Holiday Season Concerns and Safety Tips for Toddlers
The holidays are a wonderful time of year. You get to pull out all the decorations that have been in storage, the house smells like cookies, and the lights are beautiful. But unless you are cautious, a toddler in the house can result in the smell of burning, broken glass everywhere and a trip to the emergency room. Here, you will find a few concerns, along with some safety tips to alleviate them and ensure that your family has more good memories than bad.
Candles top the list of things to watch for when you have a toddler. Especially if you only really get them down this time of year, your child is unlikely to understand that the pretty light will burn his fingers. Hot wax dripping down fingers or heads, burns on hands or noses and a screaming child do not make for a peaceful holiday.
To avoid this, place your candles on a large, flat surface above the child’s reach. While they may look pretty on your mantelpiece, check the stability first by walking heavily through the room. If there is an adjoining room that shares a wall, check that one as well. If you can knock the candles down when you are doing this, it is not a safe place to have them once they are lit. A child running can make similar vibrations. The center of a table is a good place to put jar candles, while smaller votives may need to be kept unlit unless your child is asleep or much occupied. As always, do not leave a burning candle unattended in a room with a toddler, and never leave your house without checking twice to make sure all flames are doused.
The tree is a beautiful thing, and the living room looks admittedly less shabby once it is up than at any other time of year. But those blown-glass ball ornaments and the sparkling lights can pose a serious hazard to a small child. Little fingers grabbing at them will break the ornaments, sending slivers of colored glass down into their tiny hands. Grabbing at the pretty glass lights can result in some fairly serious burns if they have been lit more than a few minutes. Luckily, there are some simple ways to avoid these issues.
Change out glass for plastic. While the lights may not shine quite the same way, neither will heat-proof, child-friendly plastic light covers burn small hands. They also aren’t as thin, so they are less likely to become a fire hazard later in the evening. Plastic or cloth ornaments may not have the same delicate fairy shimmer as glass, but they are easy to replace and unlikely to harm a toddler who grabs one and puts it into his mouth to find out about it. Another benefit to plastic and cloth decorations is the added joy of allowing your child to add their own special touch to your home in this happy season. While you may not want to give them tinsel just yet, plastic teardrop shapes in cheerful holiday colors can add a touch of the season to places you might not have even considered.
If you really can’t stand to have your more special ornaments put away, put them towards the top of the tree. That way your little person is less likely to get hold of them, preserving both your memories and your child. Consider putting up an adults-only tree in your bedroom or another part of the house that you can close off. This is also a good choice if you have taper candles or very thin votive holders. Removing the possibly hazardous things and the child from the same vicinity is the most efficient way to preserve both.
Allergies aren’t brought up very often this time of year, but they are still something you should be aware of. Check your child’s reaction to coming into contact with the specific type of tree you are planning to buy. If possible, have your child in physical contact with the tree several times before you decide to purchase it. Watch for changes in breathing or hives for about an hour after your toddler has touched the tree and breathed in the pollen. Suddenly needing anepinephrineshot and not having any on hand is something that would terrify any parent. If your child has a reaction, stay away from that tree type. Repeat your tests and purchase a tree that your child can have safely in the house. Allergic reactions can include severe hives, respiratory problems, and even result in hospitalization.
Depending on the child, you might also consider the types of decorations you are using on your presents. Small bows present a choking hazard if your toddler is still in the experimental mouth-stage of development. Consider ribbons in the same light that you consider the cords on your mini-blinds, and avoid them if there is any chance your toddler may get one around his neck or another important body part. These can cause circulatory problems if wrapped tightly around a body part, and nobody wants to look up and see their child with a purple hand.
When baking or cooking for a holiday event, a toddler is often the last thing on your mind. However, you and the events in the kitchen are always the first thing on theirs! Be completely certain that you will be able to supervise your child if you are making preparations for a major event. Hot stoves, lit burners and crock pots full of cider all present the same risks to your child as they do the rest of the year. Be conscientious about putting sharp knives out of reach, even if you are only running to the bathroom. And have an activity in mind for the time you need them to be still so your baking doesn’t fall in the middle. A bored child in a holiday environment is akin to begging for a disaster.
Follow the simple suggestions above; even if it means altering the way you have always done things, it is better to be home than in the emergency room. As your children grow, you can relax back into your original holiday decorative style, but you never know. The tacky plastic ornaments may end up being the ones that hold your most precious, poignant memories. May you and your family have a cheerful, bright, and above all, safe holiday season.
