The Parent Code Episode “The Five Second Rule” Announcer: Wouldn’t it be great if our kids came with an instruction manual? Well now you have the parent code. Parent: It depends where you do it also, if you do it at your home that is okay. Parent: I do it in public too. Ari Brown: There is a chance that it is going to pick up germs, and less than five seconds. Announcer: In today's episode if you drop it, should you eat it? The parent code on the unhealthy truth, of the five second rule. Tanya Karr: Hello I am Tanya Karr, host of the parent code. Have you ever had a great piece of food and dropped it on the ground and yelled quick five second rule. And then put it in your mouth? What about when you're with your kids? Come on admit it we've all done it. Parent: My mom used to say, in Spanish pick it up before the devil likes it. Parent: Five second rule, I have gone more than five seconds. Tanya Karr: You know there is a high school senior who actually put this old wives tale to the test they few years ago? And she won a Nobel Prize for her research. What she found was pretty surprising. The research showed 70% of women and 56% of men are familiar with that five second rule. And women are more likely than men to eat the food off the ground. And get this; cookies and candy are much more likely to be eaten than things like broccoli and cauliflower. We really cherish our junk food. So eating a dropped Cheeto off the floor is one thing, but how about even a dropped pacifier. Come on we have all done that. How safe is it? It turns out it is not safe. In fact the teenage Nobel Prize winner proved that if you drop your food on any surface that contains harmful bacteria your food can become contaminated in less than five seconds. Ari Brown: Well you are taking a risk that you or your child are going to pick up some germs that has been living on the floor. And germs do live on surfaces, including the floors. Some of them last for hours; some of them last for weeks. Is that French fry really worth it? That would be the question I would really ask. Tanya Karr: And that harmful bacterium can make you and your family very sick. Ari Brown: Food poisoning basically presents with vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and diarrhea, usually with blood in the stool. Tanya Karr: Those symptoms can last anywhere from six to 72 hours. But don't waste any time, especially with your kids. You need to call your doctor immediately. These days’ parents have all kinds of help from hand sanitizers to gadgets galore. Check this out a self-closing pacifier, it has got built in wings that really close like doors the moment it hits the ground. So all this talk really takes the fun out of a silly game like the five second rule, next time you find a piece of food on the ground and you want to put it in anyone's mouth stop, think about the consequences. Remember all these grubby hands on the playground; hand sanitizer really goes a long way to keep you and your family healthy. That is it for the parent code I am Tanya Karr, we will see you next time.