Haunted houses, dressing up in costumes, parties, and trick-or-treating make Halloween a fun time of year for everyone. However, safety is a real concern for parents during this time of year. Help your children stay safe this Halloween by following these simple tips.
Costumes
Dressing up is one of the most fun things kids get to do at Halloween, but many costumes pose potential dangers. When you are shopping for your child’s Halloween costume, ensure that the label indicates that the costume is flame resistant. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that your child’s costume isn’t too long. Kids can easily trip over long costumes when they are out trick-or-treating. If you can, purchase brightly colored costumes that will be visible in the dark. If your child’s costume is dark in color, put some reflective tape on her costume and Halloween bag to make her visible when night falls.
Masks can obstruct your child’s line of vision, so you may want to consider using non-toxic face makeup instead. If a hat is part of your child’s costume, ensure that it fits properly so that it doesn’t slide down over your child’s eyes.
Do not use any decorative contact lenses without a prescription from an eye doctor. While product labels may claim that, “one size fits all,” getting contact lenses without a prescription is dangerous. Contact lenses may cause inflammation, irritation, pain, and dangerous eye infections, which can potentially lead to vision loss.
Trick-or-Treating
You or another responsible adult should accompany young children when they go trick-or-treating. If you plan to allow your older children to go trick-or-treating with their friends, plan out a route ahead of time, and review it with them. Agree upon a time your children will be home. Send a cell phone along with your children so that they can communicate with you easily throughout the night.
Trick-or-treat on well-lit streets, and only go to houses that have their porch lights on. Don’t cut across people’s yards or use alleyways. Cross roads at crosswalks, and don’t assume you have the right of way, as drivers may have trouble seeing you, even if you have reflective tape on your child’s costume and trick-or-treating bag.
Don’t allow your children to eat any candy before you’ve returned home and had a chance to inspect everything. Throw away anything that is unwrapped, spoiled, or otherwise suspicious. Don’t allow your children to fill up on candy on Halloween night. Instead, ration their treats so they last several days.
Trick-or-Treaters
Help keep trick-or-treaters visiting your home safe by removing any potential tripping hazards, such as bikes, toys, loose rocks, and hoses from your driveway, sidewalk, and front porch. Remove wet leaves and snow from your porch, sidewalk, and driveway as well so that trick-or-treaters don’t slip. Put pets in a separate room to prevent them from jumping on or biting trick-or-treaters. Instead of handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, consider handing out non-food items, such as pens, pencils, stickers, or coloring books. It may also be a good idea to have your children’s teeth checked by a family dentistry like Schererville Family Dentistry to avoid painful cavities.
Carving Pumpkins
Young children should never be allowed to carve pumpkins. Allow small children to draw a face on the pumpkin, and carve it out for them. Consider using a flashlight, glow stick, or flameless candle inside your jack-o-lantern instead of burning candles. If you choose to use a candle inside your jack-o-lantern, votive candles are the safest option. Remember to keep jack-o-lanterns on stable surfaces away from curtains, drapes, and other flammable surfaces.
