Halloween Safety Tips for Children
Most children see Halloween night as one of the most enjoyable days of the year. However, if parents don’t take the necessary precautions, trick-or-treating can spoil the fun filled night. This is why I have compiled five essential trick-or-treating tips you need to know before accompanying your child to that glamorous Halloween night.
1.Plan your route in advance: I’m sure by now you know that if proper planning is not done trick-or-treating could take you several miles away from your street, which in turn causes a bit of frustration and sore legs. Try as much as possible to map out a route before leaving your house so as to avoid long paths. Also, if there are no security threats, stick as much as possible to the paths that you and your child are familiar. This is to ensure that you don’t get lost.
2. Avoid masks: Masks can make vision or breathing difficult. The use of non-toxic make-up is a better alternative to masks. Also make sure that oversized headsets, helmets, or hats don’t interfere with your child’s vision.
3. Stay well-lit: Make sure your child’s costume is well-lit by applying reflective tape to it. This is to make sure drivers on the road see your child. You also need to carry a flashlight with you so as to keep the path of your child lit at all times.
4. Wear comfortable shoes: You don’t want your Halloween night to get horrible because you want to wear that expensive and classic high heels shoe. It is important to ensure that both you and your children are putting on comfortable and well-fitting shoes. High heels should be avoided while the laces of your shoe should be double-tied in order to avoid tripping in the dark.
5. Do not use long costumes: It’s Halloween night; it can be very dangerous to wear long costumes that drag on the ground. Only buy Halloween costumes that its lengths are appropriate for your child and to avoid tripping, hem anything that’s too long. Also, only buy costumes and accessories (e.g. wigs, beards, or masks) that are labeled “flame resistant.”
6. Do not accept homemade goods from people you don’t know. Although most people set out package candy and sweets for trick-or-treaters, there are people who prepare their own food items to hand out on Halloween. Even though they may have good intentions, it’s probably not a good idea to consume these treats. This is because you may not be aware of what ingredients were used, who prepared them, or under what conditions they were prepared. In order to not come off as rude, you may want to consider accepting the homemade food item and then disposing of it at a later time.