Top 5 Christmas Safety Tips for the Whole Family

The Christmas season is the perfect time to get together with friends and family, consume copious amounts of food and drink, and bask if the glow of a perfectly selected gift. It’s a magical time of year for young and old alike – kids wait for Santa to bring them presents while the parents can kick back with a nice tall glass of wine. It’s not all tinsel reindeer games, however, as the holiday can be stressful and sometimes dangerous, what with the commotion of in-laws arriving, the dog getting into the freshly cooked ham, and the sudden arrival of a nine foot Douglas Fir in your living room. We’ve carefully selected the top five safety tips designed to protect the kids, in-laws, pets, home, and your sanity.

Christmas is incomplete without a gargantuan tree covered in tinsel, tacky ornaments, and fake snow. It’s the quintessential Christmas decoration, but if you consider the fact that someone has uprooted a huge tree for the explicit goal of turning it into a glorified houseplant with a three week lifespan, it starts to sound a little bit insane. Be that as it may, a Christmas tree in the house is nothing if not a sticky pine menace. We recommend having it professionally delivered and set up with a sturdy base. This not only prevents the possibility of a hernia while lifting the tree, but also the frustrating act of trying to center it and prop it up. It might cost a little more, but let a professional do it for you. If you can, request the base that is composed of three pieces of rebar, a water reservoir, and screws that actually enter the trunk. Once installed properly, your tree will be able to withstand accidental bumps and nudges. And don’t even think about using real candles as ornaments.

Christmas trees are alive and like all living things, require nourishment. Quench your tree’s thirst with plenty of water. Not only is this a humanitarian act, it also prevents the tree from becoming a dried out, brittle piece of kindling. Consider these sources of possible conflagration – lights wrapped around the tree, candles on the table, a roaring fireplace, and a living room with the thermostat cranked up to 82°. Keeping your tree sufficiently watered will extend its lifespan while reducing its chance of going up in a blaze. Keep in mind that regular waterings reduce, but do not prevent, fire related accidents. And as a final tip – if the water container is tough to reach, repurpose an old turkey baster as an efficient water delivery device.

Humans aren’t the only ones who can get into trouble on Christmas. Dogs are curious creatures and with the introduction of a delicious smelling Christmas tree in the living room, they may not know what to do with themselves. Play it safe and keep your canine companion away from the tree. Use a portable fence or blockade of chairs to prevent them from toppling over the tree or ingesting too many pine needles. There’s already so much that can go wrong with a Christmas tree if it is left alone that you don’t need a dog rooting around the base. Some dogs might also feel the need to investigate (usually with their teeth and paws) the presents stored at the base of the tree. While this is a good guard dog characteristic, it might put a damper on the excitement of Christmas morning.

The holidays can be a stressful time for heads of household. Buying presents for those that are hard to satisfy, coordinating feasts, dealing with difficult relatives, and maybe, but hopefully not, dealing with the madness of airports are all high-stress activities. Take your time. Don’t Rush. Go for a run. Don’t say “yes” to every single request. If you’re taking on all the responsibility without taking some time for yourself, you’re going to crack eventually. Plenty of sleep and healthy routines are the key to a balanced life, Christmas or not. Feel free to relax with an adult beverage or two, but whatever you do …

Christmas and new years eve are prime times to pick up a DUI. No matter where you live, local police will be on high alert looking for intoxicated drivers. Not only are your reflexes dulled by alcohol, winter weather like rain and snow make driving that much more difficult, even without having a few eggnogs before hitting the road. Some of the best ways to avoid drinking and driving are: call a taxi, use a smartphone app like Uber or Lyft to request a ride home, ask a sober driver to give you a ride, sleep on your friend’s couch, take a midnight walk home, or do absolutely anything other than getting behind the wheel. With so many easy alternatives, it’s never been so easy to drink responsibly. The National Institute of Health reports that 2-3 times more people die in alcohol-related crashes during the holidays. When in doubt, play it safe.

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