Holiday Safety Tips for Children and Parents from the Institute for Childhood Preparedness
Updated: Dec 31, 2019
The holidays are a wonderful time of the year filled with cheer, presents, and fun. But holiday celebrations also lead to distraction and can be dangerous for young children. Parents should take time to check their surroundings for potentially dangerous items, and teach children the importance of holiday safety.
Keep children happy and injury-free this holiday season by following these safety tips:
Safe Decorating
Before children start to hang decorations, parents should inspect decor for sharp and frayed edges, hanging wires, loose strings, and easy-to-open battery packs. The Honest Company says, “Loose strands of lights, ribbons, and cords longer than 7” present a strangulation risk, while broken ornament shards can cut bare feet.”
Make sure all trimmings, tinsel, and artificial icicles are lead-free. Keep these items up high and out of reach of small children.
Eliminate decorations that are tiny or that have small parts, as they can cause choking in young children.
Choose LED or flameless candles to avoid house fires.
Plants such as mistletoe and holly berries are poisonous. Keep them away and out of the reach of young children.
Be aware of singing holiday cards that contain button batteries. These batteries can cause damage to the esophagus if ingested by young children.