Holidays are times spent with friends and family, a time of games, parties, cooking, eating, outdoor fun, and more! As exciting as many of the holiday activities are, they may also present distracting and stressful situations where safety is forgotten.
Each holiday presents unique hazards to a child, such as summer vacation, Christmas, and Halloween. To ensure you and your family experience fun and safe holidays, consider the unique environments you will be in including your travel plans and relatives’ homes, as well as the products you may encounter including new foods, toys, and decorations.
Halloween Tips
Halloween should be filled with fun and enjoyment for children. By following some simple practices, parents and children can keep events safer and more fun.
Fun Alternatives
Instead of handing out candy, consider using stickers, trading cards, pencils, erasers, or crayons.
Have a neighborhood halloween party for children with games like bobbing for apples and fun, scary videos.
Have a planned halloween route where friends and family provide activities for the children at each home.
Trick or Treating
Plan a route with your older children (at least nine years of age) so you know where they will be at all times. Set a time for their return home and make sure they know how to cross the road safely.
Go with younger children to provide supervision and guidance for a safe experience.
Pick a costume that has bright fabrics and place reflective tape on it as decoration so that drivers will be able to see your child.
The material of the costume should be labelled flame resistant. Avoid costumes with loose sleeves, pants, and skirts.
If your child is carrying a prop such as a scythe, sword, or knife, make sure it is made of soft, flexible material.
Your child’s costume and footwear should fit properly. The costume should not be longer than their ankles to prevent tripping.
It is better to use face paint or make-up instead of a mask so that your child can see clearly. If your child is wearing a wig, hat, or scarf, make sure it is secured tightly so it will not slip over the eyes.
Tips for Adults
When driving in residential areas, slow down and be alert for children. Enter and exit driveways and alleyways slowly and carefully.
Make sure your yard is safe; remove all obstacles in your yard that could be hazards such as tools, garden hoses, toys, and lawn ornaments.
Leave your porch light and exterior lights on to light the children’s way up to your house.
Keep jack o’lanterns that are lit with candles out of the reach of children and away from curtains and other flammable materials. Consider using a flashlight instead of a candle.
Christmas Tips
Please remember that some precautions will help prevent injuries. Here are some suggestions that can keep you, your family, and friends safe during the holiday season.
Christmas Tree
If using a real tree, choose one that is not brittle.
Keep the tree well-watered at all times.
Use a sturdy, broad-based stand and place the tree away from floor heaters, fireplaces, or other heat sources.
Never decorate any tree with candles.
Use Canadian Standard Association (CSA) certified electric lights.
If using an artificial tree, choose one that is flame resistant.
Artificial metallic trees conduct electricity. Do not put electric lights on a metallic tree.
Do not overload electrical outlets; check all the cords, sockets, and plugs for wear.
Fire Safety
Use only outdoor approved lights outside your home.
Examine your light strings each year and discard any that are frayed or have exposed electrical wires.
Turn off your indoor Christmas lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
Check batteries in smoke detectors.
Keep an all-purpose, dry chemical fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it.
Plan fire escape routes; make sure your family knows them.
Use plastic hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks, to put up lights.
Decorations
Put small tree ornaments and tinsel near the top of your Christmas tree to keep them out of reach of toddlers.
Angel hair is made out of fiberglass, which can irritate skin and eyes. Do not use where children will be present.
Be careful with plants, such as the traditional poinsettia which is poisonous. It tastes bitter and causes a burning sensation. Most children spit it out, but caution is necessary.
Entertaining
Always remember that your guests are your responsibility.
Have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand for pregnant and abstaining guests.
Offer rides, take keys, and call cabs; you will sleep better and so will your friends.
Always clean up immediately after a holiday party in your home. Children may get up early and could choke on leftover food or consume alcohol or tobacco that was left out.
Keep holiday candy, nuts, and other choking hazards out of the reach of toddlers.
Brief babysitters on the safety rules of your home.
Gifts
Buy age appropriate toys for children. Small parts may cause choking. Ensure all parts such as wheels and eyes are well-secured.
Throw away all packing materials such as plastic bags and Styrofoam pellets as soon as possible. Children can suffocate while playing with them.
Children will be interested in everyone’s gifts. Quickly put away adult gifts that could be hazardous - perfumes, alcohol, appliances, or power tools.
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