Safe Christmas Decorating for Toddlers

The holidays are supposed to be a fun, heartwarming time for children and families, and decorating the house is one of those things that add to the feeling. But if you have a crawling baby or toddler running around, a happy time can be shattered by holiday household dangers that little ones can get into. Fortunately, there are many ways you can childproof holiday decor and minimize the risk of illness and injury to your child, in ways listed below.

It's suggested to invest in an artificial tree if you have young children around. It doesn't just have the perk of saving money or time of buying one or cutting one down, but it will prevent the falling needles that a baby or toddler is likely to pick up and choke on. It also minimizes the risk of a potential fire hazard that a real tree carries when it's too dry.

If you opt for a real tree anyway, though, of course there are still precautions you can take to prevent accidents. Make sure when you choose a tree, it's a fresh one - it will be deep green and color, the needles will be easily flexible when you bend them, the branches should not break easily, and when bounced on the ground or shaken, very few if any needles should fall. Choosing a healthy tree should help greatly reduce such accidents as choking on the needles, breaking branches or it catching on fire. As long as you keep it watered every day, it can stay healthy throughout the duration of the holidays. It is probably a good idea to look into getting it treated with a flame retardant, though, just to be safe.

After your tree is set up, whether it is a real or an artificial one, make sure it is securely in place. If a baby or toddler has access to it and it is not set in place, they can easily pull it over on top of them. For extra safety, you may also want to put a child safety gate around the tree when your child is out and about. This is also great for keeping them away from the hazard of ornaments they may be within their reach.

If you don't use a child safety gate to block off the tree from children, then make sure that breakable decorations or even unbreakable decorations with hooks, as well as strings of lights, are out of a toddler's reach. Such things will attract your child, so it's best to put the hazardous things out of their reach towards the top of the tree, and the safer, non-hook ornaments more towards the bottom. You should still always watch a young child around the tree, however, as even ornaments that seem safer may pose a choking hazard. Never put small ornaments that the child can fit in his or her mouth at the bottom.

When decorating the tree, you should also try to avoid using edible decorations, such as strings of popcorn or cheerios. It will be hard to make a baby or toddler understand the difference between edible ornaments and other ornaments that cannot be eaten. Generally, a very young child isn't old enough to distinguish between the two. Also, you should stay away from such decorations as tinsel and artificial snow; both of these are known to be major choking hazards, or may cause intestinal damage.

It's great to have your toddler participate in the decorating, but make sure you don't give them any glass or other breakable ornaments, or anything they can fit in their mouth. Glass bulbs shatter very easily, and anything that is small enough to fit in a child's mouth, is small enough to swallow. You should also never give them an ornament with a hook on it, as it can also be very dangerous.

While you're decorating, be sure to keep the potentially dangerous items listed about out of your child's reach. When you're finished, scan the area to make sure nothing hazardous is left behind. It may be hard to spot such an object like a hook in the carpet, but it may be something your child will find easily, so it's best to vacuum the area when you're done.

Candles are a great adornment to holiday decorating, but they can also be a great hazard when in the reach of children. Always make sure they are placed where your child can't get to them, and don't leave them lit for long periods of time or when not in the same room.

When hanging stockings, also make sure they are hung out of reach. When hung on the wall, a baby or toddler who has access to grab it and pull it down may also pull out the nail or tack holding it in place, which will be a danger in itself. If you generally hang stockings on a mantle over the fireplace, a child can pull the heavy stocking hook onto themselves.

Another potential danger during the holidays are the beautiful Christmas plants that many people like to fill their homes with. Mistletoe, poinsettia and holly are all poisonous, but mistletoe and holly berries are the worst. Several berries can even be fatal to a small child. If you have such plants, make sure they are placed where your child can't get to them, and where no parts of the plant will fall off onto the floor. It's even best if you keep the berries of mistletoe and holly out of your house completely.

Finally, unplug holiday lights and other holiday electronics when you're not around. Cover the sockets with a protector in their places when not in use.

Following even some of the above safety tips should give you a greater peace of mind in keeping your home safe for your children through the holidays.