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Christmas Tree Safety: Child or Baby Proof Your Tree

When thinking of decorating for Christmas, most people think first of the Christmas tree. Twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel, shiny bulbs, and a new addition to the home, the Christmas tree is almost irresistible to a child. And while festive, a Christmas tree and/or its decorations can also seriously harm that same child. Ornaments can be broken and contain sharp hooks. Trees can be pulled over on top of children. Pine needles can be eaten–the list of possibly injuries is impressive, but luckily all of these child hazards can be prevented. This guide on how to child or baby proof a Christmas tree will provide simple, step-by-step instructions to Christmas tree safety for any age child to help ensure the entire family has a happy injury-free holiday.

When it comes to Christmas tree safety not all hazards apply to all children. The first step to child proofing your tree is an easy one; identify the risks that apply to your child’s age.

Here is a general break down of common injuries applying to different age groups:

Infants that cannot crawl: (generally 6 months and younger) Before mobility is achieved a Christmas tree holds little risk to a child. If they can’t get to the tree, they can’t be harmed by it. All you need to do is follow general Christmas tree safety tips to avoid electrical fires, etc. An average of 160 fires a year are caused by Christmas tree mishaps, don’t let your home be one of them.

Infants that can crawl, but have limited reach: (Usually 6 months to a year) Pulling on lower branches, removing decorations from lower branches, becoming tangled in cords, eating pine needles.

Toddlers: (From about a year to three years) Over all tree havoc, de-decoration of entire tree, broken ornaments, ornament hook injuries, knocking the tree over, attempting to eat smaller decorations, etc.

Pre-school: (Four years and up) By the time a child hits pre-school, the dangerous of Christmas trees reduce dramatically. There is little risk involved.

Christmas tree safety for crawling babies:

One of the main steps to Christmas tree safety for a child that can only crawl is to either buy a very fresh tree or go for an artificial Christmas tree. Trees that become dry not only pose a greater fire risk, but they shed far more needles. Crawling children are at floor level, so shed Christmas tree needles are especially appealing. An artificial tree eliminates this problem altogether. A fresh tree, properly cared for will also shed less needles.

The second step to Christmas tree safety for crawlers is to secure the tree. Curious children often reach up and grab a hold of branches pulling Christmas trees to the ground and on top of themselves. There are a few methods of preventing this.

-You can mount or secure the tree. In this method, you screw or fasten the Christmas tree to the floor or what ever the tree is placed on securely. You should be able to tug on the tree without it falling.

-You can place the tree on a raised surface. This often requires a smaller Christmas tree be used, but for crawling children with limited reach placing the tree on a coffee table or other raised surface is often effective.

-You can gate off the tree. While not particularly attractive you can use a baby gate to build a box around your tree preventing a crawling child from being able to reach it. Another option in this same category is to place the tree in a room with a door that can be closed or gated.

The last step to creating a baby-proof tree for crawling children is to be wary of low decorations. Place any breakable ornaments up high and well out of the reach of the child, and be sure they are securely attached. You can use plastic bulbs with ribbons ties if you wish to have an even distribution of ornaments. When hanging lights keep them deeper into the tree’s branches, close to the trunk, and tightly wrapped so that your child can’t pull the strings from the tree. Where the cord for the lights comes from the tree to the electrical outlet should be properly secured. You can tape the cords down and then cover them with a tree skirt. Any unused outlet plugs should be covered with a child safety outlet cover.

Christmas tree safety for a toddler:

When child proofing a Christmas tree for a toddler, all of the tips covered in step one can be used, however, some suggestions will no longer be effective as a toddler has more reach and mobility than a crawling baby.

With a toddler the raised tree method is not recommended as they are more likely to still be able to pull the tree down. The Christmas tree can then either be very securely mounted, fastened to the floor, or gated off entirely. If you make your tree inaccessible to your kids, no more measures of Christmas tree safety are required, but then, what fun is that?

If you choose to simply mount or secure your tree, avoid using breakable ornaments even at the top of your tree. Store them away until your child is of a safe age. Plastic ornaments can be used instead. This is also a great time to make your own Christmas ornaments with your child from paper or popcorn for example. Avoid small decorations that may be a choking hazard. Be sure not to use metal hooks when attaching ornaments– stick to ribbon or string.

Extra tip: To appease children that simply will not stop de-decorating your Christmas tree, a basket of extra ornaments can be placed next to the tree for playing with.

Thanksgiving Symbols and Meanings

Turkeys, pumpkins, pie, cornucopias, and tiny black hats: these are all things we commonly visualize when hearing the word, “Thanksgiving,” but why? Why do we consider such things to be Thanksgiving symbols? Every symbol has its significance or at least a history of how it came to represent a holiday. If you’ve ever wondered just what Thanksgiving symbols mean, or how they came to be symbols in the first place, you’ll find a few answers below.

Thanksgiving symbols:

The Turkey

This is actually a bit of a mystery. There is no proof that turkey was even eaten at the first Thanksgivings. We eat turkey on Thanksgiving because wild turkey was more available to the colonists, who turned the harvest celebrations into a holiday, than goose. Goose was the traditional feast eaten in England in honor of the harvest. However, Turkey was a symbol of abundance and fertility to the Native American people of the region that the pilgrims settled in, so this symbol is fitting whether it was at the pilgrim’s Thanksgiving or not.

The Cornucopia

Also called the “horn of plenty,” a cornucopia is a horn-shaped container filled with fruits of the harvest. Being that Thanksgiving originated from Native American harvest celebrations, it’s no surprise this Greek symbol of the harvest found its way into Thanksgiving symbols. Traditionally, the cornucopia was a goat’s horn given to the God Zeus as a gift.

Corn

We often see dried corn husks or colorful dried corn cobs around Thanksgiving and the autumn season. This is because corn was one of the primary foods of Native Americans. It was also one of the crops they taught the pilgrims to grow which saved them from starvation. Corn is thought to be a symbol of agriculture and a healthy harvest.

Black Hats, Pilgrims, and Indians

This is kind of obvious, but the black hats with buckles represent the Pilgrims. Sometimes we see actual tiny pilgrims or Indians as well. These symbols sprang from the story of what many consider to be the “first Thanksgiving,” despite the fact this is actually a Thanksgiving myth. Regardless, all the above became symbols of Thanksgiving to represent the friendship and appreciation we show for others– no matter how different we may be.

Pumpkins or Pumpkin Pie

There is actually, again, no proof pumpkins or even pumpkin pie was present at the first Thanksgivings. Pumpkins, however, were available in the area, and the local Native Americans considered them a symbol of the life-giving sun and man’s personal power. Pumpkin is also an autumn-harvested vegetable, which could explain its strong association with the harvest and Thanksgiving.

Autumn Leaves

Red, yellow, and orange leaves are yet another decoration we commonly see around Thanksgiving. This symbol has a pretty cut-and-dry meaning, autumn and fall. It’s suggested that this Thanksgiving symbol has more to do with pretty presentation than actual symbolism.

Did we miss any Thanksgiving symbols you were curious about? Let us know!

Halloween Safety Tips for Kids

On my eldest son’s first Halloween as a toddler, the very first door we knocked on, he waited until they opened the door, and then just strolled right on in. Granted the nice little old grandma who lived there thought it hilariously cute and gave him extra candy as a result, but this is just one example of how kids, particularly younger kids, can face unexpected dangers while trick-or-treating on Halloween. At this point, I have myself four candy-craving gremlins to wrangle, so I’ve put my own Halloween safety tips to the test. Let’s review for me, and share for you, shall we?

Halloween safety tips:

Costume Selection

Remember you’ll be trudging around door to door when you dream up your child’s costume. Some kids are less than graceful, which can lead to lots of trips and falls. Where I live at least, there is also always snow and ice by Halloween. Make sure your costume choice accommodates good shoes. They should be appropriate for the weather — in my case, winter boots with good traction. Costumes for kids that are in that less-than-graceful category or toddlers should also not hang much below mid-calf. Long, flowing costumes can easily pose a tripping hazard.

On the costume note, watch out for dangly hanging strings, or pointy accessories. You know what your kid’s personality is by now, so use your best discretion. For example, I know my younger son would beat his brother if I gave him a plastic axe. Enough said.

Helping your kids see and be seen

Depending on what corner of our little earth you reign from, it could possibly be very dark when you’re trick or treating. You can opt to go earlier in the day if you prefer, or take steps to make your child visible. Some of the coolest options I’ve found yet are flash lights that change colors, finger lights, or glow-stick options which now come in all sorts of shapes from just necklaces and pendants to face masks. My kids absolutely love all of the above. They actually play with them all year long, and when they have them outside they’re hard to miss. You can also place reflective tape on both sides of your child’s costume.

Become a candy inspector

Let’s be honest, many kids don’t have the best impulse control. Heck, most of them have no impulse control. I remember the second thing my son did on his first Halloween was shove the candy he’d been given in his mouth. This can mean two things: regularly checking your child’s candy or taking it away between houses. On the first count, be on the lookout for opened packages or pieces that looked tampered with. Also avoid letting your child eat homemade treats unless you know the giver well, particularly if your child has allergies.

Stay close

This one is, of course, dependent on age, but for younger kids, avoid, say, parking you car at the end of the street and just letting your kids walk up the street and back down alone. There’s some pretty messed up people in this world that are not above ruining Halloween fun. For older kids, consider allowing them to borrow you cell phone or getting them a cheap disposable one for certain occasions. For example, I have a Tracfone that cost me less than $10 and another $19.99 every few months for minutes so I don’t have to worry so much about my phone getting broken.

Educate your kids about Halloween safety

Probably the most effective way to keep your kids safe this Halloween is to educate them of both the possible dangers they could face while trick or treating, such as strangers, and just general safety tips, such as car and road safety.

Finally, just as a throwing-it-out there tip from the mom of an ultra-sensitive skin child, you may want to test any face paint you may use on your kids on a small patch of skin before the big day. Have a happy, safe Halloween.

You may also enjoy:

Halloween Safety Tips to Keep Kids Warm on Halloween

A List of Candy Without Peanuts for Halloween

Why Do We Celebrate Halloween?