Issue a Retraction, Now!

Hi Scott,

Firstly, love your work. You’ve changed our financial lives in a significant and very positive manner. But secondly, and more importantly, I hate to tell you but your article about weighted blankets is actually very risky. Weighted blankets are something that typically are only prescribed by occupational therapists and are not to be used while sleeping.

There have been many cases of people (particularly children) suffocating when these have been left on. As an occupational therapist myself, I would never recommend using one for sleep (it can be used as an aid to fall asleep but MUST be removed). Additionally, the weight should not be more than 10% of your body weight. So if a small person (or child) is given a 10 kg blanket, as suggested last week, the risk of suffocation is much higher.

May I kindly suggest retracting your column, or sending an additional disclaimer!

Yours in safety,

Ruth

Strewth, Ruth!

It’s bad enough that each week my finance column has to be vetted by lawyers (for disclaimers and defamation).

Now you’re telling me I have to worry about giving blanket statements … on blankets?!

In my defence, I was writing about my own experience as an adult and not suggesting you give them to your kids.

(Then again, with three kids under the age of seven, maybe tying them down a little so they don’t always end up in our bed doesn’t seem like such a bad idea …)

“Strike out that last line!” warned the lawyers.

“It was written in jest!” I pleaded.

Yet point taken, Ruth. You need to be careful with these blankets, especially if you’re a kid (or a supermodel).

Seriously, though, fair suck of the sav: surely no one takes my advice in the bedroom, right?

Scott