A ‘scarred’ funeral director is talking about the toys she will never allow her children to play with, and now her tell-all TikTok is going viral.
Mortician and mum @lovee.miss.lauren gained over 5.7 million views, 722,000 likes and 10,000 comments when she uploaded the timely PSA to her account.
Now, much like the TikTok that went viral for revealing what can happen when you sleep with your bedroom door closed, Lauren’s video is sending shivers down the spine of parents everywhere.
“I practically grew up in a funeral home, and as many funeral directors will say, child deaths are the most difficult we’ve ever worked with,” Lauren explained.
“When you become a parent, you find yourself protecting your children more because you know what can happen in the blink of an eye.”
In her TikTok — and a rapidly increasing follow-up video — Lauren lists the following toys as prohibited in her home:
- water beads
- Anything that has a string
- teething necklaces
- Balloons
- Skipping ropes
- Button batteries
- trampolines
- Toys with magnets
- fidget spinner
- hammocks
The American Academy of Pediatrics supports Lauren’s warnings. According to its website, water-absorbing gel beads can grow up to 200 times their size when they encounter water, resulting in dangerous clogs that may go undetected by X-rays if they are swallowed or inserted into the ears.
Toys with loose strings, strings, ribbons, or strings — especially when the strings are longer than 12 inches, such as pull-along toys or jump ropes — can pose dangerous strangulation hazards for children.
Teething necklaces, which can cause choking or strangulation, should never be worn by toddlers. Instead, parents should massage their children’s gums or give them unfrozen hard rubber teethers.
Button cell batteries — found in items such as music cards, toys, remote controls, thermometers, hearing aids, calculators, scales, key chains, cameras, and ornaments holiday season — can cause serious injury or death if swallowed.
Trampoline use has long been discouraged by the AAP because serious injury can occur even with the padding and enclosures in place.
Magnets, if ingested, can trap tissues together, resulting in life-threatening injuries.
Fidget spinners, whether plastic or metal, often contain small parts and/or batteries that can pose a choking hazard.
Hammocks, whether for toddlers or toys, can wrap around toddlers’ necks, leading to strangulation.
Lauren isn’t the only TikToker to beg parents to remove dangerous toys from their homes. Reese’s Purpose took to the internet in 2020 to warn parents about deadly button batteries, and That Water Bead Lady has been working hard since 2017 to educate families about the dangers of water beads.
“I can’t imagine what you saw”
Thousands of TikTokers responded to Lauren’s PSAs and shared their own chilling experiences.
“I am an ER nurse and have the saddest story of button cell batteries. People need to keep them away from children and pets! So sad,” one user wrote.
“Answering 911 calls all day has made me the same! So many things can hurt little ones!” said another.
“As a former hospital chaplain… YUP,” one user agreed.
“I can see how valid this all is. I can’t imagine what you saw 🥺,” said one user.
“This video can save so many lives. thank you for making our babies aware❤️🩹,” another user wrote.
Parents wondering if their children’s toys are safe or looking to research potential Christmas gifts this holiday season can check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website or HealthyChildren.org.
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