Dr Mike Smith (Host): This is Children's Me, the Parent ish podcast. I'm Dr. Mike, and with me are Laura Kremlin and Beth Markley from Children's Mercy. Today we'll be discussing Twinkle Lights and Tiny Hazards, your holiday safety guide. Let's explore how to enjoy the festive season while keeping it safe and child friendly.

I'm gonna start with Laura. Welcome to the show. what are some of the biggest holiday safety risks parents should be aware of when decorating the inside of their homes?

Laura Kemerling: So, when decorating, there's a few, different risks that we take into account, when choosing a Christmas tree. it's generally safer to choose an artificial tree rather than a live tree. However, if you're going to choose a live tree, making sure that, you keep it watered well. Water daily, that reduces the risk of flammability, keeping trees away from heat sources regardless of whether they are live or artificial.

like fireplaces and heaters. needles when they fall from a tree can be toxic, to pets as well as the water if the pets drink from it. And then when decorating, using safe and tested lights with no frayed wires, making sure that decorations are not flammable when you're stringing your Christmas lights together, don't string more than three strands of lights, to one plugin, and not overloading electrical outlets.

Making sure you turn off all of your Christmas lights when they're unattended using shatterproof ornaments. If you use breakable ornaments, putting them higher up on the tree and then making sure that your tree is sturdy so that it doesn't tip over. And then just teaching kids not to climb on the tree or use the tree as a play, area.

Also, when we're, bringing in plants for the holidays, some plants can be poisonous. Peace lilies, Holly missile toe. There's an exhaustive list of all of those plants on poison.org. so all of those things kind of together when you're decorating.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): do you recommend when decorating a tree maybe don't decorate the very bottom, especially if you have cats or small children. let that first layer maybe be free of decorations, when they're so low, cats and kids wanna play,

Laura Kemerling: yeah, you can definitely leave that bottom couple branches, free, especially if you have super curious, toddlers. And that will keep them from pulling the tree down on them too, as they're trying to reach for things and look for them. I've also seen it become more and more popular for, families to put gates around their tree.

So, and that's, an option as well. If, you wanna go that route makes it maybe a little less pretty, but.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): Sticking with you, Laura, since we're talking about decorations and plants and stuff. so what are the plants that we really probably gotta be careful with bringing into the house, the toxic ones, especially with dogs, cats, even kids that like to eat everything, right.

Laura Kemerling: so, peace lilies, holly, elephant, ears, missile toe. there's quite a few others, rin. and there's an exhaustive list of all of the plants toxic to both, humans and animals on poison.org.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): You think it's best maybe just to do artificial versions of those plants rather than the real ones.

Laura Kemerling: Yeah, that's definitely the safer route. especially if you have curious kiddos, small kiddos and pets.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): So let's switch over to travel safety and let's talk to Beth. Whether shopping for presents or traveling across the country, what are some tips for staying safe on the roads, during the holidays?

Laura Kemerling: So travel

Beth Markley: safety is pretty much year round, so. The things that I'm gonna talk about are true any time of the year. I think the holidays bring about a busyness and potential weather risks that add some layer of stress and, some risk for danger, but always. Having your vehicle serviced before you travel a long distance, make sure you're checking for bad weather and road conditions.

It may be a time where you have to pack an ice scraper or an emergency blanket. but always leaving enough time to travel in consideration for the weather is, really important. if you like to go out and mingle and enjoy things in a social setting, always have a sober driver to get you home.

That's again, true year round, but around the holidays people tend to be a little more social. always wear your seatbelt and make sure your kiddos are in their appropriate seat. So that could be a car seat, it could be a booster seat. We do want parents to remove heavy coats from kiddos who are sitting in car seats.

'cause it, keeps the harness from working appropriately in the event of a crash. For the purpose of the holiday. remember that parking lots, are really troublesome. Kids are, running excited. if it's snowing, they might be playing, and distracted. So just parking lots can be really dangerous this time of year, especially as people are usually on a time schedule.

so all of those things are really important if a, family's gonna be flying. It's important that they pack their car seat with them and then check with the airline as to how that car seat will be stowed. I didn't know until I was in this role that not every car seat is approved for use on, aircraft.

So, you need to check with the FAA, or the car seat manufacturer to see if, it can be used. as a restraint device on the airplane. So, just some things to think about when you're flying or, driving.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): I assumed that the car seats approved for cars would be approved for like planes as well. But I guess that's not the case. You gotta check, huh?

Laura Kemerling: Yeah, you gotta check and

Beth Markley: it, you will usually say on the car seat if it's approved for error. Travel. but if parents don't know, they need to check with the car seat manufacturer or the federal aviation administration.gov site also gives you some great information about that.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): the youngest of five kids, and I remember when we would get to the mall, would get parked and the minute we were parked, we used. To race to see who could first get into the mall running across the parking lot. Right? Not good. That's crazy. but kids are so excited.

Any tips for how to kind of control that energy so they're not just taking off?

Beth Markley: some of the things we're talking about today are not as practical. So we say to do these things, but it doesn't seem as practical, for example. if you can shop with another adult to help supervise kids, that is really helpful. we do live in an era where most cars have sensors or backup cameras.

so that's, always a good layer of protection. but yeah, holding your child's hand. Not being on your phone as the parent. so keeping parents from being distracted is really important, but I think most of all, just slow down and be intentional because it's easy to get in a hurry.

and those kiddos are just, having fun.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): Of course. so, I like what you said. Slow down. I think that's great. you know, maybe even control how they come out of the car, slow them down.

Beth Markley: if you have a, second adult who can get out curbside with the kiddos, that is always helpful 'cause they're right by the door then. but again, you don't always have another adult with you. If you do just take advantage of it, I would say.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): because there's a lot of, parents out there with multiple kids, we're kind of talking about travel here, this is more about. Like when you get to a spot, you get to a mall or you get to a store you've been wanting to go to. Any tips for like keeping them safe and corralled around you as you're going shopping?

Beth Markley: I think the influence of phones and, the technology can, work against you or it can work for you. So for example, I have apps on my phone where I can track my kids' phones and so that's really great. I've heard of parents using air tags, That seems really silly, but I guess in an emergency or if in a busy crowd, that could be very helpful.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): that idea.

Beth Markley: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you might as well use the technology to your advantage. but yeah, this also might be the time of year where if you have relatives who can stay with kiddos while you go shopping, that could be best for everybody. I think parents just have to get creative with what works for their family.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): when it comes to having to do air travel with a family, do you find it better to do early flights or later flights?

Laura Kemerling: So, that is

Beth Markley: a good question, because there are several tips for parents as they're traveling depending on their child's age. So for example, if it's nap time or it's time to eat, if you can time it right so that the kiddo is sleeping on the flight or will be thirsty and can drink, when they're coming down, then, it keeps their ears popping and can sometimes release that pressure behind their ears if they can drink.

so there are a lot of tips, again on the faa.gov site for parents. simple things like, how do you carry everything through the airport when you have multiple children? So there's a lot of tips, for parents that come in really handy on that website.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): I guess I would just, say because I've had kids, I've done this, the earlier flights are less likely to be delayed,

Laura Kemerling: I would agree with that.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): once delays start happening, oh boy, get ready with the kids. Um, that was great information, Beth. Laura, let's talk about candles. You know, this time of the year, I think candles are probably used the most. I think that's that's a fair thing to say. So, that cozy moment you want with the candles, all that kind of stuff.

how do you keep that vibe festive without the risk of burns and accidents, especially around the younger kids and, pets.

Laura Kemerling: My go-to would be, using something that doesn't have an open flame. So the very popular wax warmers. and if you're gonna use a wax warmer, just keep it kind of out of reach so the kiddo doesn't grab the warmer and pull the wax down on them. 'cause then of course, that has its own risks of burns.

The LED candles are great options 'cause then they, have the simulation of an open flame without the risk of the open flame. fragrance centerpieces for your table are a great option of a way to have fragrance without the risk. If you are going to use an open flame candle.

Making sure that you put that candle on a stable, heat resistant surface. Keep it at least 12 inches away from curtains, bedding books, or any other flammable type items. avoiding drafts, Windows fans and air vents, those types of things. don't leave the candle unattended. Like if you have an open flame, stay within eyesight of it.

teaching your kids that matches and lighter. candles are not toys. Keep those things out of reach when they're not in use. and then on top of all of that, making sure that you have good working batteries in your smoke detector, that you have a fire escape plan, and then you practice that regularly with your kids as a whole family so that they know what, to do, and where to go in the, event of a fire.

And candle fires do increase in late December, so you are accurate in your guesstimation of, candles being more likely and questionably more dangerous in the holiday season.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): So Beth moving to the kitchen, you're having friends over, family is coming over and, we spend most of our time in the kitchen, right? When there's people around. what are some overlooked safety tips when it comes to holiday cooking and kitchen chaos. You know, because they could get crazy with pets and kids all in there.

what are some of the safety tips you want to give us?

Laura Kemerling: so making

Beth Markley: great use. Of baby gates and or, high chairs that are, set away from counters. If you can create a kid free zone, that is really, really helpful. Just in general, whether it be around the stove or the oven or the microwave, I'm sure you've cooked in a busy kitchen before just moving, hot pans from the sink to the stove or from the microwave to the stove.

it can get really chaotic. So. Anytime you can create a kid free zone, that would be recommendation number one. keeping things like the pot handles turned away from the edge of the stove is really important. if your stove is built into an island where people sit, you know, just making sure that kiddos aren't sitting on top of that cabinet where they could reach over and, touch the stove top.

So things again that seem kind of basic. In the event of an emergency, things just move very, very quickly. So, if you can keep kiddos outta that area, that would be really ideal. if you have older kids that are helping cook, I think it's important to embrace that. But also teaching them like, we never leave things unattended.

Please don't step away from the stove and the oven while it's on. making sure they're using potholders to carry hot items. especially. When they're taking things like ramen noodles or hot water out of the microwave, we see a lot of, very preventable accidents, around skulls this time of year, as, people are warming things up.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): I can see that being pretty bad. I love the idea of the kid free zone. I think that's fantastic. I also love what you said about taking those pot handles, right and moving them towards the wall or towards your back splash. I think that's great. 'cause sometimes those are easy to grab and just pull.

straight down and there could be some hot water in that. so in the kitchen though, is it better just to almost have a rule that, you know, unless you're cooking something, don't come in,

Laura Kemerling: I think that

Beth Markley: that is, important to, remember. if it's not practical, then completely understandable, but, if you can keep the kids completely separate depending on how old they are, right. But especially little ones that are curious and want to be good helpers, but them helping is probably not the time.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): Maybe not the holidays. Right. Maybe there's another time when it's not quite so crazy. Laura, let's talk about gift giving. Any guidance on how to pick the best gifts for kids that ensure they're safe.

Laura Kemerling: the number one thing to look at when choosing a gift for kids is the age that's recommended on the package of the gift that you're looking at. Those ages are, controlled by a few different things and will keep kids safe, especially little ones from being exposed to small parts that can be choking hazards.

in the US there's approximately 200,000 children seen every year for, Toy related injuries in the ERs. and most of those kids are under age four. So keeping that in mind if you have little kids to be a little more diligent about the gifts that you're purchasing for them. in general, a small child's airway.

If a toy will fit in a toilet paper tube, it could become lodged in a smaller child's airway. So it's a good, I feel like easy visual for us when we're looking at things to think, does that have anything that could fit in a toilet paper tube? not best for kids under the age of four.

when looking at toys, if they have magnets or button batteries, those pose a different risk if they're ingested. and a good rule of thumb to know if a toy has a button battery is if it has like a pull tab you pull off, to get it to work. Most of the time there's a button battery somewhere in that toy.

Little kids especially are at high risk of swallowing those, and those can be fatal if they're swallowed. The super popular earth magnets. I feel like there's been a lot of education put out around those and so the public's becoming more aware, but those can be very dangerous if ingested as well.

because they can attach to each other once they've been swallowed and cause some pretty significant organ damage. and then on the flip side, when you're looking at wheeled devices, if you're buying a bike, scooter, skateboard, anything with wheels for any kiddo, purchasing the safety devices to go with that as well.

kids should always wear a helmet when they're on a wheeled device, so providing that helmet with the device is always a recommendation. and then the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the CPSC. regulates the toys on the US market. They pulled 1.5 million toys off the market in 2024, through recalls.

And so checking their website, cpsc.gov for recalls of any toys that, you might be purchasing, especially if you're looking on the e-commerce market, because so many of those toys are not US regulated. a lot of those they're a part of that 1.5 million.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): Wow. No, that's great advice. that's probably just a great place to start.

Laura Kemerling: Yeah, absolutely.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): Wow. Beth, if a holiday emergency does happen, you know, I mean, it could be anything, a fall, a, a burn allergic reaction, what's the first thing you want parents to do?

Laura Kemerling: The first thing I

Beth Markley: want them to do is. Ask themself, is this a minor injury or a major injury? And if they're not sure, then err on the side of treating it as a major injury until proven otherwise. So when I say minor injury, like a child falls, they don't lose consciousness. There's no bumps or bruises.

They're not bleeding. So what do I do? Maybe it's calling the nurse advice line. if they get ahold of something that you don't know if it was medication or candy. Really, let's call poison control and then go from there. so for those minor injuries, those are some great recommendations.

You know, urgent cares are always really helpful in guiding if they need to be seen by an emergency room physician or if, that minor care is really, just needed there in the urgent care. But for major injuries, clearly, families want to call 9 1 1 or if they feel can get the child safely to the local emergency department, then go that route.

Oftentimes when people are traveling, they will go to aunt or uncle's house, but they don't know aunt or uncle's address by memory. we're usually using GPS or they're giving directions, second turn after the. Casey's or whatever. and so knowing the address of where you are is really important, so that if you do call 9 1 1, they know exactly where they're going and then creating that clear path for the EMS responders.

So, just, some tips when it comes to calling 9 1 1 or going to the emergency department.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): Beth, this has been fantastic information. I know there's a lot of parents and pet owners that are going to appreciate this. Thank you so much for coming on today.

Laura Kemerling: Thank you. This has been nice. Yeah. Thanks for having us.

Dr Mike Smith (Host): For more information on parenting tips, you can visit children's mercy.org/parent ish. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it on your social channels and explore the entire podcast library. For topics that are of interest to you, this is Children's Mercy, the parent ish podcast. I'm Dr. Mike. Thanks for listening.