Christmas Safety for Parents

Christmas with babies and toddlers can be so exciting. They gaze with wonder at the lights on the tree. The excitement of seeing all of the gifts for the first time will be something that you want to capture on film. This is a special time in parents' lives that will never be forgotten. Making ornaments with little handprints, sending out that family portrait with your Christmas cards, and watching your baby learn to love all of those holiday dishes that you grew up with can be so meaningful and exciting. Make sure your holiday is everything that you hope it will be by taking care of some safety issues around the house that come with the season.

First, is your Christmas tree. Babies that can crawl or walk will definitely be interested in the tree that suddenly showed up in the house. They will want to play with it, feel it, touch it, taste it, or possibly just shred it. Take some time to show your baby a part of the tree. Let them smell it if it's a real tree, touch it, and figure it out. Explain that you do not want them to do more than that to the tree because it could fall over.

If possible, put the tree up on a table. This is especially helpful if your baby is crawling. Babies will try to pull up on branches and can pull a tree over. Use a wide-based, really sturdy stand that will not easily tip over. Choose a tree that has a wide enough trunk to be held securely by the base. Be aware that real trees will shed needles, so if your baby is too young to understand not putting them into their mouths, then you will be much better off with an artificial tree this year.

Putting a baby gate around the tree is a really good idea, but don't rely on it totally. Make sure that your baby is supervised at all times when they have access to the tree. Ornaments can break and cause terrible cuts. The paints used on many ornaments can be lead based, so never let your baby chew on an ornament, even it isn't breakable. Garland and strings of lights can be strangulation hazards, so make sure that they are high enough in the tree that your baby can't get to them.

Electrical hazards are the most dangerous. Babies want to play with all the new wires or pull little light bulbs out of the sockets on the tree. Make sure that all of your outlets, plugs and wires are covered, bound and childproof this season.

Other things that you may not have thought of include wrapping paper and ribbons. Put presents in a special place up high instead of under the tree until you're ready to open them. Another hazard is candles. People often burn candles at Christmas and forget that the baby might be able to reach them. Visitors will bring coats that may have toggles, buttons and strings that can be serious choking hazards. Make sure that your guests have a special place to hang their coats. Provide children's hangers or baby hangers so that parents and children can see that you expect all of their coats to be hung. You could even make a sign that says to hang your coats unless you want them eaten by your baby, adding some humor to your request while making your point clear.