Safe Rosh Hashanah
The new year is about to begin and in preparation for it, we plan our festive meal and device plans for trips during the high holidays. During the new year feast it is common to serve various food types in different forms, whole or cut up, and it is important to pay attention to each type of dish and check whether it is suitable for children, particularly if they are below the age of 5.
The proper way of serving foods and dishes in the festive meal
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Fish
If a fish head is put on the table, it is advised to keep it out of reach of small children. If you make a food dish, it should be served to children after being filleted (bone free). You can choose pieces that come ready sliced and filleted, and fish can be prepared and gently broken up to ensure that they are bone free.
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Pomegranate
It is recommended to let children below the age of 5 eat pomegranate seeds. If nonetheless you want to enjoy the festive atmosphere and say the blessing for the pomegranate, you can give small children natural squeezed pomegranate juice.
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Dates
If you offer dates to children below the age of 5, it is important to take out their seeds and cut them into small pieces, because date is a fruit with a sticky texture that may stick in the windpipe, causing asphyxia.
It is worth reading more about safe feeding to prevent asphyxia
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Honey
It is important to avoid giving honey to infants under one year’s age, because of botulism, which is caused by a toxin made by a bacterium called clostridium botulinum. This is an acute neurological disease the signs of which are: blurred vision, difficulty speaking and swallowing and breathing difficulty.
Children may be allowed to eat honey after they reach one year’s age.
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Apples
All round fruits and vegetables, including apples, should be cut into thin slices or small pieces that are not to thick, according to the child’s chewing ability. Below one year’s age, the apple should be pureed, with or without cooking first to soften the fruit.
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Cakes, biscuits
if you want, cakes or biscuits may be served to children under one year’s age, but it is important to check that they do not contain nuts such as whole or broken hazelnuts and in any case, you should try to keep the quality of cakes and candy reasonable to maintain healthy nutrition rules.
Keep in mind
Keep in mind
Eating nuts such as hazelnuts, peanuts and almonds may be dangerous for children under the age of 5 because of the danger of asphyxia. If you prepare a dish or bake a cake containing assorted nuts, you can crush them up or grind them into a smooth texture to avoid this danger.
High holiday trips
The high holidays period is one in which it is common to go out to parks and country excursions. The weather is not as hot as in the sticky summer months (July-August), but it is still hot and necessary to follow some rules when going outside to come back safely:
- Use child safety seats appropriate to your children’s age when you travel by car.
- The trip may be stressful for a variety of reasons, so drive carefully and take your time, and most importantly, before you leave the vehicle, make sure you do not forget anyone in it. For further information - prevent leaving children in the car.
- Make sure everyone gets plenty to drink and choose clothes and footwear suitable for the trip you have chosen and the weather.
- In Israel, there is sunshine on most days of the year, so make sure your children wear a hat and use sunscreen, including in the autumn and winter and not just in the summer or when going to the beach.
- If you plan a barbecue in the park, make sure you do so at a designated site and follow all safety rules when making a bonfire to avoid harm such as burns.
- If you plan a trip to lakes, the sea or a pool, bring appropriate equipment and follow the safety rules to avoid drowning.