Celebrating baby’s first Christmas is exciting for new parents and family members, but Christmas decorations can pose a special challenge when you are living with a baby. Newborn babies are not mobile enough to get into any of the Christmas decorations but older babies, especially new crawlers or new walkers, are at more of a risk. A few simple alterations to traditional Christmas decorations can help everyone in the family enjoy a safe and festive holiday season.
Baby Proof the Christmas Tree
Christmas trees can be a major safety hazard for older babies, but they can definitely still be a part of your holiday celebration. Fake Christmas trees are often safer when you live with a baby because they are often lighter and more stable than real Christmas trees and there is less of a fire risk. If you have a newborn, even though he will not get into the tree, it may be worth getting a fake tree just to simplify your life and avoid needing to water a real tree daily, especially if you are not getting much sleep (although make sure that your artificial tree is lead-free).
Baby Proof the Christmas Ornaments
Put breakable decorations near the top of the tree and fill the bottom with fabric decorations or more sturdy decorations that do not have small pieces that can break off and become a choking hazard. Make sure the ornaments on the bottom of the Christmas tree come off easily so your baby won’t pull the branches of the tree and possibly pull the entire tree over. Glass balls look like toys to a baby. If you plan on using them, limit them to the upper half of the tree.
Provide a Distraction from the Christmas Tree
Distract your baby from the tree itself by placing Christmas books under the tree in a wide circle. There are many great Christmas board books that are sturdy enough to stand up to even a teething baby. A sturdy train placed in a circle around the Christmas tree can provide your baby with something to play with and provide a sort of barrier to the Christmas tree itself.
Baby Proof the Christmas Decorations
Put breakable decorations up high and out of baby’s reach. Buy a nativity set that your baby can play with such as the Fisher Price Little People Nativity set. Providing a few Christmas decorations that your baby can play with may distract him from the ones you don’t want him to touch. Be careful of draping ribbon or garland in places your baby can get to because they could potentially be a strangulation hazard.
Avoid Lead in Christmas Decorations
Most Christmas lights on the market contain high levels of lead, which is very dangerous, especially around a baby who will touch the lights and put his hands in his mouth. Christmas lights made in the U.S.A. are required by law to be lead free but they can be difficult to find. If you cannot find lead free lights, wrap them deep in the branches of the tree to keep them out of reach. Some artificial Christmas trees themselves contain high levels of lead. Christmas ceramics such as plates and nativity sets can have high levels of lead in the paint. You can buy a home lead test kit at most home improvement stores to check the lead levels on your Christmas Decorations.
Decorating with your baby’s safety in mind can help everyone have a more relaxed and enjoyable Christmas season. Having a baby in the home does not mean you need to change your favorite holiday traditions; you just need to be creative and create baby friendly holiday decorations.
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