Holiday Hazards

Keep Your Little One Safe This Season

By Crystal Patriarche

As if we parents don't have to be on our toes enough, watching our little ones like hawks in case they discover something on the floor and immediately launch it toward their mouths, then along comes the holiday season when it seems we need superhuman strength to juggle the holiday festivities and keep our little ones safe.

With all the twinkling lights, sparking decorations, flickering candles and magic around the holidays it's no wonder little ones get into mischief! But there are things we parents can do to prevent little mishaps and serious accidents that occur during the holidays without needing superhuman eyes in the back of our heads.

One of my daughter's favorite things to do at Christmastime is to look at all the pretty lights, but lights and other electrical decorations can be a serious hazard for young children.

Ana Montano, mother of 2-year-old Sofia, was in the kitchen when her daughter pulled a few bulbs off the Christmas tree lights and brought them into the kitchen. "She dropped them on the tile floor, and they broke into so many small pieces," says Montano. "Luckily, she was not cut, but I had to get her out of the way because she had bare feet, and then I spent a lot of time cleaning up every last piece of glass."

Nowadays there are many brands and styles of lights that come with bulbs that are not made of glass.

Children should be kept away from light sets and all electrical decorations, as they also present the problem of shock and even death for curious kids.

According to Doug Mummert, a captain and 23-year veteran of the Phoenix Fire Department, parents should inspect all electrical lights and decorations, especially those that are pulled from boxes from the previous years. "Every year people get their decorations out and prepare to decorate the tree and their house, but they need [to be] inspected first," says Mummert. "If an electrical wire gets nicked or cut, say from a nail when it was hung up the previous year, that exposed wire can be deadly."

Want to see more?

• Holiday Headquarters
• Holiday Safety Tips
• When Relatives Come Bearing Gifts ... and Gifts ... and Gifts
• Talk about it!