The holidays can be a joyful but chaotic time, and all the preparations, festivities and travel can lead to safety oversights in your home and while traveling. Whether you’re cooking for guests, lighting candles, or stringing holiday lights, enjoy more peace of mind by reviewing these important safety tips.
On the Road and Traveling
Distracted Drivers and Pedestrians
- Keep an eye out for distracted pedestrians and drivers who may not be paying attention to you, especially when backing out of parking spaces. Shopping center parking lots are busier during the holidays.
- Remind younger drivers to be extra alert during this holiday season, when conditions are more challenging even for experienced drivers.
- Make sure you are not distracted while driving. Commit to keeping your phone down. No text message or phone call is worth the risk.
Child Passenger Safety
- Buckle up every ride, every time, whether it’s the long trip to visit family or around the block to the mall.
- Make sure every rider in the vehicle has their own seat belt or car seat, even for short rides and when traveling with a large group.
- Check your car seat before holiday travel. Seventy-three percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so check it before you hit the road. If you are having even the slightest trouble, questions or concerns, certified child passenger safety technicians can help or even double check your work.
- Remember that safety in the car goes beyond your little ones. Kids who have outgrown a forward-facing harness seat are not ready for a seat belt or front seat yet. They are safest in a booster seat that enables the adult seat belt to fit properly. Even when children have graduated from booster seats, they should remain in the back seat until they reach the age of thirteen.
Travel Preparedness
- Have an exit strategy for your road trip. Plan ahead and be ready to deviate from planned route when you hear the all too familiar phrases of “I am hungry” or “I need to go to the bathroom”. When it happens, try not to worry about making good time. Instead, get off at the next exit and find a safe area.
- Prepare for weather emergencies if you live in a cold-weather state. Pack extra blankets, food, and water, in the event that your car is stuck in the snow or disabled. Keep your cell phone charged, make sure someone knows your route, and if you become stranded clear the exhaust of packed snow.
- Keep hot foods, large gifts and anything that can become a projectile in the trunk. You never know when you might have to stop abruptly.
- Designate a driver or use a car service to make sure you get home safely when you are headed to a party and plan to drink alcohol.
In the Home
Holiday Gatherings
- Whether you are hosting family and friends or attending a holiday gathering remember to wash your hands before and after eating and continue to wash throughout to prevent the spread of pathogens and infections.
- The CDC provides additional information to consider when celebrating the holidays.
Holiday Decorations
- Hang breakable ornaments at top of the tree. This leaves room for kids to decorate the bottom with non-breakable items.
- Keep harmful plants out of reach. Some popular holiday plants are poisonous to children and pets, including mistletoe and holly berries. In a poison emergency, call the national Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
- Turn off decorative lights before leaving home or going to sleep. Regularly check lights for exposed or frayed wires and loose connections.
Fire Prevention
- Water natural trees regularly. When needles are dry, they can catch fire easily. Here are some additional Christmas Tree Safety Tips.
- Keep candles and matches out of reach. Lit candles should be at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn, and don’t forget to blow them out when you leave the room or before you go to sleep. Store matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
- Check smoke alarms. Make sure there is a working smoke alarm on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and near sleeping areas. Review your fire escape plan with family members and guests.
- Space heaters should be at least 3 feet away from people, pets, or any flammable material. Place space heaters on solid and flat surfaces plugging them directly into a wall outlet. Ensure space heaters have an automatic shut off and that it is turned on. Make sure there is adequate room to maneuver around space heaters never blocking exits. Always turn off space heaters when unattended.
Holiday Gift Giving
- Read instructions and warning labels when choosing toys for children. Make sure the toy, game, or gift is appropriate for your child’s age and development.
- Separate toys by age. Toys intended for older children may contain small pieces, including small button batteries that can pose a choking risk to curious, younger children.
- Stay up to date on toy recalls. Search for recalls on the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Holiday Cooking
- Create a kid-free zone. Teach younger children to stay at least 3 feet away from your cooking space. Place babies in a highchair outside of the kid-free zone where you can see them.
- Keep hot foods and liquids out of children’s reach. Cook on the back burners of the stove and keep hot foods away from the edge of your counters to avoid potential kitchen burns and injuries.
- Teach older children how to cook safely. Teach them never to leave the kitchen while they’re cooking and always use oven mitts or potholders to carry hot pots and pans.