Keep kids away from meds

Three generations of Matthews have played in the NFL: Clay Matthews Sr. played four seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. His eldest son, Clay Matthews Jr. (Cleveland Browns), and younger son Bruce (Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans) both played 19 seasons to great acclaim. Then, Matthews Jr. had two kids who made it to the NFL: Clay III (Green Bay Packers/LA Rams) and Casey (Philadelphia Eagles). Bruce Matthews also had two children who were in the NFL, Kevin (Titans/Carolina Panthers) and Jake (Atlanta Falcons). Clearly, grandfather passed down some pretty good genes and life lessons.

Unfortunately, some of what many grandparents are passing on these days is doing kids harm. According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, around 11% of grandparents live with children up to age 17, and many others frequently take care of grandkids. But only 7% of grandparents say that they put their medication away in a locked cupboard or cabinet, while a whopping 72% keep medicines in open purses or bags where they’re easily accessible. So, it’s not surprising that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that nearly 40% of children treated in emergency rooms for poisoning have ingested medicines while at a grandparent’s home.

Whether your grandkids are toddlers or teens, don’t leave your medicines — over the counter or prescription — in purses or on a kitchen counter. Store them in a locked or secure cupboard or cabinet that’s out of reach, especially if meds aren’t kept in their original, child-safe vials. And always have the National Poison Control Center number on hand: 800-222-1222.