More Halloween Safety Tips

Last time we looked at some child safety tips for picking out the right costume. Here are some suggestions for the big night:

1. Chaperone. Never send kids out trick-or-treating alone. A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children.


2. Stay together. Keep the group small, clearly communicate with everyone and make sure that they all know where they are going. Cross streets as a group.


3. Carry a cell phone. Make sure that the kids know how to dial 9-1-1 or the local emergency numbers.


4. Only visit houses with porch lights. Children should understand to never enter strangers’ houses or cars even with the promise of candy.

There's no reason that Halloween can't be both safe and fun. It's a kid's holiday but that's no reason that responsible adults shouldn't remain alert and use common sense.

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is a much loved kids’ holiday. From picking out the scariest, funniest or most whimsical costume to the promise of unlimited loads of candy there’s not much that doesn’t excite youngsters.

On the other hand it’s a day when children are bedecked in unusual and distracting clothing and masks that can restrict vision. They are sent out into the night and encouraged to knock on strangers’ doors expecting treats. These obviously potentially dangerous circumstances coupled with the promise of unlimited loads of candy can offer plenty to excite parents in a much different way.

But Halloween can be both fun and safe with just a few simple precautions. The American Association of Pediatrics offers a whole list of common sense suggestions for a safe and healthy Halloween. Here are a few of the most important points:

Choosing a Costume

1. Make sure your child can be seen. Help your child choose costumes that are bright and reflective. Add reflective striping to costumes or candy containers.


2. Make sure your child can move. Pick comfortable shoes and make sure that costumes are short enough to prevent entanglement and tripping.


3. Make sure your child can see. Avoid masks with small eye-holes that can restrict vision. Bring along flashlights – one for everyone – with fresh batteries.


4. Make sure your child isn’t flammable. Choose wigs, costumes and accessories that are labeled flame resistant.

These are just a few tips. Adults should use common sense and always remain alert. There is no reason that Halloween cannot be safe and fun for everyone. For more Halloween safety tips check visit www.aap.org.

A Safe Halloween For All

It seems these days that Halloween gets a lot of bad press as a holiday that is fraught with dangers for children. Indeed, in many aspects it does seem like a recipe for disaster: costumed children in an excited state, running the streets in the dark and knocking on the doors of strangers, asking for candy. However, most of us remember the Halloweens of our youths with special fondness and want to pass on the tradition to our own children, without the fears of child predators, bullies, and poisoned candy getting in the way. A little common sense safety advice can make Halloween as fun as always for kids and adults alike.

First, the costume should be something that won't impede a child walking at night; face paint is usually a better idea than masks, which can impair vision. If you do opt for a mask, make sure the eyeholes are large enough not to block peripheral vision. Reflective tape can be added to dark costumes to increase visibility to passing motorists, who of course should be driving with extreme caution on Halloween night. Any accessories carried with the costume such as fake knives and axes should be checked for any rough or sharp edges and for flexibility in case a child falls on it. A good flashlight is a great tool to have as well, and the heavier duty ones can double as weapons in a worst-case scenario.

Basic safety precautions should be reviewed with kids; no getting into cars with strangers and look both ways before crossing the street. Treating your kids to a special dinner before they set out trick or treating may ward off the temptation for them to start snacking on their candy before parents have a chance to look it over for evidence of tampering. Finally, trick-or-treating kids should be accompanied by an adult or a responsible older teenager.

This advice and other available tips out there should ensure that Halloween is fun and safe for everyone.