A Non-Toxic Holiday Primer--

Maybe you have set up your Christmas tree, or are thinking about it. I recently visited a friend who has a three year old and a one and a half year old. She intelligently had the tree decorated with lace snowflakes and seashells hung from ribbon. When I made it into the living room, the toddlers had scattered these ornaments throughout the room already! I was thankful that they were non-breakable, and made of harmless materials.

That got me thinking: if toys are barely regulated for safety, than absolutely no one on this earth is looking at the safety of ornaments. Imagine, all the cheap ornaments available right now, made mostly in China I'm sure, that have nasty chemicals on them. Lead, toxic glues, choke-able small parts--nothing good for a baby, toddler or kid.

Non-Toxic Kids recommends: If you have kids under three, I think decorating your tree how my friend did is wise. Put only unbreakable ornaments that are cloth or natural materials on the lower third of your tree. That way, you don't have to be stressed out all the time chasing them around or saying "no touch!" every other word this Christmas season.

And those lights most likely contain lead (see this post), so either put those on the tree (wash your hands afterward) and make sure your kids don't touch them, or make sure they wash their hands anytime they they touch the lights. Better yet, if you have babies or toddlers, put the lights on the top two-thirds of the tree, out of reach. I know it may look a bit weird, but think of how much calmer you will be!

Mama Idea: Don't have cloth or natural ornaments? You can usually find boxed cloth snowflake ornaments in stores. Or you if you have some seashells, use a drill to make a hole, being careful not to shatter the shell, and string a cord through it for a cool natural and non-toxic ornament. You can even write your child's name and the year on the back of the shell to personalize it.

If you have older kids, or really just want to decorate your tree with many fragile ornaments made of who knows what from who knows where, it will help to make sure your kids wash their hands after handling the ornaments or lights. Also, if you are thinking about choosing an artificial tree, be sure to read this post before you do.

Final Thoughts: Am I paranoid? You bet. But with all the problems with toys lately, and the lack of regulation of nearly all the products on the marketplace, I think it is wise to be a bit thoughtful about what you expose your kids to. Call me crazy.