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Keep Your Toddler Safe During The Holidays
By J Gardener
For families with small children, gearing up for Christmas is like running a
triathlon. There's list-making, shopping, party planning, wrapping, gift-hiding,
travel planning, tree-choosing, tree-trimming, cookie-baking, toy assembling…it
seems endless and impossible, until that blissful morning-December 26th, when
parents everywhere wake up for the first time since Thanksgiving, without
wondering what they've forgotten to do.
The most important thing parents must not forget throughout the entire season
is safety. Holidays may be full of joy, but they also have potential dangers all
their own.
The fire dangers posed by Christmas trees are well-known and heavily
publicized each year, and Christmas tree lights are much safer today than ever
before. But fire isn't the only hazard to guard against. Children are drawn to
the colors and the shapes of tree ornaments. Parents can and should teach their
children not to grab hanging decorations. Nevertheless, it's always a wise idea
to hang ornaments higher than children can reach them. A tug on an ornament can
pull a tree over. Many families with small children find it safer to buy a
smaller tree, then place it on a raised platform-like a table-where children
can't reach even the lowest ornaments.
Many families decorate indoor windows and doorways with lights, during the
holidays. This can leave power cords and power strips running every which way
through the house. Parents should be in the room, when small children are
present and lights are in use. When lights are off, cords and power strips
should be up off of the floor, away from childrens' reach.
Family gatherings are a traditional part of the holiday season. As diligent
as parents may be about their own homes, they have no control over the many
other houses they may visit through the holidays. Often, young children visit a
relative's house for the very first time-they're dazzled by decorations and
tempted by the desire to explore new places. Parents shouldn't be embarrassed to
ask ahead of time if their relative's house is "child-proof"-if fragile
knick-knacks are placed high on shelves, if electrical outlets are plugged shut,
if cupboard and cabinet doors have locks on them, etc.
Often, party hosts are happy to accommodate, by making their home safe for
their youngest relatives. But, if they're not, or they simply don't have the
time (who does?), then parents need to be aware of their young ones' location at
all times. It only takes a tiny tug to bring a priceless antique crashing to the
floor. Parents can plan ahead, and take turns watching their child, or ask an
older child-a teenaged niece or nephew, for instance-to help keep an eye on
their toddler.
Among the things to be avoided are real plants, such as mistletoe, holly, or
amaryllis. These colorful plants are magnets for small children, but contain
potential toxins, and should be kept out of childrens' reach. Adult beverages,
lit candles, even cigarette butts may all be left low enough for a child to
grasp at a family gathering.
This is a wonderful time of year for families, a time when parents everywhere
enjoy seeing all the holiday traditions as if for the first time, through their
childrens' eyes. Still, when December 26th rolls around, and the whole family
has survived, intact, every parent breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that there
are at least eleven months, before the triathlon is run, again. About the Author Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, focused on how families get by in this wonderful world of ours. To help create the perfect family holiday scene in your home, visit Santa's Depot. Santa's official online Christmas shop.
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