Halloween can be a wonderful night of tricks and treats, but be sure to be safe while you are out and about to prevent the night from getting too frightening. All of the evening activities that come with Halloween can present potential dangers that may not be as much of an issue during the day. Here are a couple of safety tips to help you and your little ones have the best night of fright possible!
- Costume Safety: Your little ones will be doing a lot of walking to get all of that delicious candy. So, ensure that they can move around easily in their costumes. Check that any face or body paint that you use is non-toxic and will not cause any kind of irritation on their skin. Help drivers see your children by adding reflective tape on their costumes and bags, giving them glow sticks/bracelets, or by using flashlights.
- Watch out for Cars: Halloween is a time where drivers need to be especially vigilant for children on the road. But adults and children need to watch out for cars as well. Try to stay on the sidewalk when possible and avoid walking it the middle of the road. Be especially mindful if one of your children is wearing a dark costume that will make them particularly difficult to see. Encourage newer drivers to stay off the road to keep both them and all of the people out and about safe. However, if you or a newer driver has to go out make sure to drive extra slowly in neighborhoods and keep a sharp eye out for trick or treaters.
- Supervision: be sure that your young children are with a trusted adult to watch them as they collect their goodies. If your child is old enough to go trick or treating on their own make sure that they are out with a group of friends that you can trust. Set a preplanned route for them to follow as well as a set time to be home by. It is also a good idea to check in with them throughout the night to make sure that they are doing okay.
- Stranger Danger: we should always be vigilant of those around us, but particularly on Halloween when large groups of people are out and about. People with bad intentions can easily conceal their identities with a costume and trick people into trusting them. Be sure to remind your children to never speak to anyone they do not know and to never go in someone’s car or home no matter what that person says. If your children are out on their own with a group encourage them to only travel in well-lit areas where other groups are trick or treating.
- Candy Safety: though it is a hard for them to resist their favorite candies, it is best to encourage your children to wait till they get home before indulging. It is a good idea to have your children to wait till they get home so that you can have the opportunity to examine their candy to make sure that none of it has been tampered with, remove any candy that they could be allergic to, and maybe even snag a piece for yourself. However, if you are still worried that they won’t wait till you get home, consider taking the time to explain to them the dangers of eating candy that has already been opened. Also remind them any candies that they cannot eat due to allergies.
At Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A., we wish you all a fang-tastic Halloween. If you would like to learn more about Halloween safety from the National Safety Council (NSC) Click Here. To hear about what Mayo Clinic has to say about Halloween safety Click Here. To explore more of our blog posts, Click Here.