Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! Glasses with champagne in hand and sparklers.
It’s the countdown to letting your hair down at least once a year, but New Year’s Eve can be a mad hustle to navigate, stay safe and also ensure the wellness of your children and pets.
Whether you are out on the jol or celebrating the back of 2025 at home, it’s not a bad idea to take stock of more than just the year that’s past or the time to come.
Planning, as they say, is the best prevention. It’s also the best way to inject some magic into the night. Especially when there are kids involved.
Celebrate at home
There’s nothing like a get-together at home with friends; kids running around on the lawn playing tag, and the grown-ups chilling around a bonfire.
It can be a magical night of friendship, family, and friends time, without the rush, the social pressure, or the need to navigate one of the most dangerous nights on the roads.
Do not drink and drive
Everyone wants to wake up the next morning and be ok. Hangovers aside.
Make sure that there is a designated driver, stay over wherever you celebrate, or, for that matter, make use of an e-hailing cab.
Whatever you do, do not believe that you’re okay to drive when you have been boozing. It’s a message for every party, but somehow many people still don’t take it to heart.
Also, beware of other road users who may not have been as responsible as you have.
ALSO READ: Babelaas? Here are some hangover fixes ahead of New Year’s Eve
Safety in your environment
Ensure that wherever you celebrate, you do so in a well-lit area. Don’t go for smoke breaks or breathers in dark or poorly lit areas.
At home, make sure all your perimeter lights are working and that any alarm beams are activated and functioning while you’re chilling.
Don’t forget parental oversight
The party may be rocking, but don’t forget that you may have a pool at home, or wherever you are, there may be one. Whether you can swim or not, these are dangerous.
If there is a bonfire, a fire pit, or a big braai, make sure the kids can’t get to it or that they aren’t running around it playing touch rugby or tag.
Open flames and bodies of water present a clear and present danger at any time.
Create a safe, calm space
Not every child wants to run around all night, not every pet wants to lie at your feet while the fireworks go off. Make sure that there is a calm area where kids can settle alongside pets.
Even adults need a spot to scroll on their phones and reset every now and then.
Festive fireworks and sparklers
Fireworks are not everyone’s cup of tea, especially for pets. But if you absolutely have to set them off, make sure there is a clear area within the prescribed safe distance on the packaging.
Be sober when you light them. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye.
Innocent sparklers can cause just as much injury. The pretty shiny bits burn red hot, and irresponsible grown-ups or ignorant youngsters can incur or inflict serious injury.
You’re not a pharmacy
Lock away medicines. Especially out of reach of children. If someone is feeling ill, don’t be quick to dispense medication either, unless you are qualified.
Other substances that could cause harm, like cleaning detergents and alcohol stockpiles, should also be behind closed doors.
Control access, have a safer night. A first aid kit nearby with plasters and Dettol should be stock standard for scrapes and bruises.
Phones charged, fresh panic button batteries
Be prepared for any eventuality, whether you are home or out and about. Medical emergencies, crime, and a heavy hailstorm. You never know what’s coming your way. So be prepared for any eventuality.
Keep your security company’s panic button fresh with new batteries, ensure your devices are charged, and have the right numbers to dial.
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