Are you ready for the New Year? New Year’s Eve can be a whole lot of fun for all of us. We’re all setting goals and looking forward to what the New Year will bring. The parties and celebrations are a nice wrap-up to the Holiday Season. But, did you know that holidays like New Year’s Eve can also expose your kids to a lot of different hazards? While the adults are celebrating, the kids can get into a lot of things that they shouldn’t. So, here are a few tips for keeping your kids safe this New Year’s Eve (at out of the Emergency Room).
Firework safety
Of course, this is a“big one” when it comes to celebrating on New Year’s Eve. I grew up as the only girl with 3 brothers. I was afraid of fireworks for most of my childhood, but was tortured by my brothers who always wanted to light fireworks outside! New Years Eve, 4th of July, – any chance they got, fireworks were their thing. Fireworks were very different, though, when I was a kid. Nowadays, people are lighting pretty intense fireworks that really shouldn’t be on the streets.
If you have kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) actually recommends staying away from at-home fireworks. It just isn’t safe. Instead, I recommend taking your kids out for a safe, public fireworks display run by professionals. A lot of us consider sparklers to be considered safe. We let our kids hold them because they aren’t noisy and the kids are usually excited about holding them. But even sparklers aren’t safe for kids. They can get up to 1000 degrees and higher, and can still cause some pretty serious burns. So, leave the fireworks to the “professionals” if you have kids. It’s less stressful to sit back and enjoy a nice show put on by someone else. Don’t risk your child’s safety by doing it yourself at home.
If your kids hate the sound of fireworks (like 2 of mine), then consider avoiding them altogether. If you’ll be out, have your kids wear glow-in-the-dark clothing or light-up jewelry just for fun. It’s absolutely OK to have a fireworks-free New Year’s Eve celebration.
If there are no kids around and you absolutely must light fireworks at home, stay away from the “banned” ones. Don’t light professional fireworks at home. Don’t point fireworks in the direction of anyone else. Keep them away from the skin and eyes, since they can cause pretty bad burns and even blindness. Keep a bucket of water on hand, just in case there’s any stray fire on the ground or someone’s clothing. You never know what can happen!
Water safety
Drowning prevention is a huge deal with kids around. If you’re in the south for New Year’s Eve and it’s sunny outside, be sure to take precautions if your kids will be around any body of water. It’s easy to get distracted by all the celebrations. Especially if there’s drinking involved. Beforehand, it’s important to ensure your kids know how to swim. You should know how to swim, too, so that you can jump in the water and save a kid if necessary! Keep your kids in sight at all times, even if they do know how to swim. Make sure there’s a barrier around all bodies of water that you come close to, in case your kids wander off without you knowing.
There should be an adult “Water Watcher” whenever there are kids in water, to keep an eye on the kids and keep them safe. (A sober adult is best). Drowning happens far too frequently and much too quickly. Please, please, please keep your kids safe!
Burn safety
Fireworks aren’t the only way kids can burn themselves on New Year’s Eve. I’ve seen patients with significant burns after touching fire pits or BBQ grills that their families thought had cooled down. Be sure to closely monitor any cooking apparatus to prevent these burn injuries. Set up a barrier so that young children can’t even get to these hot surfaces. If a burn does happen, treat it right away with cool water (not ice!) for comfort, clean the skin well, and cover with a bandage. If it’s oozing or the burn seems severe, take a trip to your nearest urgent care center or emergency room to have it checked out. These injuries are so preventable, so be sure to keep an eye on your kids at all times!
Food Safety
New Year’s Eve celebration can sometimes be a breeding ground for infection. Any get-together can be, for that matter. Infections can spread person-to-person (like colds or stomach viruses), or through food. Be sure to avoid any foods that are easily spoiled if left out too long. Things like potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, etc should be kept chilled. Ensure that all meats (especially poultry and beef) are cooked thoroughly to avoid serious infections like Salmonella. If in doubt – don’t let your kids eat it! Be sure to watch younger kids closely to avoid choking hazards as well. I’ve seen young kids just walk around and pop things in their mouth at get-togethers without their parents even knowing!
On that note, watch out for food allergies as well. If your child has an allergy, be sure to let the host know beforehand, and watch what he eats. To be safe, always have Benadryl and an Epi-Pen (or some fort of epinephrine injector) on hand at all times.
I hope you and your family have a Happy New Year! Most of all, I want your kids to be safe! So, please keep these things in mind, and in practice during your celebrations. Keep your eyes on your little ones at all times and keep those mischievous minds out of trouble!
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