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Halloween may be a fun holiday for kids,
but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little tricky. Concerns
about children's safety — whether they are out in the neighborhood or
back home with bountiful bags of goodies — can darken the day more
quickly than a black cat. But not to worry! Following a few Halloween
safety tips will be a "howling" good time for all.
MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS
DRESS UP SAFELY
- Check that the costumes
are flame- retardant so the little ones aren't in danger near
Burning jack-o- lanterns and other fire hazards.
- Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and
other bumps in the night.
- Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot
and uncomfortable and, more importantly, they can obstruct a child's
vision — a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going
up and down steps.
- Make sure kids wear light colors or put
reflective tape on their costumes.
Trick-or-treaters always
should be in groups so they
aren't a tempting target for real- life goblins. Parents should
accompany young children.
MAKE TRICK-OR-
TREATING TROUBLE FREE
- Make sure older kids
trick-or-treat with friends. Together, map out a safe route so
parents know where they’ll be. Tell them to stop only at familiar
homes where the outside lights are on.
- Try to get your kids to trick-or- treat while
it's still light out. If it's dark, make sure someone has a
flashlight and pick well-lighted streets.
- Make sure kids know not to enter strangers’ cars.
- Kids need to know not to eat their treats until
they get home. One way to keep trick-or-treaters from digging in
while they're still out is to feed them a meal or substantial Snack
beforehand.
- Check out all treats at home in a well-lighted
place.
- What to eat? Only unopened candies and other
treats that are in original wrappers. Don't Forget to inspect fruit
and homemade goodies for anything suspicious. By all means, remind
kids not to eat every- thing at once or they'll be feeling pretty
ghoulish for awhile.
Consider this
Parents and kids can avoid trick-or-treating troubles entirely by
organizing a Halloween costume party with treats, games, contests,
music, scary stories, and much more. Make your Halloween party the
place to be! Schools, fire stations, libraries, or civic groups in
many communities organize "haunted houses" and other festivities for
families.
DRESSED UP AND
DANGEROUS?
Halloween blood and gore are harmless
stuff for the most part. But sometimes dressing up as a super hero, a
scary monster, or an alien from outer space — coupled with the
excitement of Halloween — brings out aggressive behavior. Even fake
knives, swords, guns, and other costume accessories can hurt people.
If these objects are part of a child's costume, make sure they are
made from cardboard or other flexible materials. Better yet, challenge
kids to create costumes that don't need "weapons" to be scary and fun.
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