This Holidays

Writen by J Gardener

For families with small children, gearing up for Christmas is like running a triathlon. There's list-making, shopping, party planning, wrapping, gift-hiding, travel planning, tree-choosing, tree-trimming, cookie-baking, toy assembling…it seems endless and impossible, until that blissful morning-December 26th, when parents everywhere wake up for the first time since Thanksgiving, without wondering what they've forgotten to do.

The most important thing parents must not forget throughout the entire season is safety. Holidays may be full of joy, but they also have potential dangers all their own.

The fire dangers posed by Christmas trees are well-known and heavily publicized each year, and Christmas tree lights are much safer today than ever before. But fire isn't the only hazard to guard against. Children are drawn to the colors and the shapes of tree ornaments. Parents can and should teach their children not to grab hanging decorations. Nevertheless, it's always a wise idea to hang ornaments higher than children can reach them. A tug on an ornament can pull a tree over. Many families with small children find it safer to buy a smaller tree, then place it on a raised platform-like a table-where children can't reach even the lowest ornaments.

Many families decorate indoor windows and doorways with lights, during the holidays. This can leave power cords and power strips running every which way through the house. Parents should be in the room, when small children are present and lights are in use. When lights are off, cords and power strips should be up off of the floor, away from childrens' reach.

Family gatherings are a traditional part of the holiday season. As diligent as parents may be about their own homes, they have no control over the many other houses they may visit through the holidays. Often, young children visit a relative's house for the very first time-they're dazzled by decorations and tempted by the desire to explore new places. Parents shouldn't be embarrassed to ask ahead of time if their relative's house is "child-proof"-if fragile knick-knacks are placed high on shelves, if electrical outlets are plugged shut, if cupboard and cabinet doors have locks on them, etc.

Often, party hosts are happy to accommodate, by making their home safe for their youngest relatives. But, if they're not, or they simply don't have the time (who does?), then parents need to be aware of their young ones' location at all times. It only takes a tiny tug to bring a priceless antique crashing to the floor. Parents can plan ahead, and take turns watching their child, or ask an older child-a teenaged niece or nephew, for instance-to help keep an eye on their toddler.

Among the things to be avoided are real plants, such as mistletoe, holly, or amaryllis. These colorful plants are magnets for small children, but contain potential toxins, and should be kept out of childrens' reach. Adult beverages, lit candles, even cigarette butts may all be left low enough for a child to grasp at a family gathering.

This is a wonderful time of year for families, a time when parents everywhere enjoy seeing all the holiday traditions as if for the first time, through their childrens' eyes. Still, when December 26th rolls around, and the whole family has survived, intact, every parent breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that there are at least eleven months, before the triathlon is run, again.