Watch it!

One eye on Christmas; two eyes on the baby

Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporter

Every parent looks forward to Christmas with their little ones, it is such an exciting time of the year. From decorating the Christmas tree, to baking the cake, the house takes on a whole new dimension when you have a toddler in the house.

But in the frenzy of the holidays, it's easy to overlook safety hazards. So while you're at it, it's important to keep certain safety precautions in mind.

Dr Rebecca Tortello, chairman of the Early Childhood Commission Parenting and Community Intervention Committee, is encouraging parents to keep safety in mind, plan ahead and have an enjoyable Christmas.

She gave some useful tips for parents about how they could keep their babies safe:

• Make sure the gifts that are being bought are age-appropriate. That is, they are non-toxic and for young children that they don't have parts that they could choke on.

• Ensure for the plug outlets you don't have any broken socket or exposed wires as kids will interfere with them, putting their lives in danger.

• Watch the things that you serve, such as nuts and popcorns etc. They can be choking hazards. So if you are planning to serve those things, put them at a height where the children can't reach.

• Keep an eye on the kids if you will be stocking up on alcohol, it is best to keep it out of their reach.

• Be mindful how you run extension chords like when you are plugging in the Christmas tree, it could be dangerous for small children as they could either crawl into it or trip over it, causing them to get hurt.

• When you are cooking, it is good to involve children, but you must keep them away from the stove.

• Don't hang Christmas ornaments on the lower branch of the tree; children could hit them off causing them to break, which may cause injuries to themselves.