Keep Your Kids Safe This Halloween
October 19, 2006
Contributing Writer: Alyice Edrich
Halloween Safety Tips
While Halloween has changed over the years, there are still many reasons to be concerned about your children's safety and whereabouts. While trick or treating should be a fun experience, with lots of children running amuck, laughing, screaming, and showing off their wonderful costumes, it should also be a time to take extra safety precautions.Here are some ways you can keep your children safe this holiday season:
- Smaller children should go in groups of two or more families– always with two adults.
- Older children should be required to go in groups of five or more kids, tell you the exact path they plan to take, and when they will be home. It is also a good idea to make sure your children stay within walkie-talkie range and check in from time-to-time.
- Make sure your children only go to houses of people you know.
- Avoid any homes that are not well lit and do not have front porch lights on.
- Never go into the home or hallway of a home to retrieve candy.
- Always use the intersection and never cross in the middle of the street or take a short cut through alleys.
- Avoid wearing dark costumes, jackets, or other clothing that cannot be seen at night.
- If wearing dark costumes, use reflective tape on both the front and back side of the costume.
- Purchase or make flame retardant costumes.
- Avoid masks that can often obstruct the breathing passage as well as your child's vision to not only see what is in front of him/her but who may be coming up from the side. If possible, stick to face paint instead of masks.
- Keep sharp objects at home. When running to the next house, children can fall and hurt themselves on dangerous objects, or swing it around and poke the eye out of a passerby.
- Carry an emergency whistle and/or can of pepper spray.
- Bring along a flash light.
- Always examine the candy before eating. Make sure there are no needle points or other signs that someone has tampered with the candy and throw out any unwrapped or opened candies.
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Alyice Edrich © 2003
Alyice Edrich is the author of several work-from-home e-books, including one that allows parents to earn $50 in two hours without joining an MLM or home party business. She is also the editor of The Dabbling Mum.com– a national publication for BUSY parents (http://thedabblingmum.com).
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(Repost; originally posted on October 20, 2003.)
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