Have fun, stay safe at home during holidays with a few tips

Kids’ excitement during the holiday season generates a lot of electricity and happy feelings. Our kids begin in October talking about toy lists and they want to know when we’re getting together with family.

We get caught up in the excitement, too. But we can’t lose site of the need to put safety at the forefront of our preparations. Here are some things our family is trying to do to keep the holidays safe and happy. What are some of your tips for keep safe?

• Check live trees for freshness. Green needles that are hard to pull off branches and don’t break when you bend them are all good things to check for. The one we bought came right off the truck!  Keep them away from heat sources and water them every day, even if it looks like they don’t need it.

• Make sure your lights and other electrical equipment are in good working order and replace damaged ones. Make sure lights, cords and other equipment are certified to work outdoors, too. And don’t leave lights on when you go to bed or leave the house.

• Use non-flammable holders with lighted candles and keep them in places where they won’t be knocked down. For us, that means keeping everything off the floor and high enough so our dog can’t injure himself or us.

• This is a great time to double check your smoke detectors, review your home evacuation plan and make sure your fire extinguisher is in working order. Kids love gadgets and it’s OK to show them how these things work.

• Don’t leave wrapping paper, bags, ribbons and bows scattered around the floor when opening presents. I’ve taken it upon myself to do the collection. Loose paper can be a fire hazard.
• We try to select age appropriate toys, but these days, our kids seem to be more advanced than we ever were. If they do ask for advanced toys or electronics, spend time playing with them to teach them how to play with them safely. I’ve found that I often have more fun than they do. I try not to be “That Dad,” the one who takes over the toys during the holiday.

• We like to brine our turkey (when we have turkey during the holidays). Bacteria can make for a very uncomfortable holiday so we take lots of precautions. Cook meats and poultry fully. Thoroughly wash veggies and fruits. Our kids like to cook with us so we’ve got a whole lot of hand washing going on.