How to Safely Celebrate the Holidays

Accidents happen, and they’re especially prevalent around the holidays. Many of the items that bring us joy during the holiday season, from ornaments and holly to home cooked pies, can cause accidents if not handled with care. Younger children may want to help out before they’re ready, and older children may not be equipped with all the kitchen or decorating safety information they need. Here’s how you and your family can safely celebrate the holidays. 

Let Children Help at their Level

When your child is old enough to help with decorating, it can be fun to let them in on the holiday magic. Allow your child to decorate within their reach from ground level. Consider having your child handle the less breakable decorations. Keep the more breakable ornaments near the top of the tree. Your child can always build gingerbread houses, put together a Christmas village, or do other ground-level decorating. If your children still tend to eat things they shouldn’t, avoid snow sprays or plants like holly that are toxic if eaten.

Avoid Fire Hazards

Fires can start from anywhere in the house. Before you start decorating, check your smoke alarms. When setting up your lights, don’t overload electrical outlets. Make sure wires aren’t fraying or damaged. This is a common fire hazard. Turn off lights before you leave the house and when you go to bed. Keep candles away from Christmas trees. Supervise children around lit candles, and blow them out before going to bed. The best thing you can do to keep your family safe is to have an emergency plan in place in case of a fire.

Kitchen Safety

While fires can start in any room in the house, the most common cause is unattended cooking in the kitchen. To prevent kitchen fires, keep the oven door closed at all times, and make sure kitchen appliances and utensils are clean. Set timers to make sure you don’t forget about food and leave it to burn. Keep children away from the oven and stove when you’re cooking. If children want to help with the cooking, let them take on small, safe tasks like kneading dough, stirring and decorating. Practice food safety to prevent food poisoning, especially if working with meat Keep the kitchen clean; don’t let food sit out or cross contaminate other food. Before you sit down to eat, make sure everyone washes their hands.

Mindful Gifting

Choking hazards pose the other main holiday risk for children. Aside from lights, ornaments and other low-hanging decorations, removable parts from children’s toys can cause choking or digestive problems. When you’re looking at the toys on your child’s Christmas list, read the instructions and recommended age. Keep your child’s habits in mind before buying toys and games. Supervise younger children while they play to make sure they don’t accidentally try to eat small, removable items like batteries or game pieces.

The holidays are meant to be a joyful time, but chaos can break out in an instant if an accident occurs. With over 57 years of academic excellence, St. Teresa Catholic School, a Titusville Catholic school, provides a quality education that challenges and empowers students to develop to their full potential. Students foster qualities that are essential for lifelong learning and are equipped for future success. To learn more about why St. Teresa is the perfect fit for you and your student, contact us today.