Water beads are not allowed in my house, and I will be more than happy to tell you why. The risk is not worth the reward for me when it comes to water beads, and in fact, they were not originally manufactured to be marketed to children. They were actually made for plants, like to help water your plants in the soil. And then some dingdong decided, let's make more money and market these to moms. So they have since become a popular sensory toy object. And there is a mom on this app right now with her daughter in the emergency room because her daughter swallowed one bead.

We do not keep or use any toys that contain button batteries. And I will be happy to tell you why. Did you know 3500 Americans swallow button batteries every year? And if your child swallows one, you really only have a couple of hours to get them to an emergency room for medical attention before permanent damage or death can happen? Because these batteries can and will get stuck in your esophagus or your stomach lining. But your esophagus is where the most damage can occur. And a lot of this damage can start within 15 minutes of ingestion. If you cannot completely rid your home of button batteries, I completely understand, but please, please, please, keep them somewhere safe that children cannot get into them and dispose of these batteries properly once they die. If you suspect your child has eaten a button battery, you can give them honey, and I would highly suggest it before you bring them to the ER. This will help give you some time to get there and prevent damage. I know that they are coating these batteries in some sort of substance now to make them taste bad. It doesn't matter, your children will still try to eat them and swallow them.

They are made of Baltic amber. And in theory, if a baby wears one, it's supposed to heat up the necklace. And then it releases a little bit of oil that is supposed to get absorbed into the bloodstream, that then helps the baby with teething. And in 2018, a mom did lose her baby to one of these - because of that. This can also happen. The little pieces will fall off or, like kids do, they chew on stuff. I mean, right here, case in point. There is no medical evidence to support that these actually work.

My dad was actually a paramedic for like 15 or 20 years. So my fear of balloons was actually sparked by my dad. And the stories he would come home with were horrendous. Did you know that balloons are one of the leading causes of choking deaths in children? And most of them involve children under the age of six years old. Your trachea is usually only the size of your pinkie. And if you imagine a child that's quite small, children don't have as much experience blowing up balloons. They suck them right back into their throats. And when that happens, they get stuck in there, and CPR might not help because the balloon might just be inflating and deflating while you're trying to do the CPR. Or if one of these pop, you know how they break into tiny little pieces? Kids put things in their mouth - it's inevitable. If that happens, those little pieces can easily get sucked up right into your trachea and cause choking, and it's almost impossible to get them out. The scariest part for me is the usual process of CPR with the Heimlich maneuver, backpacks, during the sweeping of the mouth. Those don't work when somebody is choking on a balloon piece.

We're talking about the death traps known as hammocks. They've actually recalled so many of these over the years I've lost count. One of the number one calls I would get called on was SIDS deaths in infants. So just trust me when I say I know a thing or two, because I've seen a thing or two. The side-to-side rocking motion in a hammock can cause the infant to roll side to side, and it's very easy for them to become wedged up against the side of the fabric. I know they try to make these trendy and cute for the times. Don't buy one. Don't put your baby in there, please - safe sleep.

Popcorn is not allowed in my house. In fact, giving your children popcorn is one of the quickest ways you can get a ride in an ambulance. My dad was a paramedic for over a decade, and popcorn was on the list of things that I also was not allowed to have as a child. Have you ever eaten popcorn? You know those little kernels that get stuck in your teeth? That can also happen to your children. And those little pieces are so lightweight that they are so easily sucked up back into your esophagus that you can aspirate on them or choke. And the super scary thing about it is you can't get it out even if you remove all the kernels. The irregular shapes and dry texture of popcorn makes it super easy to get stuck. This is probably no surprise to most, but my children are also not allowed to eat nuts for literally the exact same reason.

I'm sure you've heard of these little play couches. I actually own one. Just so you know, I don't mind the play couches, but it's the choices that Pinterest moms are making to celebrate the holidays that are really driving me crazy. I keep seeing themes like this pop up on my feed. And if you follow me, you might already know where I'm going with this. Here's another one. So cute, I know. Okay, I'll tell you, it's the garland. Don't know why it became a new trend, but those are a choking hazard. And not the put it in your mouth kind, I'm talking about the wrap around your body kind. These are meant for household decor, not your nugget's couch shenanigans, Shannon. And the same goes if you put this on your Christmas tree and it's a little too low to the ground. I also hate the light string trend. If you are there watching them - great. But if you're going to set it up as a sleep space, and then go to bed yourself and leave them alone and unattended with the string lights? Ugh, please don't do this. Is that a jump rope? You all know how I feel about jump ropes. This also triggers a lot of things for me, and I do not think it's cute.

Fidget spinners. I have toddlers, and the biggest issue for me is that these pieces can fall off and become choking hazards. And if your toddlers are anything like mine, it's not "if it's gonna break," it's "when is it gonna break and fall apart." But don't just think that only toddlers can choke on these small pieces. The ones that light up actually have button batteries inside of them. So not only do we have a choking hazard on the little fidget pieces, but now there's the possibility of your child swallowing a button battery and having life-threatening surgery to remove both pieces, the battery and the fidget.

Today we are talking about the monstrosity which is known as jump ropes. In fact, if you Google jump rope deaths, you will immediately see why I do not like them. If they are used properly, and supervised by an adult, then sure, they are just fine to have around in your home. For the most part, when children are left unsupervised by an adult, that is when these accidental deaths are happening. Especially on playgrounds with slides and swings. Where kids are getting in trouble with jump ropes is they are not using them how they're supposed to be using them. And instead they're getting creative and hanging them around the playset. They get tangled up in them. And I think you can see where this is going. I also hate toys with strings for the very same reason.