Holiday Safety Tips for Your Household

Don’t let the hustle and bustle of holiday madness result in a dangerous environment for your family; instead, keep these holiday safety tips in mind!

Holiday Safety Tips for Kids:

Vigilance is key when it comes to practicing proper holiday safety tips for any younger members of the family.

• Decorate with kids in mind. Place breakable ornaments and sharp hooks higher on your tree. Also keep other decorations with smaller parts out of their reach. Kids are curious!
• Electronic toys are great, but they often come with batteries that can be harmful to small children. Stay vigilant and consider removing the batteries when the toy is not being played with. Other toys or decorations may include magnets, which are equally harmful and should be removed.
• Decorating is a great holiday tradition, but certain holiday plants are poisonous to humans (and pets). Keep the following out of reach: mistletoe, holly berries, and Jerusalem cherries.
• Engage older children in cooking. Use the opportunity to teach all children kitchen rules and precautions.
• Remove wrapping paper and bow remnants promptly after gifts have been opened, as these can be a choking hazard to small children. Also avoid allowing balloons to deflate for this same reason.

Holiday Safety Tips for Pets:

Like kids, pets are curious and holiday safety tips are just as important for these four-legged family members.

• When pets are allowed to wander into the hectic comings and goings of family, it’s easy to lose track of them. Keep them safe by picking up anything close to the ground that might be harmful, like Poinsettias and the other poisonous plants mentioned above.
• Sweet treats are one of the greatest parts of Christmas, but they should never be given to pets and should be kept out of their reach. Chocolate is especially dangerous to dogs.

Holiday Safety Tips for the Whole Family:

Whether you are traveling or preparing your own home to be a gathering place for friends and family, remember these general holiday safety tips.

• Water your tree regularly to prevent dry needles from piling up on the floor and being consumed by young kids or pets. They are also a fire hazard.
• Keep open flames (candles, fireplace) under close watch and away from flammable objects (tree, garland, blankets, etc.). Always extinguish when leaving the house or going to bed. In addition, keep foreign objects such as wrapping paper or disposable dinnerware out of the fireplace.
• Check light strands for fraying, broken sockets, etc.
• If you are traveling, check the car prior to your journey. Do the tires have good tread depth? Are the car seats secure? Is the oil and windshield wiper fluid full?
• When traveling, passengers may get restless (especially younger ones). It’s beneficial to everyone to take occasional breaks to stretch their legs, get food and use the bathroom.
• Never hang electric lights on a metallic tree or fasten them to walls with metal tacks or nails.
• Create a list of emergency numbers for any emergency that might arise, no matter who is home. This is especially handy and a stress-reliever for parents leaving children in the hands of family from out of town or a baby sitter.

It’s never clearer than during the holidays that family comes first, and that’s why following these holiday safety tips are important! Keep these safety tips in mind and create a safer environment for everyone.

Don’t stop with these holiday safety tips. Follow through and have your house inspected for any less apparent safety issues prior to visits from your family. Inspect It 1st can check your house for serious health threats like Radon or aging house problems such as plumbing leaks or heating malfunctions.