New Year’s Eve is a beautiful time to celebrate new beginnings and to ring in a new year in the company of friends and family. New Year’s Eve can be a lot of fun and an ideal way to close out the many celebrations of the holiday season. At the same time, this holiday is notorious for exposing children to hazards. Here are some things to pay attention to so that everyone in your family can enjoy a safe celebration:
- Celebrate a kid-friendly New Year’s Eve. This could mean enjoying a countdown together that ends with sparkling water or apple cider or ensuring that children have fun, age-appropriate activities, and proper supervision at a New Year’s Eve party. By finding ways to include children in your celebration, they are less likely to be unaccounted for. Plus, everyone will enjoy themselves!
- Be aware of fireworks. Cities, venues, and even private parties are known to cap off the countdown to midnight with a fireworks display. Because of their risks to young children, it is best to avoid bringing fireworks home for the holiday. Instead, find a way to check out a public display that professionals run. Even sparklers can be dangerous for young children – while they seem harmless, they can reach extremely high temperatures that can cause burns to a child’s skin, hair, or eyes.
- Try to stay off the road. Depending on how and where you are celebrating, this may be tough; however, New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous holidays for drivers. Once celebrations end, millions of drivers take to the roads. Sharing the road with people under the influence or rushing to get to an event can pose risks to the entire family. Do what you can to plan ahead this New Year’s Eve and avoid highly congested driving times.
- Prevent drowning. Whether a celebration has a pool, fountain, or even a bathtub, it is essential that young children are always supervised around water. Drowning prevention may not be at the top of most parents’ minds on New Year’s Eve, but remember, a child can drown in just a few inches of water. If the adults are partying, dangers increase for young kids.
- Be mindful of what children eat and drink. If a gathering has platters of food out that guests continue picking at throughout the evening, chances are, the food is a breeding ground for bacteria and possible infections. Serve kids their dinner at a designated time and keep any finger foods out of reach for young children. This protects them from a stomach disorder and can also reduce the risk of choking. The same goes for alcohol. Be sure to serve young children juice or water and keep any alcoholic beverages out of their reach. For older children and teens, be clear about serving themselves and keep a close eye to ensure that they are not getting into any alcohol.
