The Christmas tree is such a meaningful symbol during the holiday season and creates so many special traditions and memories between family and friends. What do we do when our curious children become adventurous and want to explore what may not be the safest “toy” for them? Here are a couple ideas to promote a safe, kid-friendly tree this holiday season:

-Child-friendly ornaments: You can find safe, yet beautiful ornaments made from soft or smooth and non-breakable materials such as cotton and plastic. You want ornaments that can be handled, rolled, thrown, dropped, squeezed, stepped on and placed in the mouth! If you have sentimental ornaments that you still want to enjoy, display them somewhere within the house that is completely out of reach or behind a locked cabinet or case. You could also loan them to a close family member or friend. The family member or friend can decorate their tree with your special ornaments and when you visit, there they are for you to enjoy.

If you initially allow your children to be involved with decorating the tree, they are less likely to “tamper” with the ornaments over and over again. They will be able to explore the ornaments and tree during the decorating process, so later, they will be satisfied from enjoying the tree “with their eyes” and less with their hands. A fun idea is for each year to let your child pick out a new ornament that will belong to them. This will create a sense of pride and ownership towards their special ornaments and will steer their attention more towards their prized possessions and less towards other temptations. Also, try making your own ornaments with your children that are fun, yet safe for the whole family:

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2009/12/giant-christmas-ornament.html
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2009/12/kid-made-ornament.html
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2008/12/trim-your-tree-with-this.html

-Child-friendly lights: Instead of your typical Christmas lights that plug into an electrical socket, you could use battery operated lights. You may even be able to find battery operated lights that run on a remote….again less fingers and hands near the tree. You could also go for a fiber optic tree…..this will avoid any strands of lights being pulled! You can find several at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/National-Tree-SZRX7-100-36-Radiance-Firework/dp/B0...

-Safe toys within reach: Try keeping fun Christmas toys in the same room you have your Christmas tree such as stuffed snowmen, Santa and reindeer, a holiday train, a kid-friendly CD or MP3 player with holiday music ready to be played, holiday DVD’s, Christmas Little People, holiday dress-up items (Santa hat, antlers, etc.), holiday coloring books, holiday art and more. This way your kids can still play and enjoy the holidays but their attention will be more towards the fun toys instead of the tree.

-Safe space: You may not be able to keep an eye on the children around the Christmas tree 24 hours a day. You may also want to have a Christmas tree within your home that is more for adults and may not be 100% safe around children. Another option could be to keep this tree in a safe space such as the master bedroom or a spare bedroom with a door that locks. This way you can still enjoy your tree but when needed, it can be shut off completely from the children, ensuring you have a safe environment.

Enjoy creating your safe holiday space for the whole family to enjoy!

~Laura & Amanda
KidSpeak, LLC
www.kidspeakdallas.com