In a home with a child learning to walk, everything in the room gets looked at again. The corner of the table, the electrical cord, the plant pot, and a candle jar on the coffee table too. A home with a cat is another matter, because cats walk in places we never thought were a path.
You can still burn candles, and many families keep that habit for a long time. What changes is only where you put it, when you light it, and a few small habits that after a few weeks your hands do by themselves.
Where you put it does nearly all the work
For homes with small children, we suggest standing the jar on a surface higher than the child's reach, well towards the back of the shelf or table, and set back from the edge by about a hand's span. That place lets you see the flame from where you sit while small hands cannot reach it yet.
For homes with a cat, choose a place the cat rarely crosses, avoid shelf tops against the wall where cats like to jump up, and avoid anywhere with cloth or paper around it. Cats are usually curious about movement, so a flame within their sight is more attractive than you would think.
The cinnamon bark cup with a lid is the range many people choose for a busy household, because when you put the candle out you close the lid and the wax surface is covered. With the other cup ranges, set them in the place you have chosen and leave them fixed there; that way the whole household grows used to where it stands.
When to light it, and the small habits worth keeping
The most reassuring way is to light the candle when you are in the room and sitting down. The evening after the child is asleep is the stretch many families choose, because the room is quiet then, you sit reading or finishing a few tasks, and the candle is there with you. When you leave the room, put the candle out, even if you are only stepping away for a moment.
The cotton wick should be trimmed to about five millimetres before each lighting, because a neat wick gives a small, even flame that stands steadier in a draught. Burn rounds of two to three hours then let the candle rest, and keep it a clear distance from curtains and papers.
With pets, it is best to open a door or window so the room is well aired and to let them come and go from the room as they please. Dogs and cats have far more sensitive noses than ours, so the level of scent we find just right may be strong for them, and letting them choose where to be is a way of respecting that nose. If you would like to be more certain about a particular direction of scent, a question to the family's usual vet is worth asking.
And for evenings when you want scent but not a flame, a reed diffuser on a high shelf is the neat way. It releases evenly all day, and you turn the reeds when the scent in the room seems fainter than you like.
A few questions you often send us
How do I burn candles safely in a home with a baby
Stand the candle on a surface higher than the child's reach, set back from the edge of the table, light it when you are in the room, and put it out when you leave. After a few times this becomes natural.
What should I watch for in a home with a cat
Choose a place that is rarely on the cat's path, keep the room well aired, and let the cat leave the room if it wants to. For a particular direction of scent, ask your vet to be sure.
Is there a way to have scent without a flame
A reed diffuser does that, standing on a high shelf and releasing evenly all day. A few drops of essential oil in a bowl of warm water is another gentle way.
Read more the story of safety when burning candles at home, how to correct a candle burning lopsided, and choosing between essential oil and a diffuser.