HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS & TRICK OR TREATERS

Sometimes Halloween is a scary time for all the wrong reasons! Children being out in the dark (often unsupervised) can be dangerous.  As a parent, the last thing that you want is for your child to be hurt in any way during the celebrations. In all the excitement of Halloween, it’s easy for both children and adults to forget to be careful.

This article will provide parents with some simple-to-follow Halloween safety tips. Also included in this article is information on where you can order some free Halloween safety cards to handout to your children and to all the neighborhood trick-or-treaters on October 31st.  They make an excellent free Halloween gift. Give them as a treat with your Halloween candy and remind children of some of the simple ways in which they can be safe during Halloween.

If you have teenage children, they are going to want to trick or treat without being shackled to their parent’s side. This is a terrifying prospect, especially if they’re supposed to be looking after their younger siblings. Even the most responsible teenager can be distracted by the fun and freedom that Halloween represents and leave a little one behind!!! Wherever possible, you should accompany your children during their trick or treating.

The key to having a happy Halloween is to use simple common sense to stop any tragedies from happening.  The following tips will help you and your children to have a worry-free Halloween:


•    Firstly and most importantly, you should teach your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars, not talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing the street, and following the correct crossing procedures at cross-walks. Teach children to only approach houses with plenty of lighting and to NEVER enter a stranger's house under any circumstances.

•    Make your child’s costume safe by following these guidelines:

a)    It makes most sense to choose a costume that doesn’t require your child’s head, face, or eyes to be covered. Latex masks, for instance, are really difficult for a child to see out of and can make a child incredibly hot and uncomfortable. If your child is determined to wear a costume that covers their face, make the eyeholes and nose areas big enough to see and breathe out of.  If they are wearing a mask, cut larger eye and nose-holes out of the mask. The best advice would be to buy some face-paint and convince your child to get a ‘spooky makeover’ rather than wearing a restrictive costume.
b)    Costumes should be made out of a flame-retardant material (check the label if you’re buying a costume from the store)
c)    Convince your child to wear light colored clothing. Dark costumes are very apt for Halloween, but they add to the danger. Look for costumes with reflective material on them, or apply your own reflective materials to the costume yourself. Encourage your kids to wear their ‘flashing-light’ sneakers if they own a pair!
d)    Choose a costume for your child that fits. If your child’s costume is dragging on the ground then they’re likely to trip on it!

•    Do not let your child carry any real knives or weapons!!! If your child is carrying a prop such as a knife or sword, make sure that it is smooth and flexible. Even a wooden or plastic weapon has the potential to cause injury. If in doubt, don’t let your child carry any such item.

•    It's best to let the kids clean a pumpkin and draw a face on it, rather than let them actually carve a pumpkin.  Carving the pumpkin together with your child would be a fun alternative!

•    An adult should accompany younger children at all times. If responsible young adults are supervising younger children, make sure that they carry a flashlight with fresh batteries and a cell phone so that they can easily be spotted and reached

•    Don’t let your older child stay out for an extended period. Make sure that they have a set time to be home.

•    Plan ahead and discuss the route of your trick or treating. Stress the importance of not ‘veering off’ into any unfamiliar yards or alleyways. Allocate a ‘well lit’ and familiar place for everyone to meet-up, should anyone get separated.

•    If you live on a busy road with few sidewalks and heavy traffic it would be advisable to trick or treat somewhere else! Driving to a relative’s house and trick or treating in a quieter neighborhood may be preferable.

•    If this is not possible, make sure that your child knows how to walk on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic where sidewalks are not available.

•    Insist that your children don’t eat their candy before they return home. Check all candy for possible tampering.  Don’t let your child eat any candy that is not wrapped.

Make your children aware of the do’s and don’ts of Halloween. You will feel far happier on October 31st, knowing that your children understand the potential dangers that Halloween night brings.

Go to OvernightPrints.com to order your Free Halloween Safety Cards. These cards are great little kid-friendly Halloween guides to being safe during Halloween.