Tips For A Safe Halloween

       It’s that fun time of year again. It’s time to get your kid’s costumes ready, buy some treats, and make some memories. Today I’ve got some tips for keeping your kids safe this halloween, whether you’re trick-or-treating with your kids or just staying home, passing out candy. 

     First of all, remember we want our kids to have fun on halloween, but there are lots of activities you could do with your kids besides trick-or-treating. Feel free to try something new this year instead, such as having a Halloween party for your kids and their friends. That gives you  more control over the evening, especially if it’s at your house. But if your kids really want to go trick-or-treating (I would too), here are some tips for a fun, safe, night.

 

SAFE COSTUMES

1. Use bright colors.
2. Use reflective tape on costumes, especially if you dress them in dark colors.
3. Make sure costumes are flame retardant. You never know when candles or open flames might be within reach.
4. Make sure costumes aren’t too long so your kids can walk in them without tripping. I still remember when I was little and dressed as a ghost, in a very long sheet, with the eye holes not matching up to my eyes. AAAAhhh. That was a rough night!
5. Speaking of that, make sure their masks don’t cover their eyes. Better yet, skip the mask and use face paint or makeup.
6. Be careful of too much face paint around eyes.  This could cause infections.You don’t want your kids looking like zombies at school the next day.
7. Double- tie shoelaces. Again, no tripping.
8.  Make them wear comfortable shoes that are easy to walk in. You don’t want cranky kids holding you back from getting your (I mean their) candy.
9. No sharp props! No pointy things, like swords, wands, arrows, or things like that. By the way, times are different now, so I would stay away from play guns, too. You don’t want people to be afraid to open their door.
10. Get your kids a sturdy, easy to carry bucket or bag for their treats. You don’t want them losing any of those yummy goodies. By the way, don’t let them eat any candy until they get home.

SAFE TRICK-OR-TREATING

1. Make sure you go with your kids.
2. Trick- or- treat in your own neighborhood or a neighborhood you’re familiar with.
3. Only trick- or- treat in well lit areas.
4. Trick- or-treat in groups with other parents and their kids. There’s safety in numbers, and it’s more fun!
5. Take a flashlight and maybe even small flashlights for your kids to carry.
6. Don’t go to dark houses. Its just too creepy!
7. Make kids look both ways before crossing the street. It’s an old rule, but still very important.
8. Don’t let kids run across yards. Tell them to stay on sidewalks, or at least on the edge of the road.
9. Don’t let them cross between parked cars.
10. Watch for cars backing up, especially in driveways or when other parents are driving their kids around. 
11. Have a “no texting” rule for trick-or-treating. It’s too difficult to be aware of what’s around you when texting. That goes for parents too!
12. Have a “no running” rule.
13. Set a curfew for older kids.
14. Tell your older kids to not take rides from strangers.

SAFE DRIVING

1. Go sloooooooooowwww! This is supposed to be a fun night, not a crazy race for candy!
2. Watch for kids on the side of street. They might not be looking for cars, so you need to be looking for them.
3. Back out of your driveway carefully!
4. NO TEXTING!!!!! Of all times, especially don’t text tonite! It only takes a second of having your eyes off the road to hit someone.
5. Do, however, have your cell phone fully charged for emergencies.

SAFETY AT HOME

1. Make sure your porch is well lit for trick-or-treaters. 
2. Make sure there’s nothing on your porch for kids to trip over. Or parents, for that matter.
3. Do not have lit candles on the porch or in pumpkins. Use the fake ones instead.
4. Always look outside your window before opening your door. Even on Halloween, I won’t open my door if the trick-or-treaters look like adults with no kids with them. We live in a scary world. You can’t be too careful!
5. Don’t let your aggressive dog run out the front door when trick- or- treaters come. He might bite them or even just jump on them.
6. Consider giving out non-food treats instead of candy, such as stickers, small books, or coloring books. Just remember to not give out anything with small parts. 
7. After you get home with your kids, check their candy. Throw out homemade treats (sorry folks, it’s just not a good idea), unwrapped candy, hard candy, or anything that looks even halfway unwrapped.
8. Don’t let your kids eat too much candy on Halloween night. Limit them to a certain number of pieces and make them save the rest for later.

 

     Here’s one last, very important rule: Teach your kids to share, WITH YOU!!!!

  Have a fun night and take lots of pictures!