Choking ranks up there when it comes to safety hazards. One of the many but more common choking hazards is wicker. Wicker baskets are a great way to give gifts, and after a baby shower many parents end up with many of them. Not knowing what to do with all these baskets, toy’s will usually end up in them. As we all know children like to play with the box instead of the toy. Babies love texture and sound, both are provided from wicker so they are very drawn to it. Little pieces of sharp wood splinters break off very easily and then go right into the mouth. I see a wicker toy basket almost everyday, and each time I do I always find a small piece of wood that is loose already, or sticking out waiting to be pulled on. The other day I was installing a gate for a client and could see 3 story’s down where the nanny was doing laundry and letting the baby play in the wicker laundry basket. Knowing how dangerous wicker is, I kept an eye on the baby because the nanny had her back turned while she was folding the laundry. Sure enough, the baby picked about a 3 inch piece of wicker of and started looking at it like babies do right before they eat things. I called down to the nanny just in time, the nanny looked down and grabbed the wicker before it was eaten. It was actually a pretty scary moment. You can’t turn your back on these kids for a second! This just re-enforces just how important it is to be aware of what can be dangerous for your child. Knowledge is paramount when it comes to safety.