Christmas is just around the corner and no doubt you are going to be going Christmas shopping for your kids soon. Sure, you are probably going to find some clothing, DVDs, and books along the way, but there's a good chance that you'll be purchasing some toys for them as well. Toys definitely are a great gift to get for kids of just about any age. However, before you go out shopping for toys this Christmas there are a variety of things that you need to know.

There is no doubt that you want to keep your kids safe, but if you don't take some time to consider carefully the toys you buy, you may be putting your kids safety on the line. Not all toys out there are safe. So, you'll want to do everything that you can do to make sure that you pick out only the safe toys for your children. Here's a look at some safety tips for choosing toys, toy safety once you have the toys at home, and some reasons you need to be aware of toy recall information. 

Important Safety Tips When Choosing Toys

First of all, it's important that you know some basic safety tips when you go about choosing toys for your kids this Christmas. Good toys are a great investment, they just need to be safe. Believe it or not, there are quite a few dangerous toys out there on the market. So, here are some simple tips to keep in mind that will help you make sure you purchase the safe ones.

- Tip #1- Consider the Size of the Toys – When you are considering toys this Christmas for your kids, the first thing you need to do is to consider the size of the toys. You don't want to purchase toys that come with small parts, such as wheels, eyes, or buttons. If these parts come off, they can be swallowed. This is especially important if you happen to have kids that are under the age of four.

- Tip #2 – Take the Shape Into Consideration- The shape of the toys you choose should also be taken into consideration. Make sure that they don't have any blunt ends or edges that are very sharp. Metal toys and glass toys should definitely be avoided. Ensure that the surfaces on the toys are smooth so that your child won't get injured.

- Tip #3 – Find Out About Surface Safety – Find out about the safety of the surfaces before you purchase any toys this Christmas. Try to find a label that will let you know if there are any toxic substances that you need to know about. Some toys lately have been painted with paint that was toxic, and other toys often contain liquids in them that are toxic to kids if they happen to leak out.

- Tip #4 – Beware of Strings – Beware of strings when you are purchasing toys. Strings can be very dangerous to your child, especially if you have younger children. They can get wrapped up around your child's body, and this is very dangerous, especially if the string were to get wrapped around their neck. So, it's best to just avoid toys that have strings on them.

Keeping the Toys Safe After They're Home
While it's definitely important to make sure you choose safe toys, once you get them home, you need to make sure that they stay safe. Here are some simple safety tips for keeping the toys safe after they are home.

- Always Supervise Your Kids – First and foremost, you need to ensure that you are always supervising your children when they are playing with toys, especially your younger children under the age of 10. Make sure that kids have a place where they can safely play. Also, ensure that you are around to monitor them as much as you can.

- Make Sure Toys Get Put Away Properly – Always make sure that toys get put away properly. The last thing you need is for someone to trip over a toy that has been left out.

- Check the Toys to Ensure They are in Good Shape – From time to time you need to check out the toys your children have to make sure that they are in good shape. Look for rust, removable parts that are exposed, seams that are coming apart, splinters and other problems.

- Throw Away Toys that are Broken- If you happen to find some toys that have problems, then you need to throw them away to ensure that your kids don't get hurt on them.

Be Aware of Toy Recalls this Year
Another thing that you may not have thought of is toy recalls. As you are doing your Christmas shopping, you need to be aware of the toy recalls that are going on. Don't purchase toys that are being recalled. If you already have purchased them, then you need to take them back and get your money back or get a new item that is safe. Companies recall toys when a problem has been found that is dangerous to children. You should never ignore a recall. Before you go out shopping, you may want to take the time to find out more about the recalls that are out there. Wondering how you can find out which toys are on the recall list? Well, the best way to do so is to take a look at https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. This site will give you a list of the most current recalls out there so you can safely purchase toys as Christmas gifts this year.

Unlike in cartoons, children can’t identify poison by the skull and crossbones on the bottle. It would be nice if they could understand signs such as on the picture to the left, but even if there were such a label, a child wouldn’t recognize harmful substances. In truth, parents are often not aware of the prevalence of toxic substances. Preventing children access to every dangerous substance in the home is simple; however, as with defending against other dangers, a degree of diligence is required in the short run. Keeping complacency at bay is necessitated for the long run. Here are some suggestions to keep poisons away from your child, along with some common examples of dangerous household items.

When some parents child-proof a home against falls, electrical shock, choking hazards, burns and other potential problems, they look at things from the child’s point of view. Literally, they get on their hands and knees and look at the world from that physical perspective. Such a great idea! When protecting against poisons, assume the same position. Go through the house, room-by-room, and take inventory of every substance that may be within reach of your crawler, toddler or small child. Search the closets, cabinets, dressers, behind the dressers, under the dressers, on the dressers, in drawers, everywhere you can imagine.

As the inventory is compiled, there will be several substances that may not trigger your “poison detector,” but that may actually be poisonous. It is a good idea to include every non-food substance in your inventory for just that reason. When you have completed a thorough inventory, clearly label each substance that you know to be harmful and put them in a locked, out-of-reach place(s). Locking storage containers can be found at any home goods or large department store, should there be a need for storage space.

For the questionable items, if they are hazardous it is generally clearly noted on the substance’s label. In the event that is not the case, contact the call center of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) at 800-222-1222, or your state’s poison control center. Operators will be able to tell you whether or not the substances are dangerous. These centers can also provide you with information relating to what should be done if a child comes into contact, either by ingesting, inhaling or touching, a hazardous substance.

To aid in identification, here is a listing of some harmful items commonly found in the home, by no means is this a comprehensive list:

Personal Hygiene: baby oil, mouthwash, nail polish, nail polish remover, skin cleansers

Over-the-Counter Medication: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, cold medication

Prescription Medicine: antidepressants, heart/high blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, pain medication

Cleaning Products: bleach, laundry detergent, dish detergent, drain cleaner, bathroom/toilet cleaners, furniture polish, floor wax

Other Chemicals: Alcohol (both antiseptic and liquor), pesticides, lawn fertilizer, antifreeze, paint thinner/remover (such as mineral spirits, for example), gasoline, kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid, windshield washer, car wax

This is certainly not an exhaustive list and it is meant only to provide guidance by way of example. There are many other things ranging from vitamins to certain household plants that can be dangerous to children and adults.

By their inquisitive nature, children learn and grow. That same curiosity can harm or even kill them if parents do not exercise diligence and persistence in providing a safe environment. Nearly a million young children per year are the victims of poisoning. It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that nearly every instance was the result of parental failure.

Biography

Alan Hammond is a law enforcement official, writer and former educator. Shonna Hammond is a nationally certified teacher, writer and consultant. They can be reached in care of this publication or at ashwriting@insightbb.com. 

No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © 2007 

There has never been a time, at least in recent memory, when our children were more vulnerable to the threat of strangers. Whether online or in rural areas and big cities, we are facing a pandemic of kidnappings; online pedophiles,  and what appears to be an attack on our children. It is vital, then, that you talk to your kids about strangers.

Some pre-K schools have already begun the practice of teaching children what to do when confronted by strangers. This has to be reinforced at home as well. Because children are so trusting, it is all the more important to explain to them what to do in case they are approached by someone they do not know. Here are some of the things you can tell them:

• Never talk to a stranger. 
• Never accept anything from a stranger.
• Never get into a car with someone you don’t know. 
• If a stranger looks nice, it doesn’t mean they are. 
• When walking home from school, pair up with one or two friends. 
• Go straight home; do not delay by stopping somewhere with friends.
• If a stranger comes up to you, run and scream. 
• Tell a teacher if anyone tried to bother you on your way to school.
• Don’t stray from the playground. 
• If a stranger says “Your mommy told me to pick you up from school,” don’t believe the person. Run away, find a teacher, and report it. 
• Walk home from school using the same route every day.
• If mommy is picking you up, wait for her inside the school’s main office.
• If a stranger approaches you in a car and wants you to get in, run the OPPOSITE direction of the car and yell for help.

Online predators should be every parents concern. For children who use the internet; there are parental controls which can be used to block out certain sites. Check on your kids’ internet use; what sites they’ve visited; chat rooms or other areas online. Every child needs to be aware of the dangers of the internet. While most kids are using computers in schools and at home, it is important they know there are bad people in this world; that strangers go online specifically to find young girls and boys. Alert them to the fact that while they may think they are talking to a person of a similar age, the person could really be an adult.

In addition, every state affords your child the ability to receive an identification card. The identification card includes the child’s age, sex, height, weight, birthday, hair/eye color, current address, phone, parental information, and a picture and fingerprints of your child. This is vital in finding children who are abducted.

There was a time when trust was a tenet we all lived by. Today, unfortunately, we have the sad duty to tell our kids they can’t trust everyone, sometimes adults in their own families. How do you tell a child, without frightening them, there are people in this world whose sole aim is to harm them? It’s a delicate balance, and as difficult as it may be, every parent should talk to their child about the dangers out there.

As a father and parent the safety of my children are very important to me. It seems wherever you turn there is something to worry about. We have found a great resource we would like to share with all our readers. Even though sex offender registers have been on the internet for many years, they can be difficult to find and use.

The Familybeacon.com has created a very easy to use map. Based on your IP address it will bring up a map with red flags of sexual offenders in your area. You can easily zoom in or pan out on the map. You can also put in a different area. This is useful if you are traveling, thinking about relocating, or have family in a different location. Clicking on a flag will bring up the address and picture of the offender. There is also a link to the state registry that goes into more detail.  

Currently the following states are available with plans to eventually cover all 50 states:
ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, INDIANA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING.

By Alan and Shonna Hammond

Suffocation is the fourth leading cause of unintentional child death. Not “intentional” suffocation as with homicide, but accidental, unexpected death by suffocation. Most people can imagine the horror of going into your infant or child’s room in the morning and finding the little one lifeless. It is a very real occurrence, but also one that is preventable.

According to a study conducted by the National Center for Child Death Review, most unintentional suffocation occurs due to the following factors:   

• Overlay: When a person with whom the child is sleeping rolls onto and smothers the child
• Positional asphyxia: A child’s face becomes trapped in soft bedding or wedged into a tight place, as between a mattress and wall
• Covering of the face or chest: When an object prevents the child from breathing by covering the mouth or compressing the chest, e.g., plastic bags, heavy bedding or furniture
• Choking: When a child chokes on an object such as food or a small toy
• Confinement: When a child becomes trapped in an airtight place such as a refrigerator or toy chest
• Strangulation: When a rope, cord, hands or other object strangles a child

As you can see, the good news is most, if not all, of these factors are preventable.

Sleeping with children can be seen as a period of parent-child bonding; a time of closeness. But the risk factors outweigh the benefits when armed with the knowledge that parents can unintentionally suffocate their child. An alternative, if having the child in the room with the parent’s is the goal, would be to have the child sleep in a safe crib or child bed beside the parent’s bed.

It is so very cute to see the child sleeping peacefully among the stuffed animals, fluffy pillows and toys. Here again, however, the risks far exceed the gratification experienced by parents. Even with toddlers, who have gained some strength and ability to get themselves out of a tight spot, the same risk is present as with an infant. Even though a toddler will protest when the stuffed animals are taken away at bedtime, it is in their best interest. Parents, grandparents and care givers must be persistent and not indulge the child’s pleadings. Their young lives depend on it.

In the same fashion, fluffy pillows and comforters provide what adults see as an ideal sleeping atmosphere. That may be true for an adult, but it is no doubt deadly for children. Infants are particularly at risk of asphyxiation with bedding that is too soft. Likewise, comforters that are too heavy place a child at risk in the event that their face becomes covered. The increased activity from infant to toddler may be a blessing in some ways, but the increased activity can cause the child to become entangled in bedding that is not age appropriate.

Toddlers and preschool aged children are those most at risk for choking and strangulation. Their increased activity puts them at risk of choking on food or small objects, such as deflated balloons and parts from toys, as well as becoming strangled by window blind cords, rope or other objects. Clothing with drawstrings should be avoided, too. Thankfully, clothing with drawstrings is difficult to find, but some coats and jackets continue to use them.

Manufacturers of everything from toys to window blinds to clothing have recognized the danger in their products. This has likely occurred due to their bottom line having been impacted by concerned parents and advocacy groups refusing to buy their products. Diligence can bring about needed change on both a large and small scale. It first begins in the home. Win that battle and then on to bigger things.

• As soon as you realize your child has been abducted, contact local law enforcement official. Always be prepared to supply a complete, detailed description of your child, from the clothes they were wearing, to their physical appearance, to identifying marks, to their normal demeanor. Ensure officials know everything you can recall about any physical location of the abduction. Also supply any other possible circumstances surrounding the abduction and any efforts you may have already taken to find the child prior to notifying authorities.
• Ensure that law enforcement officials enter your child and information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC} Missing Persons File. Also request that a BOLO (Be On the Look-Out) alert be issued for your child. After reporting the disappearance to local law enforcement, ask them to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the abduction.
•  Your home may contain information that will be valuable to investigating officials. As a result, you should limit access to the home until investigators have had the opportunity to complete their investigation of your home. You may not have considered it, but your child’s bedroom, clothing, toys, computers, or any other personal items may hold clues to locating him.
•  Make sure to get the name of the investigating officer responsible for handling your child’s case. Doing this will provide you with a valuable line of communication for additional information you may recall or receive, as well as provide you with a means to keep up to speed on the progress of the investigation. 
• Make a written list of people, such as friends, family members or acquaintances, who may have had recent contact or who may have information pertaining to the disappearance. Other information, such as persons who have had conflicts with your family, people who have moved from your neighborhood or someone who may have displayed an unusual interest in your child, could also be helpful. 
• Get copies of recent photos of your child that clearly show their face and appearance. You will want to provide these photographs to law enforcement, media outlets, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Also, your state will have a missing children program that will assist in distribution of photographs and pertinent information. Ask investigating officials to assist you in contacting the media, the NCMEC and other agencies that can assist you in making fliers and mass distribution of your information. You can contact the NCMEC directly at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) to ask for help in flier distribution. Remember, while the search for your child is young, the more information you can distribute to the most people increases the chance of a safe return.
• Make sure to keep track of all information you receive, from law enforcement contacts, to persons calling your home. A written record of such information, along with writing down any questions or details you may recall, may also be helpful.
•  The  Amber Alert system has been a fantastic development in tools available to parents and officials who are searching for abducted children. Ensure that officials take full advantage of the Amber Alert system. 

There is never a better time than right now to formulate a plan of action in the unlikely event that your child is abducted. The emotions you encounter should your child become missing may overwhelm you and prevent rational thinking and actions in the first moments after an abduction. Having a formal plan will prevent the loss of time while you try to think of what to do next. 

Our children are our most precious gifts, and as parents we understandably want to do everything possible to protect them from harm. Today, that often includes – some would say is first and foremost – teaching them to be wary of others. Parents will often instill a (healthy, they would argue) fear of others, along with providing practical tips on staying safe.

While the attitude is understandable, in light of the many news stories to which they are exposed, it's possible for parents to go overboard and do harm along with the good.

Childhood attitudes about other people tend to persist into adulthood. It's a rare individual who is sufficiently enlightened that they can entirely erase incorrect views of others learned early in life. As a result, parents – while taking reasonable precautions against real risks – will want to carefully consider the extent and manner of their warnings about strangers.

The first difficulty parents encounter, though they are sometimes unaware of it, is the difference in the meaning of 'stranger' for the parent and the child. To a child, the person behind the counter at a local store may not be a stranger. They've seen Mom talk to him many times.

Still, children are often capable of finer distinctions than adults give them credit for. They can, beyond the age of three or so, be taught that looks alone don't define who is or isn't a stranger. Just because the elderly man looks 'nice' doesn't make him not a stranger.

Also, they can be taught that there are circumstances where seeking the aid of a stranger is safe and reasonable. If they become separated from the parent in the library, the teenager wearing an employee badge and pushing a cart of books who directs them to the front desk shouldn't necessarily be regarded fearfully.

Parents are right to be concerned, but they should also try to be objective. Objective does not mean being emotionally or value neutral. It simply means assessing facts honestly and without bias.

Some relevant facts:

- Most child abductions and harm originate from someone familiar to the child – a male relative or neighbor

- Only a very small percentage of children are abducted or harmed by strangers

- Those abducted or harmed tend more often to be children who display fear or lack of confidence when approached by strangers. Also, those who travel alone are more at risk.

Good data is difficult to obtain, owing to an array of different definitions of criminal abduction. Approx. 58,000 children per year are abducted by non-family members. Most are returned within 24 hours. That's a horrifying tragedy for those parents, but it does mean the odds are low.

However, it's understood that since the consequences can be so severe, parents will want to take precautions even against this unlikely event.

Long term harm to a person's view of others can result from succumbing to media-induced paranoia. There are several, reasonable precautions parents often learn in order to protect their children. Teaching children to travel in groups, to stay at arms length when a person appears mistrustful, to run away and/or say 'NO!' loudly and continually when a stranger attempts to lead them away and other common practices are healthy and reasonable.

Its a difficult balence as we don't want to raise paranoid children, and as parents we should attempt to instill a sense of confidence in dealing with the world – a world that includes strangers. The alternative risks raising children who have never been harmed to have the same fear as those who have.

Dangers are present for the child around every corner. Many of them are the common hazards most parents protect against; fire hazards, poisonous substances, electrocution, choking hazards. However, there are many others hazards that are equally as dangerous. Parents can’t protect children from all potential hazards, but they have the ability to be resolute in their identification of dangers. Here are some hidden danger areas, places and things that a care giver may not necessarily see as posing an inherent danger. These are not simply limited to the home, but may be found at places children commonly visit or activities in which they may take part.

Shopping Carts. How many ways can a child be injured by a shopping cart? Stop counting or you may be here a while. Every year, tens of thousands (yes, that many) children are treated in emergency rooms for severe lacerations, bone fractures and head or other internal injuries caused by shopping cart accidents. The curiosity and activity of small children cause them to fall from carts, tip them over, get caught in the moving parts and be struck by moving carts. Unless children are properly secured in the cart and continually supervised, accidents will undoubtedly happen.

Automobile Trunks. Children love to play hide and seek. In their minds, what better place to hide than in the trunk of a car? Yet, the trunk is often overlooked as a clear danger in favor of the interior of the vehicle. That may be understandable, after all, the cabin is where the things that set the vehicle in motion are located; however, the trunk can become an oven as quickly as the cabin area. Over exposure to heat is the primary problem when a child becomes trapped inside the trunk. The higher profile cases of parents leaving their helpless children inside scorching-hot vehicles overshadows the area to the rear of the care that is potentially just as deadly. Awareness of your childs surroundings is a key factor  in child safety.

Lawn Mowers and Farm Machinery. Many of today’s parents may have photographs of themselves in dad’s lap on the tractor or lawn mower. It made a great picture, but it could also have been a terrible disaster. Due to the terrain on which they operate, mowers and tractors can easily overturn or a passenger, who should not be on the machine in the first place, could fall from the machine and be overrun. Don’t forget the blades. When not in motion, mower blades are dangerous enough. When in motion, they can not only disfigure and maim, but they can launch projectiles at unbelievable speeds. In short, children should be nowhere in the vicinity of a working lawn mower; neither a push-mower nor a riding mower.

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV). Mostly purchased and used for recreational activities, these vehicles are designed for off-road use. The manufacturers of ATVs have clearly posted warnings that children, mostly under the age of 14, sometimes older, should never operate an ATV. They also warn against passengers; however, every year thousands of children are injured. According to Safe Kids, USA, in 2002, 44 children under the age of 15 died from injuries received from ATV accidents. Each one was preventable, because the children should not have been on the machines from the start.

Other dangers are present in the form of swimming pool drains and intakes, refrigerators and freezers (entrapment), the bathtub and the list goes on. Children will be made safer not by removing all dangers that children may face, that being impossible, but by cautious parental viewing of the things they encounter.

By Alan and Shonna Hammond

A lost child is certainly a parental nightmare. Unexpected parent and child separation is, however, not only terrifying to the parents, but also the children. Most everyone has experienced the anxiety associated with the possibility of loosing a child, or becoming lost as a child, in a grocery store, department store, or at the mall. If the emotion felt by a parent at the first realization that a child is missing could somehow be turned into energy, it would be more powerful than an atomic bomb. At that moment, it is critical that parents channel that energy in the correct direction and make good decisions. Most of the time, the child has simply become lost within the store, and the worst is not to be feared; however, it is not the time for taking chances with the law of averages. Here are some tips on what action to take when the child first becomes lost, along with some preventive measures.

The first thing to do is size up your situation. Most department stores and other retailers have policies in place to assist parents in locating lost children. Many stores follow the “Code Adam” policy. Code Adam was established in 1994, several years after the disappearance of Adam Walsh, a six-year-old boy abducted from a Florida shopping mall in 1981. He was later found murdered. Due to the nationwide attention to Adam’s abduction, Code Adam was established.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in the Code Adam program, the following steps are followed by employees of each participating business:

1) When a child is reported missing, store personnel obtain a detailed description of the child.
2) The employee who receives the information then announces a “Code Adam” to all other employees along with the detailed description of the child. Assigned employees monitor the front exits while others begin looking for the child.
3) Law enforcement officers are contacted if the child is not found within the first ten minutes.
4) If the child is located and appears to be well and unharmed, he/she is reunited with the reporting family member(s).
5) Should the child have been found in the company of an unknown person, efforts to detain the person are undertaken without putting anyone at risk of harm. Law enforcement personnel are contacted and provided with a description of the person.
6) The Code Adam is cancelled after the child is found or upon arrival of law enforcement.

If a business participates in the Code Adam program, a decal will be visible in a front window or entrance. If a business does not use the Code Adam program and a parent finds that a child is missing, locate the nearest available employee and either direct them to contact law enforcement, or take you to the nearest telephone to do so yourself.

Again, know your surroundings before a child becomes missing. Ask a store manager if the business has program or policy in place in case a child becomes missing. Survey the area and determine if there would be enough employees present to begin a search of the building. If you are in a small store with few employees, develop a plan of action, a “worst case” scenario. Locate the exits, where a child could best hide, locate the nearest telephone and who can help you search.

Regardless of the store size, or no matter where you may be, knowing ahead of time what you would do in case your child becomes lost will shorten the time of indecision, as well as lessen the heightened anxiety. There is a lot to be learned from the Code Adam program, as there are several good things to do in any situation where your child is lost. Above all else, if your child is missing do not panic. Hysteria will prevent proper communication with law enforcement and anyone you hope to assist you at a time when parents need to be their most articulate.