Three reminders for keeping your kids safe over the holidays

1. Skip the candles & set fireplace standards for visitors.  December is the peak month for candle fires; Christmas is the peak day. Cooking fires might happen more this time of year, but they are far less likely to be deadly. The deadly fires are from candles and heating sources. Of the top five days for home candle fires, THREE are around Christmas: Christmas day, Christmas Eve, and December 23. (The other two are New Year’s Day and Halloween).[i] Check that you have BOTH kinds of working fire detectors (photoelectric and ionization detectors), and if you have a toddler, consider the recordable-voice ones. And if you have a fireplace, make sure everyone knows how to properly dispose of embers (see story below for a painful reminder). 

Fireplace Embers Moved by Visitors Cause Fire

In Stamford, Connecticut, on December 25, 2011, three children and grandparents died in a fire as their mother, an accomplished ad executive, screamed for help. The grandfather, retired from work that included overseeing building safety and now enjoying his retirement by playing Santa at Saks, was trying to help the children escape when they perished. The cause of the fire was determined to be fireplace embers that were placed as trash just outside or perhaps inside the house. Fire alarms may not have been working.[ii]

2. Have your teen support the family in ways OTHER THAN driving.  Teen drivers account for more deaths than all other motor vehicle accident deaths birth to 19 combined. Most of these occur in the first six months to a year after the teen gets her license. ANY extra distraction, including others in the car, cell phones, or weather, can cause teens to drive significantly worse as they are easily cognitively overloaded. Make sure your teen gets LOTS of practice, but the holiday festivities is probably not the best time.

3. Keep those infants in CPSC-approved cribs or bassinets for sleep.  It might be tempting to co-sleep or cat-nap on the couch (likely even worse) while at grandma's, but resist the temptation. Keep the infant in s separate sleep area cleaned of any potential suffocation or strangulation hazards (e.g., monitor cords, light cords, or plastic covering objects or windows).  

And enjoy! One of the best protective factors for your child is YOUR relationship!

Happy Holidays!

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[i] US Fire Administration, accessed January 2010, http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/candle.shtm, based on National Fire Protection Association “Candle Fires” (2007).

[ii] “Man Died Trying to Save Granddaughter in Connecticut Fire: Fireplace Ashes Caused Christmas Morning Blaze That Killed Five,” MSNBC.com, December 28, 2011, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45787994/ns/us_news-life/t/man-died-trying-save-granddaughter-conn-fire/.