The most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful — particularly when it comes to keeping your kids safe through parties, presents, travel and meals. Follow these tips to protect your little ones during this holiday season.

Electronic gifts

• About 70 percent of child-related electrical accidents occur at home when adult supervision is present, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. So, make sure those new toys don’t pose a danger.
• Electric-powered toys and other devices can be extremely hazardous if improperly used or used without proper supervision.
• An adult should supervise the use of any electrical product. Consider both the maturity of the child and the nature of the toy when deciding how much supervision is required.
• Do not buy an electrical toy, or any toy, for a child too young to use it safely. Always check the age recommendation on the package and remember that this is a minimum age recommendation. You should take into account your child’s capabilities.
• Never give any child under 10 years old a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, choose toys that are battery operated.
• Make sure all electrical toys bear a fire safety label from an independent testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
• Inspect all electrical toys periodically. Repair, replace or discard deteriorating toys.
• Ban play with electrical toys near water, and make sure your children understand that water and electricity don’t mix.
• All electrical toys should be put away in a dry storage area out of reach of younger children immediately after use.

Decorating safely

• Christmas, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day lead the year for candle fires, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International. Make sure your festive decorations are free of safety hazards.
• Read manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels for any decoration that will be used around young children, like electronic trains or animatronic dolls.
• Keep candles, matches and lighters out of reach, and never leave children unsupervised when candles are lit.
• Instead of traditional candles, try using battery-operated candles.
• Cover any unused outlets on extension cords with plastic caps or electrical tape to prevent children from coming in contact with a live circuit.
• Place electrical cords out of reach of small children.
• Never allow children to play with lights, electrical decorations or cords.

Cooking                                         

Here are some safety tips to keep little kitchen helpers in check:

• Never leave the kitchen when something’s cooking. A fire or accident can happen in an instant. 
• Keep children at least three feet away from all cooking appliances.
• Never hold a child while cooking or when removing hot food from the microwave, oven or stove.
• Turn pot handles in, away from reaching hands.
• Use the back burners on the cooktop whenever possible.
• Hot tap water scalds can be prevented by lowering the setting on water heater thermostats to 120 F or below by installing anti-scald devices in water faucets.
• Once your holiday meal is ready, check that the stove and oven are turned off and that other kitchen appliances are unplugged and out of reach.