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A funeral director has revealed the common foods and toys that aren’t allowed in her house, after the tragic cases she’s seen in her funeral home.

Lauren Eliza, from the US, who goes by ‘Lauren the Mortician’ on her TikTok account, has uploaded a series of videos detailing why she doesn’t allow her children to play with or eat certain things, including water beads, amber teething necklaces and popcorn.

In one video she explains that as a ‘scarred mortician/funeral director’ she has a list of things her kids aren’t allowed to have. Her list includes:

  • water beads
  • toys with a string
  • amber teething necklaces
  • balloons
  • skipping ropes
  • toys that contain button batteries
  • popcorn
  • nuts

“I pissed off half the internet because I came up with a list of toys I will never give my children because I am scarred from my job,” Lauren explained.

“I practically grew up in a funeral home and like many funeral directors will say that children’s deaths are the hardest ones we ever have to work with. And when you become a parent you find yourself being extra protective of your children because you know what can happen in the blink of an eye.”

@lovee.miss.lauren I’m a scarred Mortician / Funeral Director and these are not allowed in my house. Guess you can call me the Grinch ✨Educational PSA. #mortician #scarredforlife #waterbeads #yoyo #YellowstoneTV #ChevyEVSongContest #funeraldirector #deathtok #greenscreen #DisneyParksVoices #thegrinch ♬ Che La Luna – Louis Prima

The mortician went on to detail why she won’t have water beads anywhere near her own children.

“Water beads are not allowed in my house … 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. I do not care if you want to tell me these are non-toxic, because the truth is if your child ingests just one of these they can end up in the emergency room. Because they can cause blockages in your intestines and bowels.”

She also explained her fear of balloons around small children.

“My dad was actually paramedic for 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?” Lauren has also revealed a list of things her children aren’t allowed to do because of the things she’s seen, including:

  • Ride youth-sized ATVs
  • Play near farm equipment
  • Go sledding on a frozen pond
  • Play in a driveway
  • No popcorn until they are at least five-years-old

She elaborated on the popcorn ban, saying giving your children the common treat is one of the quickest way to get them a ride in an ambulance.

“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’re easily sucked up back into your oesophagus that you can aspirate on them or choke.

“No matter how much you watch your children they can still choke on popcorn – whether you are there or not.”

@lovee.miss.lauren Replying to @jessicaclucente EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ✨???? Call me the grinch. But my toddlers don’t eat popcorn. Chronicles of the Scarred Mortician continue. #mortician #educationaltiktok #funeraldirector #popcorn #hatehatehate #deathtok #BeTheReasonVisa #HuluChippendalesDance #scarredforlife #grinch #christmas #greenscreen ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design

Lauren says her children aren’t allowed to eat nuts for the same reason, and it’s why she recommends cutting up grapes.

“One of the saddest calls we ever got involved a child with a peanut. They put the child to bed not knowing there was a piece of peanut in their lip. And they didn’t wake up the next morning.”

Are there any foods or toys banned in your house for these reasons? Let us know in the comments below. 

  • WEll of course a Funeral Director is going to hear about the times it all went wrong.
    its like my friend who went to a dating agency and was told that relationships between guys and younger woman NEVER work out as they see them all the time. Of course they do….they are am agency for people whos relationships have not worked out and those that have dont go there.

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  • The popcorn hazard is one not everyone knows, just like unsliced grapes. They seem like innocent snacks but can be so dangerous.

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  • A pretty obvious list of things to not give kids. Tragic deaths from tragic accidents sadly

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  • She is great to warn others rightfully so

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  • Same for me after reading articles on MoMs. So many every day items can be so dangerous to kids

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  • This is why I’m so paranoid and cautious about what I let my children eat and play with

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  • Thanks for sharing, sometimes it’s to late, so I thank you in advance for sharing this.

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  • It’s good to be careful with kids and when you don’t want to ban, then supervise closely.


    • Also important to know your child. My youngest is 9yr old and has Down syndrome & severe ADHD; she tends to eat the wooden stick from an ice-cream like magnum for example, which is not without danger. She still gets a magnum, but I stick around when she eats it. To be honest she needs supervision 24/7

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  • I understand her list but to see it in a huge form like that it is a shock.

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  • Yes, I see her point of view.

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  • I have a list if banned toys/items in my household, play dough and glitter are at the top of the list due to cleaning up afterwards! So I can’t pass judgement. And honestly, I’d be more surprised if she gave these things to her children knowing what she knows.
    At the end of the day we all make choices with our children’s best interests at heart. None should judge fir that!

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  • I agree, you can’t be too careful when it comes to your kids. Sometimes you don’t get a second chance

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  • I agree with this list, although balloons surprised me as they are used so widely for sensory play. Always be cautious.

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  • The balloons is what surprises me the most here!

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  • Yes they are now especially the Popcorn

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  • No, but it’s a very interesting read.

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  • Great that she has shared this with others. Its a great wake up call for parents to really think about what’s around. So sad other families have suffered tragedy from these items. I never gave my kids anything with beads including those amber beads, popcorn came later in life as did peanuts.

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  • Oh my goodness, breaks my heart that there are so many tragedies that can be avoided! I agree with this list and definitely don’t have any of these things in my home either. I’m always making sure food is cut appropriately and supervising meal and snack times. It’s just not worth the risk for me.

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  • I would take the skin off grapes and cut them in half then remove any seeds before I’d let my boys eat them. They also never had anything that contained a battery either.

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  • Definitely water beads and any sort of bead.

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