Holiday Safety
Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza are wonderful wintertime celebrations. We like to deck out the house with candles, wreaths, trees and lights. What household hazards can we avoid to keep our babies and toddlers safe during our celebrations?
Holiday Tips
- Christmas tree safety is critical. Two years ago, my sister-in-law returned to her apartment to find the building closed off due to a careless neighbor whose Christmas tree burst into flames while they were out. The neighbor’s apartment was burned out – the rest of the building was spared. A quick read on Christmas Tree Safety can be found at Better Homes and Gardens.
- Think about the plants with which you like to decorate the house. Poinsettias and Mistletoe are classified as toxic or poisonous plants. Download the “Plants and Children – How to Choose Plants for Your Home” guide from the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center. Keep these plants well out of reach or substitute them with artificial plants that you can use year after year.
- Consider fire safety when decorating. Do not overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects, and do not block exit doors.
- Keep lit candles and matches out of reach. Decoration manufacturers offer battery-powered candles that are much safer.
- We love to spoil our kids with gifts. Make sure that the gifts you give are age-appropriate. If you have older children or teenagers, make sure they keep toys out of reach of their younger siblings. This applies to doors that might pinch, sharp-pointed or sharp-edged toys and projectiles and toy guns. The latter require adult supervision.
- We’ve recently received a lot of questions around toys with lead-based paint. How do you know if your toys’ paint contain lead? The first step is to review recalls.gov for the latest updates. The second step is to purchase toys that are guaranteed to be lead-free. One example is to purchase toys made in the U.S.A. HearthSong has an interesting collection of locally-made toys.
What other safety tips can you recommend for babies and toddlers during the holidays?