PSA for those with small kids and Christmas stockings

[AnaheimGirl]

Don't use those heavy brass or ceramic stocking holders that sit on the mantle, with a little hook hanging down from which the stocking hangs. I'd read about this on the internet last year, but forgot all about it until today, when a little toddler in my dd's tumbling class showed up with a black eye and nasty cut. She'd tugged on the stocking, pulled the stocking holder off the mantle, and it hit her in the face.

So please be careful!

Apologies if this has been posted already. I searched but didn't find anything.

 

[golfgal]

OUCH!! Poor thing. I never thought of that.

 

[Beth76]

That's exactly the first thing I thought of when I saw those. I thought "Yeah right, my kid would pull that thing right down on his head." I'm sorry that poor little girl got hurt. I'm sure she's not the only one.

 

[Pooh67_68]

I don't have children, but would still have to be careful cause I am such a klutz, and would do it to myself.

 

[binny]

while I feel bad for her, I wont rush to take them down personally. Its sad that she got hurt but kids can get hurt on anything. What about a tree? What about ornaments? Ornament hangers? the list is neverending.
I refuse to make my house sterile and not decorate for the holidays on a chance that someone could get hurt.

Sorry if I sound harsh I dont mean to but this is coming from a mom whose 6 year old dd got a black eye on her car seat yesterday.

 

[cardaway]

while I feel bad for her, I wont rush to take them down personally. Its sad that she got hurt but kids can get hurt on anything. What about a tree? What about ornaments? Ornament hangers? the list is neverending.
I refuse to make my house sterile and not decorate for the holidays on a chance that someone could get hurt.

Sorry if I sound harsh I dont mean to but this is coming from a mom whose 6 year old dd got a black eye on her car seat yesterday.

I'm with you. Most trees are just as dangerous. And then there the candles, glass balls, etc, etc, etc.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

while I feel bad for her, I wont rush to take them down personally. Its sad that she got hurt but kids can get hurt on anything. What about a tree? What about ornaments? Ornament hangers? the list is neverending.
I refuse to make my house sterile and not decorate for the holidays on a chance that someone could get hurt.

Sorry if I sound harsh I dont mean to but this is coming from a mom whose 6 year old dd got a black eye on her car seat yesterday.

No worries. We all have different limits as to what we're comfortable with. I just thought these things are easy to avoid, some might rather just use a good old-fashioned nail. 'Course, they could also be pulled out and poke a child...

 

[froglady]

Of course, whan I was child, stockings weren't hung until Christmas Eve, so it wasn't a problem. I also used a REAL sock, not a "fancy" one, so it wasn't decorative.

 

[PoohMommy]

Don't use those heavy brass or ceramic stocking holders that sit on the mantle, with a little hook hanging down from which the stocking hangs. I'd read about this on the internet last year, but forgot all about it until today, when a little toddler in my dd's tumbling class showed up with a black eye and nasty cut. She'd tugged on the stocking, pulled the stocking holder off the mantle, and it hit her in the face.

So please be careful!

Apologies if this has been posted already. I searched but didn't find anything.

We own a beautiful cast-iron Pooh stocking holder...Now that my son is 1 1/2, we opted to tie the stockings to our stair rail with ribbons instead of using the stocking holder...specifically because of this. Sure there are lots of holiday hazards, But this is a potentially serious one that's easy to avoid.

(I guess we've also been lucky that our son hasn't messed with the Christmas tree. He's been pretty good about admiring it from a distance. And we put breakable ornaments out of reach.)

Happy Holidays!

 

[lynetteSC]

wow- thanks for that tip! I wouldn't have even thought of that and I am sure my ds would try to pull it down! Thanks!

 

[rnd4life]

We just put ours out on the mantle today and both DH and I were worried about the exact same thing because we have a 3 year old. Think it might be time to find something else to hang those stockings with until Zachary is a little older.

 

[BettyCv]

We have always used the 3M removable hooks to hang our kids stockings. They stay in place great, hold a lot of weight, and remove easily without damaging the mantle. We attach them to the horizontal surface of the mantle.

Betty

 

[momof2inPA]

Those are dangerous to adults, too. My niece pulled one down on my sister's foot two years in a row.

 

[diznygirl]

We use them too. Great minds think alike! We've done it for a few years now and it works great. You can't see them, and you can still decorate the mantle. You could even leave the stocking hanging thingy on the mantle, but since it's not attatched to the stocking anymore, the kids can't pull it down.

 

[luv2nascar]

when my oldest was two she pulled one down on her forehead and split it wide open. Horrible. Now we still use them but nail the stocking to the mantel instead of hanging them on the holders - looks the same but safer.

 

[minkydog]

I work at a children's hospital and we get about 2-3 calls A DAY about some kid who pulled a heavy stocking holder over on their head. Usually it's a toddler. A lot of those kids have to be evaluated because of a laceration or signs of concussion. We use stocking holders at my house,but we don't hang stockings until Dec 24. I like the idea of tying them to a chair--much safer--or just hanging them with nails, like we did in the old days.

 

[disneymom3]

Minky--wow! I am surprised it is that common. Well, not totally surprised....DD did this at about 2 and it conked right on her head. Man, did I feel bad because I hadn't even thought of it. We then did not use them when the kids were little enough not to know not to pull on the stockings. Then last year, DS 3 leaned against the fireplace marble trying to pick up a toy that had fallen but he put his hand on the stocking instead and down it came. We had talked about not pulling on them as they would fall down on you, and he kept saying, "I didn't pull it. I didn't pull it." He was more scared by the bang than anything else as it didn't hit him.

I like the 3M hook idea--this year we will be using those.