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Halloween
Mind
Your Munchkins
Halloween Safety Checklist
Halloween
is still a night for pint sized goblins, ghouls and witches to
prowl the streets in search of rewards. Trick-or-treat is just
as popular now as it ever was, but parents are a little more aware
of the safety issues involved than the previous generations were.
While some parents decide to skip the whole thing or just have
a small gathering of playmates at a safe home, others remember
the fun and hate to have their children miss it.
Trick or
treat can be fun for both parents and kids if you just...
 Keep
the lights on - both inside and out - to welcome and protect
trick-or-treaters. Many communities have a policy that says
a house with lights on is open to visitors on Halloween - darkened
porches are off limits.
- Be friendly,
but don't invite trick-or-treaters inside - you wouldn't want
your children going into a stranger's home...even if you know
the children, you may cause a fright of your own when their
mom turns around and discovers her ghost has vanished!
- Get creative
- create a costume
using makeup
instead of a mask. The non-toxic makeup available in most toy
stores works wonders and kids love face painting! If you do
use a mask,
make sure the eyeholes are large to allow full vision - and
that they are over the trick-or-treater's eyes. If the mask
doesn't fit right - don't use it.
- Costumes
should be light-colored and/or decorated with reflective tape
that will glow in the beam of a car's headlights. Bags or goddie
bags should also be light-colored or decorated with reflective
tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle
and sporting goods stores.
Kids love carrying flashlights—the beam can help
you trace them, make them visible to oncoming cars...
and if they hold it under their chins they can make scary faces!
- Costumes,
masks, beards and wigs should be made of flame resistant fabrics
such as nylon or polyester. Look for the label "Flame Resistant."
Flame resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish
quickly. "Flame retardant" is not the same thing!
- Costumes
should be well-fitted. Little ghosts and goblins can trip and
fall if their costumes drag on the ground...
- Decorate
the house as spooky as you want... but keep candles, luminaries
and Jack-o'-lanterns away from landings and doorsteps where
little one's costumes could brush against the flame.
- Always
accompany your young Munchkins on their trick-or-treating route.
Consider throwing a party
for your Munchkins and their friends, complete with Halloween-decorated
treats at the end of the evening. That way you can keep the
trick-or-treating close to home and make the route short - just
a few friendly neighbors. The party waiting at home will make
ending the festivities in the street a bit easier.
- If your
older trick-or-treaters go out without an adult, they should
always be in a group... and you should know their route. If
there is a spare cell phone, make sure one of the kids has it
and that you know the number!
- Make sure
the treats you offer are wrapped and sealed, and carefully inspect
your children's treats before letting them dig into their riches.
While home baked cookies and fruit may seem a healthy alternative,
even these can be dangerous treats coming from a stranger.
- Remind
your children of everyday safety ... don't ride in strangers'
cars, don't go into strangers' houses... Pay attention to the
traffic laws - go on green, stop on red and look left, right,
left before crossing. If they are walking in the road, single
file is the safe way to go... with the flashlights on!
- Keep the
whole neighborhood safe by reporting any suspicious activity
to the police by dialing 9-1-1. Don't worry about calling for
nothing, the police are out and about anyway... trying to prevent
any older tricksters from getting out of hand. They'll swing
by your area to make sure that the only scary creatures on your
block are pretend.
Be
Safe and Have a Happy Halloween!
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