Trick or Treat Safely
Halloween is just around the corner, and along with those ghosts and goblins and delicious treats are potential hazards for our kids. While all parents make every effort to ensure that their kids are safe, Halloween night can be an especially hazardous time. Not only can an ill fitting costume cause trips and falls, but parents also have to worry about safety while trick or treating, especially once night falls.
While it can be tempting to just keep the kids inside and give them candy you bought yourself (at least you know where it came from and that it?s safe!) there are some precautions you can take to ensure that your kids stay safe on Halloween night.
- Dress your child appropriately. Make sure your kids are dressed not only in costumes that fit their bodies and aren?t constricting or difficult to move in, but that they can also see clearly. In addition, take the weather into consideration ? sometimes an extra layer underneath the costume is necessary, or perhaps part of the costume can be removed if it?s too warm.
- Avoid choking hazards. For babies and toddlers, select costumes that do not contain any buttons or other small parts that can be easily removed and pose a choking hazard. Especially if it?s dark outside when you are trick or treating, you may not notice right away if a small piece comes off of your child?s costume and finds its way into his or her mouth.
- Carry a flash light. Especially if you live in a rural area without street lights, carry a flash light ? and make sure you use it! Especially on Halloween, there may be stray items on the sidewalk or on driveways; with a flash light, you can see them before you or your child trips over them.
- Choose an age appropriate costume. While an elaborate costume that might have zippers or snaps on it may look adorable on your little one, it can be a hassle getting them in and out of it ? especially for the very young. Choose an age appropriate costume for safety, as well as to make any diaper changes or potty breaks easier for everyone.
- Stay in your neighborhood. While the stories of razor blades in candy are mostly urban legends, staying within your neighborhood ? and sticking to homes where you know the families ? can be the safest way to trick or treat.
