The holidays are upon us and the one thing that is killing the festive buzz for all parents is stressing about how they will keep their children from getting bored, while at the same time keeping them safe.

Precautions must be taken to protect them when enjoying the festive season.

As we all know, they finish school before parents finish work and they start school again only after parents have gone back to work.

Vigilance is key to protecting children over the school holidays, and greater awareness of child safety can assist in preventing injuries and accidents.

So the question remains: How do we, as parents, keep our children safe when they go out with friends, go shopping, see a movie or go with friends on a camping trip.

December holidays are when the most reports of missing children and even children abandoned by their parents are received.

The duty to protect your child falls on each and every one of you. You are responsible to ensure that your child knows the basic safety rules.

Something as simple as keeping the gates and doors locked when they are home alone and not to let any strangers inside could possibly be the one thing that saves their lives. They need to memorise all emergency numbers or even just have them saved on their phone as a backup. In addition, children should be taught about:

• Stranger danger and sharing sensitive information, particularly over social media;
• An evacuation plan in case there is an emergency at home;
• Cooking and using kitchen appliances safely; and

• To stay in groups when out with friends.