It’s Thanksgiving — a time to reflect on the past year and be thankful for the important things in life, like family. And when it comes to your loved ones, there’s nothing more important than keeping them safe.
Turns out Thanksgiving is one of the most dangerous holidays of the year. So how can you stay safe on Turkey day? We’ve put together some Thanksgiving safety tips for you to safeguard yourself and those you love.
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Is Thanksgiving Really That Dangerous?
We know what you’re thinking. Thanksgiving holiday safety tips? What makes Thanksgiving so special?
But did you know that Thanksgiving is the third most dangerous holiday? New Year and Independence Day are the only ones that are ahead of it. Statistics show that about 400-550 deaths happen on Thanksgiving. Here are the most commons incidents:
- Fires — from careless kitchen habits;
- Car accidents — because of poor weather conditions and traffic;
- Football injuries — because it seems like everyone plays football on Thanksgiving, even people who have no business playing football;
- Food poisoning — from careless cooking or a lack of knowledge;
- Theft — ok, this isn’t an injury, but getting robbed can hurt.
But don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of Thanksgiving tips to keep you and your kids safe, whether you’re at home or away.
7 Thanksgiving Tips to Help Everyone Be Safe
Never leave your stove unattended
One word of Thanksgiving fire safety advice? Don’t. Leaving the stove unattended is a fire hazard, so always be close by while you’re cooking. For extra peace of mind, consider getting a smart smoke detector, like Nest Protect.
When connected to the Internet, it alerts you on your phone if there’s smoke (and in some cases, carbon monoxide too) so you can get your kids out of the house as quickly as possible.
Cook your food properly
Great advice for any day of the week, it’s important to cook your food to the correct temperature, especially things like turkey. If you’re cooking lots of items simultaneously, it can be tough to remember which dish needs to be cooked for which duration.
Rather than relying on your brain to make sure you’re adhering to Thanksgiving cooking safety, let something like Google Home, Amazon Echo, or HomePod do the work for you. You can set timers on each device — and even give them names. So when your turkey’s ready, your smart speaker can announce it.
Install a video doorbell
You might be expecting family and friends for Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean everyone who’s about to knock on your door is there to feast on your food. They might be there to gobble up your belongings. Burglaries during Thanksgiving are more common than you think. And if you leave your door unlocked, intruders can just walk on in.
That’s why video doorbells like Ring or Nest Hello are great options. When someone comes to the door, you can see their face — and interact with them. If you’re home, you don’t have to get up and answer the door. And if you’re away, they might assume you’re home and move onto the next house.
What’s more, if your kids are home alone, you can answer the door remotely, so whoever’s at the door will think an adult is home.
Brush up on your first-aid training
People love to gorge on Thanksgiving. And unfortunately, that can lead to choking. It’s always good to know how to save someone from choking, especially children who love to stuff their faces. But it’s especially important on occasions when you’re entertaining.
If you don’t have time to take a first aid course, consider looking at this step-by-step guide to dealing with a choking emergency.
Be careful on the roads
Traveling for the holidays? Weather conditions can change on a dime — and you never know when you might get stuck or have to deal with traffic caused by Thanksgiving accidents.
According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, “the day before Thanksgiving sees more impaired-related crashes than any other day of the year,” says Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred “Those who choose to drive under the influence of alcohol or any other drugs are a danger to themselves, their passengers and others on the road.”
Having an emergency kit in your car is number one from thanksgiving travel safety tips. It’s also a smart idea to make sure you have granola bars and other treats that can nourish your kids.
Do not leave dangerous items within easy reach of a child
Thanksgiving is a family holiday and your kids will always be around. And if don’t want them to get injured, you have to keep kitchen utensils like knives, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer away from them. The same goes for matches and utility lighters.
If you’re alone in the kitchen and there is no one to watch your kids, keep them occupied with interesting activities. Make sure you can see them to prevent some accidents.
Keep tabs on your kids with a parental control app
Life gets busy during Thanksgiving and it’s not always easy to keep track of what your kids are doing while you’re cooking, cleaning, and entertaining.
In fact, sometimes it’s just a little bit easier to send them out of the house. But you can give them freedom to roam without having to worry, especially with a parental control app like mSpy by your side.
mSpy lets you set boundaries on a map and alerts you if your kids leave your pre-set zones. It also lets you see what they’re up to on social media (you can even see their chats, including deleted messages).
Wherever You’re Going on Thanksgiving, Be Safe
Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy your loved ones, so whatever you’re doing with your kids, do it safely. By following our holiday safety tips, you’ll have extra peace of mind for the holiday season. And if they’re old enough to celebrate the holiday with their friends, you can always use mSpy to make sure they’re safe.
