Halloween is just around the corner and if your house is anything like mine the focus is on what costume we are going to wear and which neighborhoods give out the best candy! Halloween is a fun and exciting time for kids, but as parents we need to make sure our little ghosts, Darth Vaders, or princesses are being safe. At Life Skills First Aid we want Halloween to be filled with wonder and enjoyment so here are some tips to follow to make it scarily safe.
- Costumes should be flame resistant with reflective strips so that children are more easily seen at night.
- Glow sticks are a great way to make your child seen,wrap them around wrists or wear as necklaces.
- Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover the eyes. It’s already dark out and seeing through a mask makes it that much more difficult.
- Walk on sidewalks, or well lit paths- not in the street. Stay on one side to trick or treat then cross the road once (at crosswalk) and continue down. Don’t crisscross your way down the road.
- Visit homes that are well lit.
- Do not enter a house or apartment, only accept candy outside the home. Do not get into a car with a stranger.
- If your child is old enough to trick or treat without an adult (yikes!) set agreed-to route and explain the importance of arriving home on time. Ensure your child is in a group and not alone. (I will probably dress up as a ninja and follow stealthy behind when this happens!)
- Remind your kids
not to eat their treats and goodies until they are examined by an adult at home. Remember to not eat candy that is opened.
In our house my son has a nut allergy so we end up trading out the treats he can’t eat for ones I buy. (plus when he goes to bed I get my fix of Peanut Butter Cups and O’Henry Bars!!!).
This is a great holiday for the kids and can be a lot of fun for the adults too! To go over these tips with your kids make a game out of it. Write a list of do’s and don’ts on a board and see if you kids can answer each correctly, maybe they get an early Halloween treat for all the right answers. Do a “dry run” of your route. Have a safety chat while carving pumpkins.
Have a scarily safe Halloween!
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