Most children are looking forward to celebrate holiday season. Kids love unwrapping gifts, eating sumptuous food and visiting friends/relatives. Thus, they wait patiently for Christmas every year.
Children’s laughter and giggles are priceless. They can easily brighten up their surrounding even with a simple smile. Every Christmas, it is a tradition to give presents especially to children – which obviously makes them happy. However, there is one vital thing that should not be neglected when holiday season comes. It is essential to take extra precautions to keep the little ones safe at home.
Oftentimes, there are routines we do every Christmas that might put the kids at risk. So, here are child safety tips at home during Christmas season.
- Check Christmas lights
- Unplug lights at Bedtime
- Keep out small decorations from reach of children
- Make fireplace friendlier
Kids are easily attracted to those sparkling lights; thus, they might be lured to touch them. That is why before installing the Christmas lights, it is highly advisable to examine them carefully. Check for frayed wires or broken wires as they can cause electrocution. If there are peeled wires, your children will be at high risk.
In case there is frayed wiring, cover it with electrical tape. Or, if the wiring is badly damaged, it is time to let go of that light and buy new one. You cannot risk your family’s safety for the sake of saving.
During holiday season, many homeowners install lots of lights in and outside the house:on the Christmas tree, on the porch, on the door frame, on plants and just about anywhere. This means there are many Christmas lights being plugged into the socket which could overload. An overloaded socket might cause fire that can endanger your whole family.
To avoid any untoward incident, it is very important to turn off all the lights before you go to sleep. A few hours of using the lights is enough. Never use them for long hours to avoid overheating. Be careful in unplugging them as the little ones might offer to help you and unplug the lights on their own. This is dangerous as your child might be electrocuted.
Christmas celebration is never complete without decorations. That is why homeowners use different kind of items to embellish their home. After the Christmas tree is set up, we usually cover it with dangling Christmas decor, ribbons and flowers.
As much as possible try to divide your decorations according to sizes. Put all the small Christmas decorations above the tree or somewhere your children cannot easily pick them. In other words, keep those tiny objects out of the reach of children. They might play with them and put inside their mouth. These small items might choke your kids.
Since the holiday season is often cold, a fireplace is the usual sanctuary to hang out. It is a common scenario to see the whole family gathered around the hearth drinking hot beverages. If you are using the traditional type of fireplace, there might be flying debris and flickers while the logs are burning. To avoid burning your carpet or hurting your family, it is wise to make your fireplace a bit friendlier.
Always clean up your hearth before using it again to get rid of waste from previous fires. Use proper tools whenever using the fireplace. And if you have extra budget, you may invest in a fireplace screen or gate. Children can run around the area and play all they want without the risk of burning their skin. A fireplace gate restricts the little ones from getting near the hearth. With a friendly fireplace, kids will have a merry and safe Christmas.
Celebrating Christmas does not have to be luxurious. Whether you are living in an apartment or in a residential community like Lincoln Military Housing, the most important thing to bear in mind is to keep every family member safe.