For many kids, Halloween is a fun time of year. They get to dress up and go collect candy with their friends and family. However, Halloween night can be somewhat chaotic, and presents many risks. Be careful this year and teach your kids how to be safe. You’ll have a fun and low-stress Halloween if you follow these basic safety tips for your family.
Costumes
Choose fire-safe costumes every year. While kids don’t tend to carry candles, parties and decorations may still involve open flames. This goes for wigs and accessories as well.
Masks can make it hard to see, so where possible, use face paint.
Before Trick-or-Treating
Are your kids very young? Always send a responsible adult to accompany them. Even groups of young children should not go out alone.
Before sending your kids out, set a time to come home. Plan the route and make sure adults know where the children are going.
If your kids are going alone, teach them never to enter another adult’s house or car.
During Trick-or-Treating
If your older children are going out without an adult, tell them to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas. Halloween–or any time in the dark–is not the time to go exploring.
No child should go out alone. Find another group or a responsible adult or sibling to accompany your child.
Use reflective tape on costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks or flashlights. Halloween night is usually dark, and using lights or reflective tape will make them much easier to see.
While trick-or-treating, teach your children to walk, not run. Running increases the chance of tripping on a costume or over an obstacle in the dark, like a decoration. Along with this, impress on them that it’s important to keep their eyes off their phones and on their path. This other distraction can be dangerous when crossing roads or when going near Halloween decor.
Don’t approach animals on Halloween night, especially dogs. Many of them are already stressed, and may behave unpredictably.
Finally, encourage your kids to leave the candy in their bag until they get home. This will give you the chance to check it for any suspicious additions.
For Parents on the Road
Halloween can be a stressful time to drive. It’s full of distractions combined with the need to be extra careful. But if you need to drive on Halloween night, keep an eye out! Watch out on roadways, curbs, and medians for children waiting to cross. They may not be paying attention, so you should be extra alert.
Keep an eye out for children in dark clothing. Kids will always dress up as ninjas and other figures in black, and may not carry glow sticks. If you’re on a street where kids may be trick-or-treating, drive slow and avoid all distractions.
Only careful, experienced drivers should operate a vehicle on Halloween night. This is not the night to introduce a young driver to such a stressful situation.
Welcoming Trick-or-Treaters
Make your home safe and inviting for children out collecting candy! On a dark night, it’s important to keep your area well-lit. This includes sidewalks and other walkways where you can do so.
Sweep leaves and clear other obstacles from all paths and walkways. If you have decorations on your front lawn that might provide a tripping hazard, find a way to keep kids off the lawn and to the path, such as decorative Caution tape or other reflective barriers.
When Halloween Fun Ends
Check all candy before your children can start eating it. Discard candy which is suspicious or which might affect any allergies your child has.
Don’t let your kids sleep in their costumes. These costumes often involve jewelry, trains, and capes that could be hazardous while sleeping.
Remove all makeup before bedtime. Makeup and hair products can cause skin and eye irritation. Not to mention the mess greasepaint and other standard Halloween cosmetics will leave on pillows and sheets!
Pet Safety
Prior to Halloween, make sure your pets have proper identification like microchips, collars, and tags.
Bring your pets in before evening. If possible, leave them inside all day so that you aren’t trying to bring them in during any evening or after-school stress.
Restrain your pets in another room with a closed door. Some children may be frightened by animals like dogs, or your dog might be alarmed by so many strangers. Both children and animals could react unpredictably in such a situation, so a separate room is smartest. Even if your pets have no behavior issues, this is a wise choice because pets of any size might find a way out of the house while you’re distracted. For cats and small dogs, this can be especially dangerous.
Putting a costume on your pet? Make sure that it fits right and is comfortable for your pet. You don’t want any parts that interfere with your pet’s breathing, motion, sight, or hearing. Also, let him or her get accustomed to the costume before Halloween. Whenever your pet is dressed up, do not leave him or her unsupervised.
Finally, keep glow sticks, chocolate, xylitol, and other candy away from your pet. These can be harmful to your pet if he or she starts eating them.
Happy Halloween!