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Remember when you were little and marked off seconds on the calendar with pure excitement for Halloween night?
Well, things are a little different now. The world has sped up, and now you’re in charge of your child’s safety, as well as the safety of any other child you may be watching after on Halloween night.
So here are some Halloween safety tips to follow for a fun and secure Halloween:
- When you’re planning for your child’s Halloween costume, make sure that the costume doesn’t make it difficult for you or anyone else to see them in the dark. Bright colors on the costume are a good idea, or even reflective wear. Cars are still on the road during Halloween, and others are out and about, energized and running around. It’s crucial that you and others can see your child in the dark.
- Choose non-toxic makeup and decorative hats over masks. Masks could make it difficult for your child to see.
- When shopping for a costume, always look for the label “flame resistant”.
- Avoid adding toy props that might be long are sharp to your child’s costume. If they’re running around, they may end up tripping and if their toy is too long or sharp it could injure them or someone else.
- We recommend avoiding the use of decorative contact lenses as part of your child’s costume. These can cause pain, inflammation, and eye disorders/infections that could lead to permanent vision loss.
- Review with your children, repeatedly, how to call 911 or their local emergency number if they get lost.
- Only cross the street as a group in an established crosswalk zone. Never cross between parked cars or out of driveways.
- Pay no attention to right-of-way on Halloween. Motorists will likely be having trouble already driving around neighborhoods with all the pedestrians. Always wait until you’re 100% sure you and your children can cross.
- Only go up to houses with lights on their porches. If they don’t have a light on, they’re likely not home or giving out candy. And you need to be able to fully see your child on every porch they trick-or-treat at.
- Make sure your child knows never to enter a house. Even with a watchful eye on them, they should know when it’s time to say “thank you”, and move on.
- This is especially important if your teen is out trick-or-treating on their own – they must know how important it is to stay outside of each house they visit.
- If you must use your cell phone for any reason, make sure you stop your child first and hold tight to them. If you’re watching after a crowd of children, only use your cell phone if it’s an emergency. It can be easy to lose track of a group of children in the dark, especially when everyone is in costume.
- If you are watching after a group, take a mental note of all their costumes before beginning the night. Take pictures of all of them if need be. This could help you keep track of them.
- If you’re driving, get rid of any distractions in your car (loud music, cell phones, anything that may block your view, etc.). As a driver, it’s also up to you to keep the pedestrians on the roads safe. Drive slow with a watchful eye, make sure your headlights are on, and keep distance between you and pedestrians/other cars (moving or not). Slow down before you pass cars parked on the side of the road just in case there is are pedestrians about to cross the road in between or behind cars where you can’t see them (or they you).
- Inspect your child’s candy before you let them eat any of it, and make sure they know that you must do this first or they won’t be able to have the candy.
- Discard any candy that’s even slightly unwrapped.
- Children under four years old shouldn’t have popcorn or hard candy since both can be choking hazards.
- If you are handing out candy, always look out the window to make sure there are children at your door. Perpetrators may be out – stay cautious.
- If your child is going out alone, make sure you know where they are headed off to. If you feel it necessary, install a tracking app like TeenSafe to track where you child is.
- Download an app such as Safe Neighborhood (either on your phone if you’re watching your child, or on your teen’s phone if they’re out on their own). This app lists exactly where convicted child predators live – homes to avoid.
- Consider purchasing these apps which are designed to essentially “watch over you”. They can come in handy on Halloween. Some will trigger an emergency toward the police if your child doesn’t tell the app they’re safe or home within an allotted time-period. You’ll have to explain these apps to your children in depth and make sure they know how important they are.
Halloween is all about fun. But safety is priority #1. These tips can come in handy for everyone on Halloween night. We understand why many parents fret Halloween, knowing that the world can be a dangerous place and that Halloween is one of the top 3 most dangerous holidays. You shouldn’t want your child fretting this night too; this holiday should be pure fun for them. So keep them safe, as well as yourself.
We hope you have a fun and safe holiday. Happy Halloween!
