At Mountain Peaks, we want you to spend your holidays with your family–not in our office or in the emergency room! Read these tips for making sure you’re spending a cozy Christmas at home
Toys
- Do you have toddlers and older kids? Make sure that small parts from bigger presents stay out of reach of little ones. This includes accessories; cables, cords or strings; heavy items; and anything with loose parts. Keep little fingers out of wheel wells and other moving parts that can pinch or cut. Distract infants and toddlers with their own safe, soft toys.
- When you’ve got presents everywhere, make sure there’s a clear walking path. This is especially important for older adults. The elderly can get badly hurt by a slip or trip that leads to a fall.
- Keep an eye on all batteries, especially small ones such as watch batteries. Infants and toddlers might pop these in their mouths unexpectedly.
The Tree
- Check on the light strings before putting them on your tree. Throw away all that have frayed cords, loose connectors, or cracked sockets. If you need to replace any bulbs, match the voltage and the wattage of the originals.
- Decorate with kids in mind; hang breakable or metal ornaments higher and out of reach.
- Don’t allow anyone to pull or push on the tree or otherwise knock it off-balance. Even if it doesn’t fall then, it could fall later and harm someone.
- Have a live tree? Keep it well-watered!
- Unplug the lights on your tree–real or artificial–when leaving your home, going to sleep, or leaving the tree unattended for extended periods of time.
Candles and Fireplaces
- Never try to sleep in a room with a lit candle or leave a burning candle unattended.
- Make sure all lit candles and flames are out of children’s reach.
- Never burn candles on or near a tree, curtain, or anything else loose and flammable.
- Keep them on high, stable surfaces. where they won’t fall due to an accidental bump.
- Don’t burn decorations in your fireplace. This goes for wrapping paper, wreaths, garlands, branches, and your tree.
Pets
- Keep pets from drinking out of your live tree’s water.
- Put poinsettias and other plants out of reach. Animals don’t always know not to chew on poisonous decorations like these.
- Don’t allow your cats and dogs to wriggle under the tree and start chewing cords. It’s only funny on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! If your pets wander around unchecked, keep the tree and other lights unplugged when you’re not there to supervise.
Traveling for the holidays? Make sure to read our tips for safe driving in cold, snowy weather!