Halloween may be a fun holiday for kids, but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little tricky. Concerns about children's safety - whether they are out in the neighborhood or home with the goodies - can make it a stressful time. To make Halloween a good time for all, follow these safety tips:
Costumes
- Keep costumes short enough to prevent tripping, falling down, and other bumps in the night.
- Make sure the kids wear comfortable shoes, light colors, and/or have reflective tape on costumes.
- Try make-up instead of a mask - masks can be hot and uncomfortable. More importantly, masks can obstruct their vision so can be dangerous when crossing the street or going up and down steps.
- Don't use hard plastic or wood props - change them to cardboard or foam.
- Most important...make sure costumes are flame-retardant so there's no danger near pumpkins lit up by candles or any other fire hazards.
Trick-Or-Treating
- Parents or an older brother or sister should go out with young children.
- Take the kids out during the daylight hours and carry a flashlight in case you're out after dark.
- Plan where to go before leaving the house and only stop at houses where the kids know the people. Remind them to NEVER enter a strange house or car.
- Make sure kids go to streets that are well-lit and that they only stop at houses that have their outside lights on (some people don't want trick-or-treaters coming to their house so they turn off their light).
- Remind them not to cut through back yards or alleys (too easy to fall down).
- Remind them to watch for traffic and look both ways when crossing a street.
Treats
- Remind kids not to eat their treats until they get home and then check it all in a well-lit place.
- Eat only wrapped or packaged candy (in original wrappers).
Halloween can be a lot of fun for everyone if you remember to play it safe!