Kylee Rogers is the president of Safe Kids Utah, a coalition that implements evidence-based programs, such as car-seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics, that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. She's also a best practice quality expert, ensuring children's toys are safe for public use, and she helps write the safety standards that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission adopts into law. “My passion is safety education for caregivers and parents. They don’t know what they don’t know.” With holiday gifting, knowledge of hidden dangers is even more vital. Kylee shared some tips to keep your holidays happy.
Tip 1: Button Cell Batteries are Deadly
If swallowed, button cell batteries will cause harm to children. Make sure toys with button batteries are secured and stored correctly. After Reese Hamsmith died from swallowing a button cell battery, her mother worked with battery manufacturers to add bitter coatings and blue dye to batteries, so kids will spit out gross-tasting batteries, and caregivers can tell when kids have had them in their mouths.
Tip 2: Pay Attention to Age-grading, Understand the Small Parts Cylinder
Toys marked 3+ aren’t safe for under-threes because kids can choke on them. To identify potentially hazardous small parts, use a small-parts cylinder. If the item fits entirely inside without protruding over the top edge, it is a potential choking hazard. Buy appropriately age-graded toys, and keep inappropriate toys out of reach of younger children.
Tip 3: Look Out For Hidden Hazards
Be on the lookout for hidden hazards, including footholds and pinch points, which can cause accidents, and magnets and water beads, which can cause internal injuries if swallowed. Brett Horn, lost his son Charlie in an accidental furniture tip-over. He helped pass the STURDY Act, requiring furniture to come with wall anchors, and opened a safety demonstration home in Kansas City called Charlie’s House, now available virtually so caregivers everywhere can learn child safety.
Tip 4: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Do your research! Take safety classes from Safe Kids Utah about toy safety, along with the ‘safe sleep seven’, car seat installation, and more.