Young and old gather together with rich food, drink, music, and lots of laughter. Parents and children shop for gifts at favorite stores, crowded with shoppers. Parental attention is temporarily taken away from children, and seemingly “safe” environments can become dangers for our children. With a bit of planning, you can avoid that dreaded trip to the emergency room.
Here are some things to consider as you visit others and move about the city this holiday season:
- Homes without children, such as Grandma’s or Uncle Fred’s, may be unaware of their potential hazards to little ones. Dangling cords, unstable furniture, cleaning products under the sink; the list seems endless. An intentional conversation about safety before you visit can prevent many accidents.
- Ask family and friends to make their homes “kid-safe” during your visit. Tips on “child-proofing” for toddlers and preschoolers can be found at this link at grandparents.about.com.
- Ask family members to place precious breakable objects out of reach of your children. This year should not be remembered as the one that “Sam broke Grandma’s favorite snow globe.”
- Set the ground rules when you arrive at your family member’s house. “You may play in Grandma’s back yard, but stay inside the gate.” “The ball should be kicked outside only.”
- Rotate supervision duties among the adults in the group. This will give all adults time to enjoy the festivities and keep the group of children safe.