Enjoyed by families across the country, the holiday season also comes with some safety challenges, especially when you have kids or pets. The festive decorations, especially the twinkling lights and delicate ornaments, can become safety issues if not implemented carefully. Some planning can help with making the decorating process fun and safe for the entire family. For families with especially busy schedules, hiring Christmas lights installation services makes it possible to avoid the high-voltage work and ladder work while still getting to enjoy dazzling holiday displays.
This holiday season, we will help you to implement some practical techniques to childproof your home while also safely decorating for the holidays.
To build your festive atmosphere safely, you will first need to assess your home for any possible risks that could exist with your specific decorations and arrangements.
1. Set Aside Some Child-Safe Decorating Spaces
Enclose some of your decorating to areas that children can safely enjoy. Set up areas where children can safely observe the decorations, but can not access any of the more delicate or electrical items. For example, when placing your Christmas tree, consider putting it in a corner that is light traffic and securing it with a sturdy stand.
2. Keep Electrical Outlets Covered
Kids, pets, and holiday decorations can be a dangerous mix, especially when it comes to holiday lights. Be sure to cover outlets with safety plugs to prevent kids and pets from shocks and other hazards. High voltage/outdoor lights are best left to the pros through Christmas lights installation services.
3. Manage Cords And Wires
The combination of what holiday lights and decorations can do visually vs. what they can also do regarding safety can be a big gap; falling, tripping, loose wires and the like. Be sure to run cords or along walls, and use cable clips to keep them in place. Looping cords is a big no-no especially with kids and pets.
Ornaments are a central part of holiday decorating, but they can pose unique safety risks.
1. Prefer Shatter-Resistant Ornaments
Glass ornaments are visually stunning, but ultimately not safe. They are fragile and can shatter into sharp, dangerous fragments, so be sure to choose shatterproof ornaments made from plastic, fabric, or other safe materials for lower tree branches.
2. Avoid Small or Loose Pieces
Small, loose, and easily digestible decorations are the worst and should be avoided. This includes tinsel, beads, figurines, and the like. Be especially safe as tinsel can cause feline intestinal blockage.
3. Adorn the Tree Wisely
Soft ornaments can be safely placed on the lower branches of the tree if there are small kids or pets in the home. Set the delicate ornaments higher on the tree. You can also place large ornaments lower on the tree as they tend to be more durable.
Hanging decorations like garlands and ribbons can be charming but can also create safety issues if not secured properly.
1. Anchor Garland and Swags
Adhesive strips, hooks, and wire can help secure garlands to mantles, staircase railings, and doorways. There can be safety concerns when kids and pets are nearby and it’s best to secure decorations instead of having them dangle freely.
2. Stabilize the Christmas Tree
A tree serves as the focal decoration for the holidays. It can also be unstable and easily toppled if bumped. Use a heavy tree stand. You can also decide to tie the tree to the wall with some hooks and an invisible cord for added stability. If your tree is real, keep it watered so the branches stay fresh and won’t break easily.
3. Monitor Ribbon and String
For safety reasons, keep ribbons, cords, and strings out of reach. If you have cats, in particular, be aware of dangling strings as they can try to chew them or even climb on them and it can lead to strangulation hazards or things they might swallow.
Ornamental floor items may pose as tripping dangers if placed carelessly.
Clear Pathways
Make sure the areas surrounding the tree and popular regions in the home do not have any obstructions. Try not to put footstools and baskets as well as gifts in busy areas.
Non-Slip Tree Mats
Tree skirts and skirt mats traditionally are charming but can slide. Non-slip tree skirt mats can be purchased, and if that is not an option, securing the tree skirt may help with prevention.
Stabilize Large Figures
Freestanding pieces of holiday decorations like giant toy soldiers or nutcrackers should be fastened to the floor to help avoid them falling over and possibly harming an individual. They can be bolted down to the floor with light-duty screws.
Holidays have their own unique risks for furry family members.
Plants Should Not Have Access
Holidays have their special plants, like mistletoe and holly. These can be poisonous if consumed. Make sure to put any of these plants in pet free rooms or on high shelvings.
Edible Ornaments
Ornamental decorations that are edible could be a danger if pets can access them. Avoid using edible ornaments like candy canes for decorating. Consider decorating with fake sweets.
Supervise Tree Interaction
When pets are attracted to the Christmas tree and are attempted to be climbed by the cat or Tree decor is being attempted to be chewed by the dog, redirect their attention to other activities by providing them with safer toys or other play zones.
Decorating the exterior of the house for Christmas comes with its own set of challenges, especially concerning electricity and decorating at heights. For families with young kiddos or pets, professional Christmas lights installation services are the best. They take the fall risk off of your hands and take the safety of the electrical installation. If you'd rather do it yourself, please keep the following in mind.
- Use extension cords and lights that are rated for outdoor use.
- Be sure to keep cords away from sidewalks and driveways.
- Be careful to not overload circuits, as this can cause sparks or even fires.
- Use clips, it is better to not hang lights with nails or tacks.
When decorating for Christmas this can be a fun task to do with the kids, but it is good to set limits.
- Explain to them the difference in the decor that is safe to touch as opposed to the decor that is not safe.
- Explain to them the importance of being gentle with the ornaments.
- Use decorations that are safe for kids to help out in the decorating, like paper chains or soft plush ornaments.
Everyone looks forward to putting up holiday decorations, but it shouldn’t be an overwhelming chore. Choosing decorations made of shatter-proof materials, securely fastening trees and garlands, and keeping electric cords and plugs supervised can help parents make the home safe for little kids and pets. In addition to the above, parents can reduce the chance of accidents by keeping walkways and decorations clear, using slip-resistant mats, and controlling when decorations can be used. As for outdoor holiday decorations, many light installation services can put up professionally arranged strings of Christmas lights while avoiding high voltage, heavy ladders, and holiday decorating overwhelming everyone. With a few simple preparations and some care to choose decorations safely, the family can enjoy the full economic and festive benefits of celebrating the holidays at home.
