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National youth outreach director of the YMCA Gregory Sloane-Seale said in an interview on July 19, "I don't think it's wise to leave children under 12 alone at home, especially in times like these." He also advised that teenagers should engage in supervised activities, in close proximity to their home or the parents' workplace, to make it easier for parents to drop and collect them.
"If you have no choice but to leave your teenagers alone at home, you should leave easily prepared food for them to eat, which would not require heating. If they don't know how to use the stove correctly or forget to turn off the stove, this can lead to fires," he said. He suggested that parents should disconnect the gas or turn it off while they are not at home. He also advised parents
to lock up all detergents and poisonous substances, together with matches, lighters, pitch oil, guns and ammunition. "Sharp objects like knives, cutlasses and ice picks must also be secured to prevent accidents or unforeseen circumstances," he said. "Make sure that a neighbour knows your child or children are home and let them check on them regularly. Call them on the hour to make sure
all is well and leave your neighbour's contact numbers with them in case of emergencies," he said. He also advised that children should have access to a telephone when left alone at home, in case of an emergency.
The Community Police Secretariat, Port-of-Spain offered the following safety tips for children on vacation: edited from Trinidad Guardian, Wednesday 3rd August, 2005 Safety tips for the vacation, By Marsha Mokool, |