Mom panics after toddler mistakes poison for sweets

“Has your child ever eaten anything that made you panic as a parent?” was the question Suga, a Heart 104.9 FM radio presenter, asked listeners. 

Mom Candice called in to respond to the question, sharing what she experienced with her little one.

She shared that her toddler ate Rattex, which is a poisonous pink substance used to kill rats and mice. 

“That made me panic,” said the mom.

“The only reason why she probably ate it was I used to buy her those pink sweeties, I don’t know what it’s called, Romantics, and she probably thought I put the pink sweets out,” the mom explains. 

She goes on to say that the poison was hidden away and out of sight so that her daughter could not see it.

“But that day the girl came to me and she was telling me she ate this pink sweetie,” she continued. 

The mom goes on to say that she panicked and as a first-time responder, she did not know what to do. 

“The only thing I remember is I called poison center,” she concludes.

The mom did not disclose what happened to her daughter after she ate the poison. 

While this mom clearly went out of her way to hide the pink pallets, her curious daughter somehow still managed to find it. 

Childproofing your home against poisonous substances is extremely important, especially once little ones start crawling or walking. 

Here's a guide to help make your home safer. 

Lock away toxic substances

Use childproof locks on your cabinets where you store the following items:

• Cleaning supplies (bleach, ammonia, etc.)
• Laundry pods or detergent
• Medications
• Alcohol
• Pesticides or bug spray
• Paint, glue, and other DIY chemicals

Where possible, try to store these items high up, out of reach and out of sight.

Secure medications

Use locked medicine boxes or cabinets.

Don’t leave vitamins, pills, or even pet meds on countertops or bedside tables.

Never call medicine “candy”. Your child might remember that and help themselves later.

Be careful with look-alikes

Some toxic products look like food or drink:

• Antifreeze can look like sports drinks.
• Mouthwash or cleaning liquids might resemble juice.
• Always use original containers. Never transfer chemicals into food/drink containers.

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IOL Lifestyle