20 Safety Tips for Christmas Decorating with Toddlers and Babies

Every parent looks forward to Christmas with their little ones. It is such an exciting time of year. Decorating the Christmas tree and the house takes on a whole new diminish when you have a toddler in the house. You must constantly be thinking about safety . Here is a guide to help you decorate with your toddlers curiosity in mind.

1) I place a fence around my Christmas tree every year. This is a child fence that you can purchase at any store like BabiesRUs. You can also often find them at Wal Mart or Target. This helps keep my toddlers back from the tree, packages, lights, and decorations. But remember, no fence is full proof when it comes to toddlers. They will always think up ingenious ways to climb over the fence or open it. So you will need to take other precautions just in case your toddler 'breaks into' your Christmas tree.

2) Use non breakable Christmas ornaments that are within your toddlers reach. This is far safer then glass ornaments which they will bite and eat. Yes, toddlers are notorious for eating glass ornaments and many emergency rooms across the nation see this every year.

3) Use LED lights that burn cool so your child does not get burnt if they should grab a Christmas light inadvertently.

4) Some parents use a small Christmas tree that they place on a table to keep the toddler back from the tree.

5) Be careful if you have a live tree. Do not place any chemical preservatives into the tree to keep it safe. These might be toxic if your little one swallows some of the water.

6) Do not use tinsel because it is a choking hazard and can create an intestinal blockage if a toddler should swallow some of it.

7) Do not use garland for the same reasons that you do not use tinsel. Toddlers eat odd things. Everything goes into a toddler and a babies mouth for tasting and testing. Garland can choke a child or create a blockage that will require immediate emergency surgery.

8) Never use angel hair which is spun glass around your child because it can prove poisonous.

9) Do not use mistletoe or holly and ivy in decorations because these are toxic. Poinsettias were long thought to be toxic but this is not true. However, you do not want your toddler eating one because it will make them sick so keep all plants that can prove toxic or upset your child's stomach out of reach or simply out of the house.

10) Use covers on all electrical outlets to protect little hands from getting electrocuted.

11) When it comes time to unwrap Christmas presents make sure your toddler or baby do not eat the wrapping paper. Many toddlers and babies like the taste of paper. This can be a choking hazard and upset their stomachs.

12) Keep all lit candles out of the reach of your toddler. Toddlers are fascinated by candles so never leave your toddler unsupervised in a room with a lit candle because they will device ways to climb up and see the candle closer which can prove very dangerous. They can get burnt not only by the flame but also the hot wax.

13) Do not let your toddler chew on your Evergreen tree. Many toddlers and babies will try to chew on evergreen tree's and this can upset their stomachs.

14) Do not paint your windows with the white snow flocking that you spray onto the windows for decoration. Many children will try to lick the windows and this can upset their stomach.

15) Keep all hard candies out of reach of babies and toddlers because these are a choking hazard. Many children have choked to death on hard holiday candies.

16) Keep all nuts like walnuts, cashews hazel nuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, and all other nuts out of children's reach. Do not set holiday nuts in bowls out on the table. Many toddlers and babies have choked to death throughout the years on holiday nuts.

17) Some parents elect not to even risk putting Christmas lights on the Christmas tree for fear that children will bite into the wires or suck the bulbs. This will ultimately be your choice. I strongly suggest never leaving a child alone near a Christmas tree that is plugged into the wall.

18) Make sure spare light bulbs for holiday lights are put up out of reach of a toddler or baby because these can present a very serious choking hazard.

19) Keep all small Christmas bells or ornaments that contain bells out of reach of toddlers or babies because these can also pose a serious choking threat.

20) Be careful leaving tape out for a toddler or baby to get ahold of because simple Scotch tape can pose a choking hazard. Children love to unroll it and place it in their mouths. They can easily choke on this tape. Be careful when your child is unwrapping presents to make sure they do not place any tape in their mouths.

These twenty tips will help keep your toddler or baby safe this holiday season.