Celebrating the Yuletide Season always comes with a sense of excitement and anticipation. The fun lively atmosphere, classic, festive Christmas colors combined with the warmth and loving company of family and friends is what makes up a traditional Christmas celebration.
The most exciting part, for all (i guess) is gathering around the table to share a sumptuous holiday meal.
If you are the mother, the chef in the family, or simply the one in charge with the kitchen, I’m pretty sure you can relate with the pressure… of putting your own spin to make sure that everything is just perfect, from the food preparations to the table setting.
Sounds easy? Yes. Until you come to realize that it’s a lot different when there’s children especially a toddler in the house.
Setting up the Christmas table has never been this challenging with a toddler who thinks the Christmas ornaments theys see are for them to play with, and those Christmas plates, those extremely fragile dinnerware that you just bring out during Christmas are ohhhh-my!… Let me put it this way, Holiday bling-blings and children can really be an unsafe combination.
Don’t get me wrong, though. This is not an issue at all to me. I have come up with this post, to try to share my note worthy tips on getting your table ready for The Holidays. After all Christmas are for children to enjoy most especially.
Consider “Less is More”
I’m sure you may get tempted, to make your table look like the “center of the universe” on Christmas day. You put just about every holiday elements on it to make it look festive enough for everyone to feast on and enjoy. To save us from any possible mishaps. We should be mindful of things that may pose risk to the children’s safety, like setting-up those cutlery on the table. For the little ones who are just beginning to feed themselves, be on guard with the forks and knives. Should the baby insist on having equal rights amongst his elder dining companions, say, to use a steak knife (haha), then let him use with your supervision, the disposable ones (the ones that could barely cut a marshmallow). Be mindful that at any time your kid may just pull your table liner out of the blue while having dinner. The lesser breakable ornament you put as your centerpiece, the lesser the possible damage just in case. Why not scatter some chocolate gold coins, or candy canes at the center instead, to make the holiday table look more kid-friendly?
When to Use Melamine Tableware
Instead of those heavy ceramic Christmas plates, you may opt to use those stylish melamine plates. Because of its light-weight unbreakable nature, melamine plates has been a popular family tableware choice. There has been some concerns however whether the presence of melamine in plastic tableware could pose a safety risk to the food we eat.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted its own safety and risk assessment study and concluded that these tableware does not pose a health risk, but they do recommend care when using it. Some of the precautions include never to heat or use melamine wares in the microwave unless it is clearly marked microwave safe. In this light, however, my own recommendation would be not to use it when feeding babies. Though melamine tableware has been deemed safe to use with caution, if in doubt, and you are losing sleep over it, then maybe it’s not worth the risk. If you should buy these durable and non-breakable dinnerware, be sure to get the ones of high-quality.
Home and Patio Decor Center has Merritt melamine. Merritt USA sells only the finest quality products and aim to have the best level of service to help you get the perfect setting for your table at a reasonable price.
Beware of Candles
It is sometimes risky to leave candles burning on a table with children nearby. I guess we must as well balance these two goals too. If you plan to have candles on your dinner table, be sure to be watchful at all times when with children especially, or if you should light the candles, you may move them on a safer location, away from where a child is seated.
Be Mindful of those Crystal Glasses
This year, and hopefully just this year, I am refraining from using my crystal glasses on Christmas dinner. Instead, I will be looking out for some durable, shatterproof crystal clear plastic goblets for my wine. My toddler just need to be kept scar-free and safe from cuts, and glass can be introduced when she gets older.
For toddlers and babies, it’s best to play it safe by buckling them on a baby high-chair. Inspect your table-setting for anything baby-unfriendly. In serving dishes, burns is a major holiday hazard so be extra cautious when cooking, serving or carrying hot food from one place to another. And keep those sharp utensils out of reach. There is nothing like a trip to the ER to put a damper on your holiday celebration.
60 Responses
Wow! Thank you for this very timely post! The bargain hunter in me is itching to go there! 😍
Go sis! hehe you won’t regret it 🙂
Thanks for the useful tips! The gold coins add to the festive mood I think.:)
Your welcome and thank you too for visiting
This is a clever article! 🙂 Good tips!
Thanks a lot!
When you have kids talaga, you consider them on making decision, including decors. I agree with the candles and crystal glasses.. malapit na akong mag give in sa stainless utensils. ;p
🙂
Thanks 🙂
True. Kids safety first everything else is just secondary concerns when you’re a parent.
These are very helpful tips. I’d agree that less is more when kids are around especially in the kitchen and dining area 🙂
True. Thanks sis:)
These are very helpful tips. I’d agree that less is more when kids are around especially in the kitchen and dining area 🙂
True. Thanks sis:)
This is really helpful, thank you sis for sharing this, OMG speaking of unbreakable plates and glasses, I’m thinking on it now kasi naman ang hirap pag maya kid sa bahay very careless basag lahat ng babasagin namin na plates. huhuhu
Yup yup.. Its that time of the year again.. Puro kainan hindi maiiwasan ang mga minor accidents, sowe have to be extra careful
This is really helpful, thank you sis for sharing this, OMG speaking of unbreakable plates and glasses, I’m thinking on it now kasi naman ang hirap pag maya kid sa bahay very careless basag lahat ng babasagin namin na plates. huhuhu
Yup yup.. Its that time of the year again.. Puro kainan hindi maiiwasan ang mga minor accidents, sowe have to be extra careful
Wonderful tips sis for mommies like us. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Wonderful tips sis for mommies like us. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for these tips! We’ve been teaching the 3-year old not to touch things that are breakable; unfortunately, it doesn’t always work because accidents do happen!
Yes.. That’s why we need to be extra careful all the time.
Thanks for these tips! We’ve been teaching the 3-year old not to touch things that are breakable; unfortunately, it doesn’t always work because accidents do happen!
Yes.. That’s why we need to be extra careful all the time.
I agree less is better when you have kids around. Ako, nakatago lahat ng babasagin 🙂 I’m thinking to have a Christmas staycation na lang this year to save us from noche buena stress (maiba lang)
Staycation is a nice option, i’m thinking about that too, hehe
I agree less is better when you have kids around. Ako, nakatago lahat ng babasagin 🙂 I’m thinking to have a Christmas staycation na lang this year to save us from noche buena stress (maiba lang)
Staycation is a nice option, i’m thinking about that too, hehe
Great tips 🙂 I don;t have much babasagin decorations at home since I have two toddlers. Next time nalang when they are a bit bigger :))
Hahaha exactly the point of my story 🙂
Great tips 🙂 I don;t have much babasagin decorations at home since I have two toddlers. Next time nalang when they are a bit bigger :))
Hahaha exactly the point of my story 🙂
Thank you for the useful tips mommy! This is very helpful lalo na my 10mos old baby starting to explore everything he see and throw it away hehe
Salamat for visiting 🙂
Thank you for the useful tips mommy! This is very helpful lalo na my 10mos old baby starting to explore everything he see and throw it away hehe
Salamat for visiting 🙂
Thanks for sharing, I always arrange the table pag Christmas na 🙂
Your welcome mommy anna 🙂 thanks for the visit
Thanks for sharing, I always arrange the table pag Christmas na 🙂
Your welcome mommy anna 🙂 thanks for the visit
Definitely harder to style the house and table with a little one around. Nice tips and love the gold coins idea.
Exactly. Thanks mommy Louisa 🙂
Definitely harder to style the house and table with a little one around. Nice tips and love the gold coins idea.
Exactly. Thanks mommy Louisa 🙂
Ah yes. Much as I want to beautify the house, I don’t want anything that would end up harming my children. I also would like my children to experience Christmas in a way that they can touch – not just see(I’m only referring to the decors and stuff here, not the actual meaning of Christmas), so I let them pull balls off the Christmas tree and stuff like that. 🙂 So yeah, kid-friendly is the way to go.
Very good point May! Thank you very much for your opinion 🙂
Ah yes. Much as I want to beautify the house, I don’t want anything that would end up harming my children. I also would like my children to experience Christmas in a way that they can touch – not just see(I’m only referring to the decors and stuff here, not the actual meaning of Christmas), so I let them pull balls off the Christmas tree and stuff like that. 🙂 So yeah, kid-friendly is the way to go.
Very good point May! Thank you very much for your opinion 🙂
Thank you for these wonderful tips Mommy! Glad that we have melawares to use for this Holiday season! 🙂
Your welcome, and thank you too for the visit @Lally Ruth
Thank you for these wonderful tips Mommy! Glad that we have melawares to use for this Holiday season! 🙂
Your welcome, and thank you too for the visit @Lally Ruth
thanks for this. i read your post just in time since i got a couple of relatives coming over this weekend. most of then have kidSSS and i need to take note of this 🙂
Thanks a lot for reading my post @Grace
thanks for this. i read your post just in time since i got a couple of relatives coming over this weekend. most of then have kidSSS and i need to take note of this 🙂
Thanks a lot for reading my post @Grace