SC 13D/A

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                ----------------

                                 SCHEDULE 13D/A
                                (Rule 13d-101)

            INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT
           TO RULE 13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO
                                 RULE 13d-2(a)

                         (Amendment No. 9 TO SCHEDULE 13D)
                      Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                             THE FIRST YEARS INC.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                    COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $1.00 PER SHARE
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                  337610109
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                             LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
			    SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
				1865 PALMER AVENUE
                          LARCHMONT, NEW YORK 10538
                                 (914) 833-0875
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
               Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

             (Date of Event that Requires Filing of This Statement)

     If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule
13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D,
and is filing this schedule because of Rule 13d-1(e), 13d-1(f) or 13d-
1(g), check the following box [_].


          Note:  Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed
original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See
Rule 13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.


                         (Continued on following pages)
                              (Page 1 of 11 Pages)



CUSIP No. 337610109         13D/A                    Page 2 of 11 Pages
_______________________________________________________________________
1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

          SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
          13-3100474
_______________________________________________________________________
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
                                                                 (a)
[X]
                                                                 (b)
[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
3    SEC USE ONLY

_______________________________________________________________________
4    SOURCE OF FUNDS

          WC
_______________________________________________________________________
5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
     PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          NEW YORK
_______________________________________________________________________
		7    SOLE VOTING POWER

  NUMBER OF         693,458

   SHARES
_________________________________________________________________
		8    SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
                    None
  OWNED BY

_________________________________________________________________
    EACH       9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         693,458

   PERSON
_________________________________________________________________
               10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
    WITH
                    None

_______________________________________________________________________
11   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     693,458
_______________________________________________________________________


CUSIP No. 337610109         13D/A                    Page 3 of 11 Pages

12   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
SHARES

[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
13   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

      8.37%
_______________________________________________________________________
14   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

     PN
=======================================================================
1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

          SMP ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
                                                                 (a)
[X]
                                                                 (b)
[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
3    SEC USE ONLY

_______________________________________________________________________
4    SOURCE OF FUNDS

          OO
_______________________________________________________________________
5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
     PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          DELAWARE
_______________________________________________________________________
               7    SOLE VOTING POWER

  NUMBER OF         693,458

   SHARES
_______________________________________________________________________
               8    SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
                    None
  OWNED BY
______________________________________________________________________
    EACH       9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

 

CUSIP No. 337610109          13D/A                  Page 4 of 11 Pages

 REPORTING         693,458

   PERSON
_________________________________________________________________
               10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
    WITH
                    None

_______________________________________________________________________
11   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     693,458
______________________________________________________________________
12   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
SHARES

[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
13   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

     8.37%
_______________________________________________________________________
14   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

     OO (LLC)
_______________________________________________________________________

The inclusion of SMP Asset Management LLC in this Statement shall not
be construed as an admission that such party is, for purposes of
Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the beneficial
owner of any securities covered by this Statement.

=======================================================================
1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

          LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN

_______________________________________________________________________
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
                                                                 (a)
[X]
                                                                 (b)
[_]

_______________________________________________________________________
3    SEC USE ONLY

_______________________________________________________________________
4    SOURCE OF FUNDS

          PF, OO
_______________________________________________________________________


CUSIP No. 337610109         13D/A                    Page 5 of 11 Pages

5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
     PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
[_]

_______________________________________________________________________
6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          UNITED STATES
_______________________________________________________________________
               7    SOLE VOTING POWER

  NUMBER OF         704,458

   SHARES
_________________________________________________________________
               8    SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
                    None
  OWNED BY

_________________________________________________________________
    EACH       9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         704,458

   PERSON
_________________________________________________________________
               10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
    WITH
                    None

_______________________________________________________________________
11   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     704,458

_______________________________________________________________________
12   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
SHARES

[_]

_______________________________________________________________________
13   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

     8.52%
_______________________________________________________________________
14   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

     IN
_______________________________________________________________________




CUSIP No. 337610109         13D/A                    Page 6 of 11 Pages


_______________________________________________________________________
1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

         L.J. Goldstein & Company Incorporated Pension Plan
         13-3129010
_______________________________________________________________________
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
                                                                 (a)
[X]
                                                                 (b)
[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
3    SEC USE ONLY

_______________________________________________________________________
4    SOURCE OF FUNDS

          WC
_______________________________________________________________________
5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
     PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(d) OR 2(e)
[_]

_______________________________________________________________________
6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          New York
_______________________________________________________________________
               7    SOLE VOTING POWER

  NUMBER OF         11,000

   SHARES
_________________________________________________________________
               8    SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
                    None
  OWNED BY

_________________________________________________________________
    EACH       9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         11,000

   PERSON
_________________________________________________________________
               10   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
    WITH
                    None

_______________________________________________________________________


CUSIP No. 337610109           13D/A                  Page 7 of 11 Pages

11   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     11,000
_______________________________________________________________________
12   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
SHARES

[_]
_______________________________________________________________________
13   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

     0.13%
_______________________________________________________________________
14   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

     EP
______________________________________________________________________




                       THE FIRST YEARS INC. SCHEDULE 13D
                                 AMENDMENT NO. 9

Item 1.  Security and Issuer.

This statement on Schedule 13D (this "Statement") relates to the common
stock with $1.00 par value (the "Shares") of The First Years, Inc. (the
"Issuer").  The principal offices of the Issuer are located at One
Kiddie Drive, Avon, Massachusetts 02322-1171.

Item 2.   Identity and Background.

(a) Pursuant to Rule 13d-1(k)(1) promulgated under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), this Statement
is being filed by Santa Monica Partners, L.P., a New York limited
partnership ("Santa Monica Partners").  This Statement is also being
filed on behalf of SMP Asset Management LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company that acts as the general partner of Santa Monica
Partners ("SMP Asset Management"), Lawrence J. Goldstein, the president
and sole owner of SMP Asset Management, and L.J. Goldstein & Company
Incorporated Pension Plan, a pension plan for the benefit of Mr.
Goldstein (the "Pension Plan").

(b)-(c) The principal business of Santa Monica Partners is to invest in
securities with the objective of preserving principal, building net
worth, and achieving long-term capital growth for its investors.  The
principal business of SMP Asset Management is to provide investment
advice to and to manage the business and affairs of Santa Monica
Partners.  Mr. Goldstein's principal occupation is providing investment
advice to and supervising the business and affairs of SMP Asset
Management, and indirectly, Santa Monica Partners.  The Pension Plan
invests its assets for the purpose of funding retirement benefits


CUSIP No. 337610109           13D/A                  Page 8 of 11 Pages

for Mr. Goldstein. The principal business address of Santa Monica
Partners, SMP Asset Management, Mr. Goldstein and the Pension Plan
(collectively, the "Reporting Persons") is 1865 Palmer Avenue,
Larchmont, New York 10538.

(d) To the best knowledge of the Reporting Persons, during the last
five years, none of the Reporting Persons has been convicted in a
criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar
misdemeanors).

(e) To the best knowledge of the Reporting Persons, during the last
five years, none of the Reporting Persons has been a party to a civil
proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent
jurisdiction or is subject to any judgment, decree or final order
enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities
subject to, federal or state securities laws or a finding of any
violation with respect to such laws.

(f) Mr. Goldstein is a citizen of the United States.

Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration.

The source of all funds for purchases of the Shares by Santa Monica
Partners was the working capital of Santa Monica Partners.  The source
of all funds for purchases by SMP Asset Management was the working
capital of Santa Monica Partners, which is managed by SMP Asset
Management.  The source of all funds for purchases of Shares by the
Pension Plan was the working capital of the Pension Plan.  The source
of all funds for purchases by Mr. Goldstein in his individual capacity
was personal funds. In addition, Mr. Goldstein may be deemed
to be the beneficial owner of shares purchased by Santa Monica Partners
and the Pension Plan which were made with the working capital of Santa
Monica Partners and the Pension Plan, respectively. The personal funds
and working capital may, at any given time, include margin loans made
by brokerage firms in the ordinary course of business.

Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction.

The Reporting Persons have acquired the Shares for investment purposes
and intend to review on a continuing basis their investments in the
Issuer and may, depending upon their evaluation of the Issuer's
business and prospects and upon future developments, determine to
increase or decrease, or continue to hold as an investment, or dispose
of, the shares in the Issuer.

Item 5.  Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

(a) As of the date of this Schedule 13D, Santa Monica Partners
beneficially owns in the aggregate 693,458 Shares, constituting 8.37%
of the outstanding Shares. SMP Asset Management, as the sole general
partner of Santa Monica Partners, may be deemed indirectly to own
beneficially (as that term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange
Act) the Shares in which Santa Monica Partners may be deemed


CUSIP No. 337610109           13D/A                  Page 9 of 11 Pages

to possess direct beneficial ownership.  Mr. Goldstein, as president
and sole owner of SMP Asset Management, may be deemed to have indirect
beneficial ownership of the Shares which SMP Asset Management may
beneficially own.  Mr. Goldstein disclaims beneficial ownership of such
Shares for all other purposes.  Mr. Goldstein beneficially owns in his
individual capacity 1,000 Shares, constituting .06% of the outstanding
Shares.  In addition, the Pension Plan beneficially owns in the
aggregate 11,000 Shares, constituting .13% of the outstanding Shares,
and Mr. Goldstein may also be deemed to have indirect beneficial
ownership of the Shares which the Pension Plan beneficially owns.

(b) Santa Monica Partners has the sole power to vote or direct the vote
of 693,458 Shares and the sole power to dispose or direct the
disposition of such Shares.  SMP Asset Management, as sole general
partner of Santa Monica Partners, may be deemed to have the sole power
to vote or direct the vote of the Shares held by Santa Monica Partners,
and the sole power to dispose or direct the disposition of such Shares.
Mr. Goldstein, as president and sole owner of SMP Asset Management, may
be deemed to have the power to vote or to direct the vote and to
dispose or to direct the disposition of such Shares.   Mr. Goldstein
possesses the sole power to vote and dispose of the 1,000 Shares
beneficially owned by him in his individual capacity.  In addition, the
Pension Plan has the sole power to vote or direct the vote of 11,000
Shares and the sole power to dispose or direct the disposition of such
Shares.  Mr. Goldstein, as trustee of the Pension Plan, may be deemed
to have the sole power to vote or direct the vote of the Shares held by
the Pension Plan and the sole power to dispose or direct the
disposition of such Shares.

(c) No Reporting Person effected transactions in shares of the issuer
during the past 60 days.

(d) No other person is known to have the right to receive or the power
to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale
of, the Shares covered by this Statement.

(e) Not applicable.

Item 6. Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships with
Respect to Securities of the Issuer.

To the best of the knowledge of the Reporting Persons, there are no
contracts, arrangements, understandings or relationships (legal or
otherwise) among the Reporting Persons or between the Reporting Persons
and any other person with respect to any securities of the Issuer,
including but not limited to transfer or voting of any of the
securities, finder's fees, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements,
puts or calls, guarantees of profits, division of profits or loss, or
the giving or withholding of proxies, except as follows:  (i) the
partnership agreement of Santa Monica Partners contains provisions
whereby SMP Asset Management may, after certain adjustments, receive a
percentage of profits, if any, derived from Santa Monica Partner's


CUSIP No. 337610109           13D/A                  Page 10 of 11

Pages investments, and (ii) the terms of the Pension Plan provide for
benefits to be paid to Mr. Goldstein upon his retirement.

Item 7.  Material to be filed as Exhibits.

1.	Santa Monica Partners wrote to The Chairman of the Board and The
Board of Directors of The First Years on December 5, 2003,
December 11, 2003 and again on December 15, 2003 concerning the
payment date of the fourth quarter dividend.

The first letter (December 5, 2003) reminded the Board of
Directors of a suggestion made directly to them in person on July
24, 2003, to pay the fourth quarter dividend not in late December
but rather in early January in order to enable shareholders to
defer income tax payments until April 2005, and asked why it was
rejected apparently out of hand.

The second letter (December 11, 2003) asked why neither Chairman
Ron Sidman nor CFO John Beals, who telephoned at the Chairman's
request, to "discuss it", could provide no reason for the failure
to follow the suggestion.

The third (December 15, 2003) letter summed up the situation and
repeated the request for an explanation.




                                   SIGNATURES


     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is
true, complete and correct.

Dated:  October 20, 2003
                                        SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
                                        By: SMP ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC

                               	    By: /s/LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
                                       --------------------------------
                                       Lawrence J. Goldstein, President


                                        SMP ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC

                                        By: /s/LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
                                       --------------------------------
                                       Lawrence J. Goldstein, President


                                        /s/LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
                                       --------------------------------
                                       Lawrence J. Goldstein




CUSIP No. 337610109           13D/A                 Page 11 of 11 Pages

                     L.J. GOLDSTEIN & COMPANY INCORPORATED PENSION PLAN

                                        By: /s/LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
                                       --------------------------------
                                        Lawrence J. Goldstein, Trustee




Attention. Intentional misstatements or omissions of fact constitute
federal criminal violations (see 18 U.S.C. 1001).

LETTER 1: DECEMBER 5, 2003

SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
1865 PALMER AVENUE
LARCHMONT, NY  10538

914.833.0875  ~  FAX: 914.833.1068
WWW.SMPLP.COM

LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
GENERAL PARTNER

EMAIL: ljgoldstein@bloomberg.net


December 5, 2003

Mr. Ron J. Sidman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
The First Years Inc
One Kiddie Drive
Avon Massachusetts 02322-1171


Dear Ron:

When I appeared before the Board of Directors on July 24th, you and the
entire Board will recall that among my parting words of advice was the
suggestion not to pay the fourth Quarter 2003 dividend on December 15th
but to wait until January 2, 2004.

The reasoning was simple. By waiting just two weeks to pay the
dividend, you make the payment a 2004 tax year event and not a 2003
current year event.  This means taxes payable by shareholders on the
dividend if paid on January 2, 2004 would not be due until more than a
year later in April, 2005.  This imparts a benefit to all tax paying
shareholders.

But by doing what you have now done, paying the dividend December 15,
2003?, the taxes payable by shareholders will be due April 15, 2004,
just four months from now.

Tax paying Shareholders could have had use of the entire cash dividend
for a full 16 months if had you waited just two weeks more to pay the
dividend in early 2004 instead of paying it in late 2003, so that
stockholders must now pay state and Federal taxes on the dividend by
this coming April 15 instead of your having enabled us all to hold 100%
of the cash dividend until April of 2005.

By delaying this dividend payment a mere two weeks, shareholders could
have had a benefit, use of the entire dividend payment for one year
longer, and it would not have cost the company anything.   In fact, it
would have enabled the company to benefit as well by earning another
two weeks of interest income on the roughly half million-dollar
dividend payment.

Delaying the dividend payment date for just two weeks was such a simple
and easy and shareholder friendly thing to have done.

You yourself as the largest shareholder would have benefited, as would
the rest of the shareholders who continue to believe in this company.
By not doing this, you demonstrate a lack of understanding of Finance
101 and fail to comply with Shareholder Relations 101.

As for the Board, one can only suppose they do not care about this
"small matter" because not one Board Member outside of your family hold
any shares directly (with minor exception) and only hold large amounts
of stock options, the reverse of shareholders, and thus did not even
consider or could not understand or take seriously even a small
shareholder friendly suggestion such as we suggested back on July 24th,
to pay the December dividend on January 2, 2004 and not December 15,
2003.

Ron why did you choose to ignore us and not heed our request and
advice?  Please, I would like to know and understand your reasoning.  I
think we all would.

Warmly,

Larry

Lawrence J. Goldstein

LJG/es

*FIRST YEARS INC ("KIDD-HQ2")

KIDD Pays .06 Per Dividend
Amount: .06
X-Date: 11/25/2003
Record Date: 11/28/2003
Payment Date: 12/15/2003
Dividend Type: XC - Cash Dividend
Stock Amount: 0

LETTER 2: DECEMBER 11, 2003

SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
1865 PALMER AVENUE
LARCHMONT, NY  10538

914.833.0875  ~  FAX: 914.833.1068
WWW.SMPLP.COM

LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
GENERAL PARTNER

EMAIL: ljgoldstein@bloomberg.net


December 11, 2003

Mr. Ron J. Sidman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
The First Years Inc
One Kiddie Drive
Avon Massachusetts 02322-1171

Dear Ron:

I just hung up the telephone on John Beals telephone call to me.

Ron, I appreciated your thoughtfulness in having your CFO call me.
However, I was unable to learn why you are paying the dividend in
December and not delaying payment to January, a new tax year.

No one said the Board of Directors did not "consider" my suggestion
made July 24,2003 to please delay payment of the scheduled year end
December 15, 2003 payment until January 2, 2003 for the benefit of
every tax paying shareholder (which is far and away most of them,
according to my examination and analysis of the shareholdings), but it
is very clear now from John's opening words to me just moments ago,
that the directors "did not want to change the payment date", that they
gave the suggestion short shrift, and probably forgot all about it
until I wrote to you upon seeing the dividend declared on December 5.

This of course is evidence of the fact that the Board of Directors did
not give the payment date any serious consideration way in advance of
the announcement date on December 5 and clearly did not even want to
consider it following my making this point at the July 24th Board of
Directors meeting.

First of all, John Beals would not tell me what factors were considered
in determining why it was better to pay the dividend in the closing
days of 2003 rather than delay payment until the opening days of 2004.
I asked him if he could list some of the factors that the Board of
Directors considered in the determination of the December payment in
their preference to making a January payment.

He could not and that is clearly the reason he would not.

Paying the dividend to individual shareholders in December is a
shareholder unfriendly thing to do. Far and away shareholders of KIDD
are taxpayers. You and I are and the Board of Directors is as well. All
employees are taxpayers. All the mutual funds have taxpaying holders
and the mutual funds only own about 25% of KIDD shares, many have IRA's
as shareholders to whom a dividend in December or January would make
little or no difference whatever.

So all in all, about 75% of shares are held by individuals and the
majority I will bet you anything are taxpayers. All of us would have
benefited from a year's grace on payment of income taxes from receipt
of cash income.

But I submit to you that when I asked John, "did the board make a pile
of all the reasons to pay the dividend in December and another pile of
all the reasons to pay the dividend in January; which pile was higher?"
He said, "I am not going to get into that."

Give me a break Ron; please don't take me for a fool or for someone
born yesterday. I do not view you that way.

If you and the Board of Directors had good reasons, or even a good
reason, to pay the dividend in December and not in January, then why
couldn't John have "gotten into that"?

He couldn't, it became clear, because the Board of Directors did not
consider my suggestion last July 24th, did not even think about it, did
not take it seriously and probably did not take the payment date as an
important enough matter to debate or discuss or ask questions about. It
was probably placed in front of them without any forethought and rubber
stamped as a trivial and unimportant and non-controversial matter.

That this Company gets a zero in Finance 101, and a failure in
Shareholder Relations101 comes as no surprise. But what does come as a
surprise is your complete failure to seriously and fully consider any
suggestions a shareholder makes. Why is this Ron?

In this case the Company would have earned a bit more interest on the
cash to be paid out in dividends -- 22+ days more to be precise, since
from December 15 to the first real business day of 2004 will be a
period of 22 days.

Is this fair treatment of shareholders? Is this fair treatment of a
longstanding shareholder's suggestion? Is this not giving short shrift
to a perfectly reasonable suggestion? Is this anyway to run a public
Company?

I ask you Ron, and the Board of Directors; what exactly was it that
convinced you to pay the dividend December 15th and not delay it until
January 5, 2004?

Warmly,

Larry

Lawrence J. Goldstein
LJG/es


LETTER 3: DECEMBER 15, 2003

SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
1865 PALMER AVENUE
LARCHMONT, NY  10538

914.833.0875  ~  FAX: 914.833.1068
WWW.SMPLP.COM

LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
GENERAL PARTNER

EMAIL: ljgoldstein@bloomberg.net


December 15, 2003

Mr. Ron J. Sidman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
The First Years Inc
One Kiddie Drive
Avon Massachusetts 02322-1171


Dear Ron:

I made a suggestion. The board rejected it. When I asked why neither
you nor John Beals, who telephoned me at your request to "discuss it",
could provide a reason for doing so

Will you explain this please?

Why did you choose to ignore our suggestion to pay the dividend in the
opening days of 2004 instead of late In December 2003 so as to save
taxpaying shareholders from having to pay income taxes in April 2003,
while at the same time enabling the Company to earn some additional
interest income?

Why did you not consider our suggestion a very desirable and sound
financial policy and a win win strategy for both The First Years
shareholders and the Company?

Again, I ask you Ron, and the Board of Directors; what exactly was it
that convinced you to pay the dividend December 15th and not delay it
until January 5, 2004?

Warmly,

Larry

Lawrence J. Goldstein

LJG/es

EX-1

December 5, 2003

Mr. Ron J. Sidman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
The First Years Inc
One Kiddie Drive
Avon Massachusetts 02322-1171


Dear Ron:

When I appeared before the Board of Directors on July 24th, you
and the entire Board will recall that among my parting words of
advice was the suggestion not to pay the fourth Quarter 2003
dividend on December 15th but to wait until January 2, 2004.

The reasoning was simple. By waiting just two weeks to pay the
dividend, you make the payment a 2004 tax year event and not a
2003 current year event.  This means taxes payable by
shareholders on the dividend if paid on January 2, 2004 would
not be due until more than a year later in April, 2005.  This
imparts a benefit to all tax paying shareholders.

But by doing what you have now done, paying the dividend
December 15, 2003?, the taxes payable by shareholders will be due
April 15, 2004, just four months from now.

Tax paying Shareholders could have had use of the entire cash
dividend for a full 16 months if had you waited just two weeks
more to pay the dividend in early 2004 instead of paying it in
late 2003, so that stockholders must now pay state and Federal
taxes on the dividend by this coming April 15 instead of your
having enabled us all to hold 100% of the cash dividend until
April of 2005.

By delaying this dividend payment a mere two weeks, shareholders
could have had a benefit, use of the entire dividend payment for
one year longer, and it would not have cost the company
anything.   In fact, it would have enabled the company to
benefit as well by earning another two weeks of interest income
on the roughly half million-dollar dividend payment.

Delaying the dividend payment date for just two weeks was such a
simple and easy and shareholder friendly thing to have done.

You yourself as the largest shareholder would have benefited, as
would the rest of the shareholders who continue to believe in
this company. By not doing this, you demonstrate a lack of
understanding of Finance 101 and fail to comply with Shareholder
Relations 101.

As for the Board, one can only suppose they do not care about
this "small matter" because not one Board Member outside of your
family hold any shares directly (with minor exception) and only
hold large amounts of stock options, the reverse of
shareholders, and thus did not even consider or could not
understand or take seriously even a small shareholder friendly
suggestion such as we suggested back on July 24th, to pay the
December dividend on January 2, 2004 and not December 15, 2003.

Ron why did you choose to ignore us and not heed our request and
advice?  Please, I would like to know and understand your
reasoning.  I think we all would.

Warmly,

Larry

Lawrence J. Goldstein

LJG/es
? FIRST YEARS INC ("KIDD-HQ2")

KIDD Pays .06 Per Dividend
Amount: .06
X-Date: 11/25/2003
Record Date: 11/28/2003
Payment Date: 12/15/2003
Dividend Type: XC - Cash Dividend
Stock Amount: 0

Page 2 of 2

Stocks overlooked or ignored by otherwise intelligent investors TM
SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
1865 PALMER AVENUE
LARCHMONT, NY  10538

914.833.0875  ~  FAX: 914.833.1068
WWW.SMPLP.COM

LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
GENERAL PARTNER

EMAIL: ljgoldstein@bloomberg.net


Stocks overlooked or ignored by otherwise intelligent investors TM

EX-2

December 11, 2003

Mr. Ron J. Sidman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
The First Years Inc
One Kiddie Drive
Avon Massachusetts 02322-1171

Dear Ron:

I just hung up the telephone on John Beals telephone call to me.

Ron, I appreciated your thoughtfulness in having your CFO call
me. However, I was unable to learn why you are paying the
dividend in December and not delaying payment to January, a new
tax year.

No one said the Board of Directors did not "consider" my
suggestion made July 24,2003 to please delay payment of the
scheduled year end December 15, 2003 payment until January 2,
2003 for the benefit of every tax paying shareholder (which is
far and away most of them, according to my examination and
analysis of the shareholdings), but it is very clear now from
John's opening words to me just moments ago, that the directors
"did not want to change the payment date", that they gave the
suggestion short shrift, and probably forgot all about it until
I wrote to you upon seeing the dividend declared on December 5.

This of course is evidence of the fact that the Board of
Directors did not give the payment date any serious
consideration way in advance of the announcement date on
December 5 and clearly did not even want to consider it
following my making this point at the July 24th Board of
Directors meeting.

First of all, John Beals would not tell me what factors were
considered in determining why it was better to pay the dividend
in the closing days of 2003 rather than delay payment until the
opening days of 2004. I asked him if he could list some of the
factors that the Board of Directors considered in the
determination of the December payment in their preference to
making a January payment.

He could not and that is clearly the reason he would not.

Paying the dividend to individual shareholders in December is a
shareholder unfriendly thing to do. Far and away shareholders of
KIDD are taxpayers. You and I are and the Board of Directors is
as well. All employees are taxpayers. All the mutual funds have
taxpaying holders and the mutual funds only own about 25% of
KIDD shares, many have IRA's as shareholders to whom a dividend
in December or January would make little or no difference
whatever.

So all in all, about 75% of shares are held by individuals and
the majority I will bet you anything are taxpayers. All of us
would have benefited from a year's grace on payment of income
taxes from receipt of cash income.

But I submit to you that when I asked John, "did the board make
a pile of all the reasons to pay the dividend in December and
another pile of all the reasons to pay the dividend in January;
which pile was higher?" He said, "I am not going to get into
that."

Give me a break Ron; please don't take me for a fool or for
someone born yesterday. I do not view you that way.

If you and the Board of Directors had good reasons, or even a
good reason, to pay the dividend in December and not in January,
then why couldn't John have "gotten into that"?

He couldn't, it became clear, because the Board of Directors did
not consider my suggestion last July 24th, did not even think
about it, did not take it seriously and probably did not take
the payment date as an important enough matter to debate or
discuss or ask questions about. It was probably placed in front
of them without any forethought and rubber stamped as a trivial
and unimportant and non-controversial matter.

That this Company gets a zero in Finance 101, and a failure in
Shareholder Relations101 comes as no surprise. But what does
come as a surprise is your complete failure to seriously and
fully consider any suggestions a shareholder makes. Why is this
Ron?

In this case the Company would have earned a bit more interest
on the cash to be paid out in dividends -- 22+ days more to be
precise, since from December 15 to the first real business day
of 2004 will be a period of 22 days.

Is this fair treatment of shareholders? Is this fair treatment
of a longstanding shareholder's suggestion? Is this not giving
short shrift to a perfectly reasonable suggestion? Is this
anyway to run a public Company?

I ask you Ron, and the Board of Directors; what exactly was it
that convinced you to pay the dividend December 15th and not
delay it until January 5, 2004?

Warmly,

Larry

Lawrence J. Goldstein
LJG/es
Page 2 of 3

Stocks overlooked or ignored by otherwise intelligent investors TM
SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
1865 PALMER AVENUE
LARCHMONT, NY  10538

914.833.0875  ~  FAX: 914.833.1068
WWW.SMPLP.COM

LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
GENERAL PARTNER

EMAIL: ljgoldstein@bloomberg.net


Stocks overlooked or ignored by otherwise intelligent investors TM

EX-3

December 15, 2003

Mr. Ron J. Sidman
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
The First Years Inc
One Kiddie Drive
Avon Massachusetts 02322-1171


Dear Ron:

I made a suggestion. The board rejected it. When I asked why
neither you nor John Beals, who telephoned me at your request to
"discuss it", could provide a reason for doing so

Will you explain this please?

Why did you choose to ignore our suggestion to pay the dividend
in the opening days of 2004 instead of late In December 2003 so
as to save taxpaying shareholders from having to pay income
taxes in April 2003, while at the same time enabling the Company
to earn some additional interest income?

Why did you not consider our suggestion a very desirable
and sound financial policy and a win win strategy for both The
First Years shareholders and the Company?

Again, I ask you Ron, and the Board of Directors; what exactly
was it that convinced you to pay the dividend December 15th and
not delay it until January 5, 2004?

Warmly,

Larry

Lawrence J. Goldstein

LJG/es
Page 2 of 1

Stocks overlooked or ignored by otherwise intelligent investors TM
SANTA MONICA PARTNERS, L.P.
1865 PALMER AVENUE
LARCHMONT, NY  10538

914.833.0875  ~  FAX: 914.833.1068
WWW.SMPLP.COM

LAWRENCE J. GOLDSTEIN
GENERAL PARTNER

EMAIL: ljgoldstein@bloomberg.net


Stocks overlooked or ignored by otherwise intelligent investors TM