10 Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips

Halloween is a time for costumes, fun and gorging yourself on candy.  Being that it’s exactly two weeks until Halloween, you’ve probably seen an influx of Halloween party invitations show up in your mailbox, but most children look forward to trick-or-treat more than a party.

When I was still young enough to trick-or-treat, (and wow it’s been awhile since it was socially acceptable for me to dawn a costume and ask strangers for candy) I was that kid who wasn’t allowed to eat any of the candy until my parents inspected every single piece. Growing up, I never understood this. I thought my parents were paranoid and being overly protective. I was naive (like all small children) and didn’t understand why or how anyone could harm children via candy. It just didn’t make sense. I couldn’t wrap my underdeveloped brain around it. I easily devised a way around this childhood annoyance. I simply hid my Halloween candy and made it slowly disappear. I was that obnoxious kid who still was packing Halloween candy in their lunch come March and February. I learned early on that if I just didn’t gorge myself on it in the week following Halloween, my parents didn’t inspect every single piece. Mom and dad, if you’re reading this… I’M SORRY! I thought I was so sneaky and so clever, and really thought I had proved my parents wrong. I did this trick for years and never once got sick from poisoned Halloween candy! Now in my late 20’s (oh, that pains me to admit out loud) I realize how reckless I was.

While Halloween is a time for fun and candy, it’s a time for parents to step up their game even more and keep their kids completely safe – and to be those “annoying,” “paranoid” and “over-protective” parents that drove me nuts as a young child. Many here at 123Print have children and grandchildren, so we recognize how important it is to keep little ones safe. Here are 10 ways to make sure your kids stay safe this Halloween:

1.) Be smart about the costume. A cute and creative costume is good – a safe costume is better. Make sure you dress your child in something they can easily move around in. Don’t let it be so long that they’re constantly tripping over it. If at all possible, make sure the costume is reflective and can easily be seen at night. Now-a-days, lots of adults are driving their kids around instead of just walking from house to house. Make sure your child can be seen by drivers to avoid any tragic accidents.

2.) Tying directly into #1, if the costume doesn’t have reflective strips or anything, insist that your child carry a flashlight or a glow stick.

3.) Don’t use real props. As cool as it would be to have a dull machete for your child’s ninja costume… don’t do it. Find a flimsy plastic alternative.

4.) Be weary of masks. Masks can make seeing in the dark difficult. Depth perception can get weird, and those rubber masks can get really hot. Look into painting your child’s face as an alternative.

5.) There’s safety in numbers. If your child is too young to go trick-or-treating in a group setting, stay close to them. If your child is old enough (“old enough” lies within the parent’s decision) to trick-or-treat with a bunch of friends, make sure they stay together as a group.

6.) Do NOT, under any circumstances, allow your child to enter someone’s house when getting candy. Candy can be obtained from the porch. There is never a reason to enter a house for a miniature Snickers. Remind your child of this, especially if they are going with a group of peers. In the same breath, instruct your children to NEVER get in a car of a stranger.

7.) Only trick-or-treat at houses that are lit. There’s no law that says a resident has to participate in trick-or-treat. Remind your children of this. Only ring the doorbells or knock on the doors of houses that have their lights on.

8.) Plan a trick-or-treating route. If you have a real little one, be realistic. If your kid is 4 or 5, there’s no reason to hit 50 or 60 houses. Your kid will be so exhausted. If your child is old enough to be going out with a group of peers, make sure you know the route of the houses they are hitting. Set a time for them to return home. Encourage the use of a cell phone so they check in periodically.

9.) Do not let your kids eat any of the treats or candy before you inspect it. Make sure the wrappers haven’t been tampered with. Throw out any candy that’s not in its original wrapper. I would even go as far as suggesting that the bag of Halloween candy be kept out in the kitchen so your kids don’t sneak it like I did. Or inspect every single piece immediately, so your kid can pick and choose as he or she pleases in the coming days and weeks.

10.) Have fun! It’s a holiday, with a main purpose of getting as much candy as humanly possible. Let your kids be kids!”

Sources:

http://seekyt.com/how-to-have-a-safe-and-fun-halloween-trick-or-treating/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/halloween/halloween-safety.html

http://www.halloween-safety.com/halloween_safety_treats.html

http://childcare.about.com/od/childsafet1/a/trickortreat.htm