When babies appear, many parents wonder how to put up and decorate a Christmas tree to safely celebrate the holiday? To give young children a miracle and leave them with positive impressions, certain safety rules must be followed.
Real or Artificial: Which Tree to Choose?
Before buying one tree or another, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each option. Safety for the child should be the key factor in choosing.
A natural (live) Christmas tree has one undeniable advantage – its aroma! The smell of a forest beauty cannot leave anyone indifferent, giving, along with the aroma of tangerines, a feeling of a real New Year. In addition, the smell of coniferous needles has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system and very rarely causes allergies. Unfortunately, the advantages probably end there.
The main disadvantages of a live Christmas tree/pine tree:
- Sharp needles that a child can get injured with during play.
- Dangerous types of ticks can live on the trunks and branches.
- Falling needles that you can step on, plus the need for constant cleaning.
- Individual intolerance to coniferous essential oils.
- Inconvenience in transportation, as a live tree has a certain weight and does not fold into parts.
- Suitable for use for only a few days of the season.
- Difficulty in installation.
- The price increases every year.
If the above disadvantages seemed unconvincing, you should take maximum care of the safety of the tree for the child, namely:
- Find a trusted supplier of Christmas trees to exclude the presence of dangerous insects.
- Ensure a reliable installation of the tree and carefully monitor the child, not leaving him alone in the room with the Christmas tree – a heavy tree can injure when overturned.
In this case, when buying, you need to inspect the Christmas tree and make sure that the needles are not currently falling off. You should also make sure that the tripod (or pot) on which the tree is installed is stable.
You should not expect coniferous aromas from an artificial Christmas tree… But it is safer for a child, which is the main thing for parents. An artificial Christmas tree is practical in many ways: it is relatively lightweight, easy to install, easy to transport, and does not require special care. Even if a baby overturns such a Christmas tree during play, it will not harm him – its mass is quite light. The assortment of artificial Christmas trees is extremely wide. Among the many options, everyone can find their ideal New Year beauty of any color, height, and density. Another argument in favor of artificial Christmas trees is saving money. That is, it is much more profitable to pay once and purchase a tree for many years than to buy a live one every year. Moreover, the prices for a live Christmas tree are increasing significantly every year. Modern artificial Christmas trees are identical in appearance to natural ones. For example, a tree made of PVC material (polymer ribbons) almost 100% matches the original. This will not leave indifferent even the most ardent fans of live Christmas trees. Important! It is not recommended to save money on an artificial Christmas tree, especially if there are small children in the house. A cheap Christmas tree cannot consist of high-quality materials – the cheapest materials are used in its production, which will contribute not only to the rapid loss of the tree’s presentable appearance but also to the release of dangerous toxic substances. When buying an artificial Christmas tree, you should be sure to read the quality certificate, which will indicate that the product has been tested and has fire-resistant properties. If such a certificate is available, rest assured – the tree is safe.
Where is the best place to put the Christmas tree?
Where in your living room to put the Christmas tree is up to each parent. In fact, there is no single correct answer to this question: some parents believe that a child should learn about the world “by touch”, while others try to protect children from potentially dangerous objects or cannot constantly monitor their child. Choose which type you belong to and install the attribute of the main holiday of the country where it is convenient (on the floor, on a table, in a playpen, or protected by a homemade fence).
How to properly install the Christmas tree?
It is known that “in the old days” the Christmas tree was placed in a bucket, after which it was filled with sand or clay. This method is already outdated, and besides, it cannot be called reliable if there are children in the house. In the modern world, special tripods are produced and sold for live Christmas trees. Almost all artificial Christmas trees are equipped with a stand, which is a special practicality of unnatural Christmas trees. If you consider this method of fastening unreliable, you need to strengthen the tree additionally. For example, install it next to a heating pipe and tie the trunk of the Christmas tree to the pipe with a rope. The stability of the Christmas tree can be affected by improper assembly. If the tree is already assembled and wobbles, it is likely that mistakes were made during assembly. In this case, it is recommended to disassemble the tree and assemble it again, following the instructions carefully.
Decorating the Christmas tree: which toys are safe for children?
To complete the composition, you need to decorate the Christmas tree. Everyone loves to decorate the Christmas tree, especially children. Therefore, you need to be especially careful when choosing decor. The safety of toys is especially important if the Christmas tree is installed in an open area for children. Safe toys include:
- Balls, garlands, figurines made of non-breakable materials (plastic, cardboard, wood, fabric);
- Various sweets – chocolates, candies, gingerbread cookies (in the absence of allergies to confectionery);
- Tinsel and rain (the composition should not contain metal or any other sharp wire).
- When choosing toys, it is better to give preference to large, one-piece products.
- Decor consisting of many small parts (beads, sequins, rhinestones, etc.), as well as clothespins, should be avoided.
Can garlands be used in decoration?
It is difficult to imagine even one New Year without garlands. They, like the Christmas tree, are one of the main attributes of the winter holiday. For children, bright garlands that glow and flicker create very vivid impressions. Do not deprive children of joy! Garlands can be attached high so that children can only observe their glow but cannot reach them. It should be remembered! There are rules for operating garlands, according to which it is not recommended to leave the device turned on for a day – it is recommended to turn them on only for a certain time. In this case, when preparing for bed or going outside, you need to make sure that the device is unplugged. The quality of the product also plays an important role. LED garlands with a PVC material cord have a very high level of safety, however, with proper operation, any garland will be safe if purchased in trusted places.
New Year holidays are a joy for the whole family, and especially for children. Parents should properly organize the festive atmosphere, protecting their children from possible threats, in order to leave them with the brightest impressions for many years to come.