Tips For Wearing Jewelry Safely Around Children And Babies
Everyone who wears jewelry and has children in their lives knows that children and shiny things can be a chaotic match. It’s like an instinct that children have, to pull on, grab, twist and yank anything with a glimmer that falls into their range of vision. This is one of the first things that I learned after my child began to make full use of her hands and arms. Another thing that I learned is that there’s really nothing that can be done to reduce the allure of jewelry in a child’s eyes. However, there are some things that you can do to avoid the potential dangers that come with it.
Read on to learn how you can protect your children from the strangulation and choking risks of common jewelry, as well as how to minimize (or eliminate) their exposure to the heavy metals and other unhealthy components that can cause allergic reactions.
Avoid Cheaply-Made Jewelry
I know how appealing it is to save a few bucks on a nice-looking item of jewelry, but when you find that exquisite-looking necklace at an astonishingly low price, know that it is likely too good to be true. Oftentimes, websites and retailers that sell heavily discounted jewelry are selling items that are made from sub-par materials. With these items, clasps and chains can break under no tension whatsoever. Stones could fall out with seemingly no provocation. All of this adds up to a significant choking hazard for your child.
We all know that if a child finds something on the floor, there’s a very good chance it’ll end up in their mouth. These easily broken components that are so characteristic of cheap jewelry could become lodged in their throats or, if they happen to find a broken chain and play with it unattended, strangle them.
Choose Hypoallergenic Materials
Stainless steel and platinum are two highly favorable materials that a great deal of jewelry is fashioned from. Their main appeal is that they are hypoallergenic, meaning that they aren’t likely to cause allergic reactions on the skin.
Other common jewelry metals like white gold or yellow gold require some caution on your part due to their nickel alloy composition. While your child might not be wearing your jewelry, if they come into contact with an element like nickel they could experience a reaction that ranges anywhere from mildly itchy to downright painful.
A child’s skin is ultra-sensitive, so what might not feel like a big deal on my adult skin could feel absolutely awful on my child’s.
Choose Rings That Support The Stone
There are many rings that do not support the stone and due to this the stone may fall off and children may swallow them. However, there are many ring settings such as the bezel ring setting that encase the diamond completely and it will not fall off. When you have kids around you should get rings that are safe in their settings like the bezel.
Choose Earrings With Secure Backings
Earrings are shiny and if an earring comes loose and pops out while you’re wearing it and if your child finds it before you do there’s every possibility that they will put it in their mouth or accidentally scratch themselves. To avoid this risk, choose earrings with screw-on backings. These earrings are much more difficult to dislodge, so they’re not nearly as likely to end up in the hands of your little ones.
In all, the message here is to choose quality over quantity. It might feel nice to have a large selection of inexpensive jewelry but keep the cheaper pieces in your jewelry box until you can wear them without children around. When you know that you will be spending time with children, wear your sturdier and higher-quality items if you insist on wearing jewelry at all.
