 50 years old! It’s made out of natural rubber and food paint, making it perfect for teething babies. She’s also been seen in the hands of celebrity kids and featured on plenty of talk shows and in magazines. I’m guessing that’s how word has been spread recently. Overall, I guess it’s good that kids are shoving a natural toy in their maws, but there isn’t anything else about Sophie that makes me think every parent should go out and buy one. Frankly, it doesn’t matter what I recommend, though, because if you’re an expecting parent, you will most likely be getting one of these from someone (ours was a gift).

A question to older parents, were Sophies around when you had your kids?