Holiday season is here, and with it, lots of potential changes in your family’s routine. Decorating, cooking and entertaining family and friends are an exciting part of the year, but keep in mind these things may also pose safety risks for children in your home.
It’s easy to let your guard down when your schedule is full. Following the tips below can help make your holiday celebrations safer for everyone.
When Hosting Holiday Guests
- Keep guests’ belongings out of reach. Visitors may carry potentially toxic items like medication, cigarettes or cigars, perfume or aftershave. Find a secure place for guests to stash their purses and suitcases so children can’t access them.
- Always supervise your child. Supervision is important for safety during holiday gatherings. Even with many adults in a house, a child could drink a glass filled with an alcoholic beverage or place a small object, such as an ornament, in their mouth.
- Keep an eye on drinks. Hot coffee and tea, along with alcoholic drinks, should not be accessible to little ones. Don’t leave out food or half-filled glasses to clean up the next day when there are children around.
When Cooking
- Keep hazardous items out of reach. Small finger foods, such as nuts or candies, can pose a choking risk, so store them out of reach if you’re serving them at a gathering. Also, when you’re baking, be aware that ingredients like vanilla or almond extract contain high levels of alcohol and may be harmful to children if swallowed.
- Practice stove and oven safety. When you’re cooking, try to use the back burners to prevent kids from touching hot surfaces that could burn them. Turn pot and pan handles away from the front of the stove, and always keep your oven door closed. Use a baby gate to keep toddlers and small children away from the kitchen if needed.
- Store leftovers properly. It’s important to store your leftovers in shallow containers so they cool faster in the refrigerator. To ensure food safety, always let your cooked or baked items cool down fully before you put them in the fridge. Label any leftovers or baked goods with dates so you and your family don’t eat spoiled food.
- Clean up thoroughly. When preparing meals, clean your hands with warm, soapy water 20 seconds before and after food handling. Also, wash surfaces in contact with food in hot, soapy water after preparation.
- Be allergy-friendly. If any children in your home have food allergies, check food you or someone else brings into your home for off-limits ingredients. If anything in your home contains potential ingredients, store them where your children can’t access them.
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When Decorating
- Be aware of ornaments and wrappings. Antique or foreign-made ornaments may be decorated with lead-based paint, which can be harmful to health. Most wrapping paper and ribbons are nontoxic, but foil, colored gift wrap, icicles and tinsel also may contain lead or tin.
- Watch holiday plants. Dangerous holiday plants include: azalea, bittersweet, Christmas rose, crown of thorns, Jerusalem or jimson weed, holly and mistletoe berries. For additional poisonous plant information, visit wisconsinpoison.org.
- Use flameless candles. If you have children, use flameless LED candles instead of real ones to prevent fires. When you light candles, keep them on a surface your child can’t reach and at least a foot away from anything flammable.
- Keep tree preservatives out of reach. Although commercial Christmas tree preservatives usually contain a concentrated sugar solution and are considered nontoxic, some solutions contain aspirin or bleach and can be potentially harmful if swallowed.
- Stay away from decorative artificial snow. Some snow sprays can cause lung irritation.
- Steer clear of choking hazards. Keep any ribbons, bows, or garlands stored out of children’s reach to avoid the risk of strangulation or choking.
When Gift Giving
- Don’t give toys with choking hazards. For young children, avoid gifts that have small parts, magnets or button batteries, often found in remote control toys. If your child does receive an item with these components, practice close supervision.
- Encourage safety with bikes and scooters. Head injuries can be serious. If your child receives a bike, scooter, skates or a skateboard for the holidays, always encourage them to wear a properly fitted helmet.
- Keep adult gifts out of reach. Adult gifts, including perfume or alcohol, can be toxic to children if ingested, so keep them out of reach.
For any poison question, call Wisconsin Poison Center toll-free at 1-800-222-1222.
