Keep your children safe during Christmas - here's how

During Christmas your home will probably be a hive of activity – filled with relatives, shiny new toys, and frantic cooking. It’s an exciting time for youngsters, but all these new sights and sounds come with potential risks.

This year parents have already been warned about “button batteries” – small, flat power packs found in toys and Christmas lights – after a two-year-old girl almost died after swallowing one.

Here’s a few festive perils to be aware of, to make sure Christmas remains the most wonderful time of the year…

Check new toys for suitability. Some toys carry choking risks, while others may have sharp corners or unsafe packaging. Check the safety information and age suitability guidelines on all your present purchases.

Make sure candles are out of reach. From advent candles to incense, fire is a potential danger at any age, so ensure that all open flames are kept away from kids and flammable material.

Keep them out of the kitchen. Christmas dinner is probably the most stressful meal of the year, and your kitchen may be filled with piping hot sauces, specially sharpened carving knives and overloaded crockery. Honestly, we suggest keeping them out of the process altogether.

Keep clutter to a minimum. Falls are the number one cause of injuries to children in the home, according to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, and Christmas floors are often filled with scattered toys and piles of slippery wrapping paper. Clear up trip hazards quickly, and perhaps reconsider the mega pack of toy cars.

Beware mistletoe. Hanging mistletoe is a charming, pleasantly un-commercial festive tradition, but the berries, stem and leaves are toxic. The plant contains phoratoxin and viscotoxin, both of which are poisonous when ingested, and should be kept away from pets and youngsters at all times.

Supervise electronic toys. From robotic pets to games consoles, most trees will yield at least one or two techie presents this Christmas. Read the instruction manual, and make sure your kids don’t set up their gifts alone.

Keep scissors handy for packaging. When grappling with heavily taped Amazon parcels, there may be a temptation to use a knife. Resist that temptation.

Beware of low hanging tree decorations. Young kids are drawn to shiny baubles like cats are drawn to laser pointers, and a strong child could easily pull a small tree down on top of themselves.

Brief your visitors. Grandparents and other relatives may bring medications with them, and unattended packets are classic causes of accidental poisonings. Check with your guests whether they’re packing pills, and request that they be kept in a locked container or high cupboard.

Generally keep an eye out. Children are not at their most safety-conscious when they’re excited, and when there’s pressies to unpack enthusiasm can be its own worst enemy.