How to Keep Kids Safe on Halloween
How in the world is it October again already? Are you ready for the holiday season? I hope you are because it’s upon us!
Cherylyn Feierabend
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How to Keep Kids Safe on Halloween
How in the world is it October again already? Are you ready for the holiday season? I hope you are because it’s upon us! I have to admit that I consider myself lucky. As other kids continue to change their minds on a daily basis as to what they want to dress up as for Halloween, mine have stood firm in their decisions. Our costumes are already purchased! My son is going to as a Castle Crasher video game character and my daughter, who desperately wanted to be the Easter Bunny, has compromised to just being a bunny. Thank goodness for compromise! She can still collect candy in an Easter bucket if she wants, right? So, by now, you’ve probably deduced that I’m going to be talking about Halloween and if you know me, you know that means keeping safe!
How to Keep Kids Safe on Halloween
Let’s start with the basics. I’m talking about the costume. What little goblin doesn’t want to dress up as a witch, wizard, vampire, or bunny? Kids love to dress up, so let them have fun with it; but make sure their costumes are safe. Take into consideration where they will be and what they will be doing. If they will be wearing their costumes to school, also make sure you are aware of school rules. Most schools don’t allow masks, even on dress-up days. There is a reason for this! Obstructing eyesight is never a good idea and that’s exactly what masks do. Kids can see ahead of them, but not around them. My son would love to have a full Castle Crasher helmet, but I’m going to make a mask that he can hold up on a stick and then take down after when he’s walking. When he tires of carrying it, he can just put it in his candy bucket. You’ll also want to make sure that the area around you child’s feet is clear, and that she’s wearing good walking shoes. I know she wants to wear her little princess pumps, but those are not the best choice for school or for trick-or-treating. Also, check the length of the costumes. Hems should not fall below mid-ankle. It is hazardous enough walking around in the dark without having to worry about tripping over your costume. For nighttime walking, avoid dark-colored clothing and have your child carry or wear a flashlight or light-up jewelry which you can easily get now at dollar stores.
Trick-or-Treating Safety
Before your children are ready to head out in search of treats, talk to them about safety. Let them know what type of behavior is expected of them. Saying “thank you” is always appreciated, but also talk to your kids about the dangers of rough-housing, playing, or running in the street, and trespassing. Advise your children against eating treats before returning home as all treats will need to be reviewed for safety prior to consumption. Remind them not to touch other people’s personal property or decorations. Your children should never go into someone’s home, even if invited. They should ring a doorbell or knock once only and visit homes which are clearly occupied and accepting visitors only. Dark houses are not welcoming trick-or-treaters and should not be visited. Let your children know that roller skates, skateboards, and bicycles are not safe modes of transportation for trick-or-treating. When the streets are filled with children of all sizes, these items can be hazardous for both the walkers and the riders.
Finally, I recommend that your children or their adult escorts carry either a cell phone or a two-way radio with enough range to reach home. Make sure that all parties involved are aware of the expected return time and have a watch so they can keep an eye on the time and arrive home as expected.
Do Grown-ups Need to Trick-or-Treat?
Speaking of adults, I firmly believe that all children should be escorted by at least one responsible adult. If you feel your children are old enough to trick-or-treat on their own, you might want to consider if they are too old for this activity. Different regions, neighborhoods, tradition and of course, the maturity of the children should all be taken into consideration when making this decision. When I was a kid I remember being permitted to trick-or-treat unescorted prior to the age of 13. I don’t know if it’s because times have changed or parents simply weren’t as concerned back then, but I would absolutely not allow my children to trick-or-treat without an adult escort. This is a decision you’ll need to make when your children become more independent. By the time they are old enough to head out on their own, their more likely to want to attend a party anyway. Let’s face it: do you really need them to bring all that candy home anyway?
What Do I Do With All This Candy?
Halloween means candy to a lot of people, mostly kids. We dress our kids up as cute or scary as can be and send them out on the town to collect the candy. The kids bring the candy home and then we inspect it to make sure it’s safe for consumption. Then we wonder who is really going to consume all of this candy. It’s not good for the kids and it’s certainly not good for us. You can call local charities and ask them if they will take donations. Now you just have to take the candy away from your child. Good luck with that! OK, I get it. Kids like their candy. You have a couple of options, but the one that I’ve heard works best involves your local Great Pumpkin, or whatever you want to call the exchanger-of-goods. You have your child pick out a limited number of their favorite candy pieces and put the rest back in another container. Your child then leaves the full container out for the Great Pumpkin who will come retrieve the candy and leave a really cool gift in its place. You can even let your child know that the candy will be going to less fortunate children who don’t get to participate in trick-or-treating. You could probably just let your kid know that you are giving the candy to charity and have them pick a gift, but I think it’s more fun to be surprised. The important thing to remember is that it is the Great Pumpkin’s responsibility to eliminate the candy threat in the house by a means other than eating it yourself… I mean himself.
I am really excited to mention that one of my favorite Quick and Dirty Tips hosts has a brand new book out! Stever Robbins, our own, Get-It-Done Guy has recently released 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More. I find everything Stever says is not only true, but also interesting, funny, and helpful. The way Steve writes helps me to remember his tips because I truly enjoy reading them. I definitely recommend that you pick up a copy of 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More. It’s available in paperback and audio book formats.
And finally, before you go, I’d like to make one more really cool announcement. Ben Greenfield, host of Get-Fit Guy, is racing in the Iron Man World Championship in Hawaii. This event includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. Holy smokes! Good luck, Ben! You can track Ben’s progress at ironmanlive.com on Saturday, October 9, starting at 7:00am Hawaii time.
That’s it for now. Thanks for listening.
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This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!
Trick-or-Treater image courtesy of Shutterstock