The day after Thanksgiving is a special day in our family: it’s the day we pull up holly trees, decorate the halls, and make the season merry and bright. Wreaths, banners, elf and reindeer baubles, our fake trees and of course Christmas stockings for each of us.
But on TikTok, pediatrician Dr. Em (@dr.emzieees) wants parents of young children to carefully hang their stockings by the chimney. (For those of you counting: four Christmas song jokes in one paragraph. You’re welcome.)
“Here’s a sign to skip the sock rack this year,” Dr. Em begins. She then shared a photo of her own son, a toddler, with her beautifully decorated living room in the background. The stockings at home were hung on “tiny command hooks.”
“I see three injured kids right now… because parents use those heavy stands to hold stockings. What does a baby do when they see stockings? What does a 3-year-old do? Honestly, under 5?
Hint: They will 100% try to pull them off at some point. Because they are children, and children are chaotic and have little to no cause and effect.
“I wouldn’t put these in your house,” Dr. Em continued. “Heavy sock rack sitting on the mantle: all you’re doing is creating a hazard. Kids… grab the socks and try to pull them off, and the sock rack almost always ends up falling in their face. It’s Leaves these really nasty marks. I’ve seen kids need stitches. This is your PSA.
In the comments, many expressed gratitude for the insight. Many people had not even considered the danger before.
“Never thought of this (and I’m a child safety fanatic 😅),” one said. “Thank you!!!”
Others know the dangers from unfortunate experience.
Another shared: “I have a family friend who has glass eyes because she had one of her eyes pulled out as a child.”
One commenter highlighted the fact that this isn’t just a concern for little kids, wryly noting, “My face fell off last year…I’m 26.”
In fact, this is not a new phenomenon: the outlet reported on this issue as early as 2017. You may even find other TikTok creators warning against using weighted, unsecured inventory holders. Keep looking for “Sock Holder Injury” in the app.
We’re sorry for bringing you here one more thing Worrying about this holiday season—we know your plate is full—but think of it this way: Replacing an unsafe item in your home will take far less time than a trip to the emergency room.
