Halloween is a time where children are excited, but parents are nervous. There are many potential dangers on Halloween, especially while your child is trick or treating. Once your child finds a costume they love and you’re ready to go, don’t forget to keep a few things in mind.

Have Adult Supervision at All Times

While your children are walking around trick or treating, make sure you’re walking around with them. If your child wants to walk with their friends, you can stay a few steps behind, but never let them out of your view. Adult supervision means diligent watching, looking, and listening. It can be easy to get distracted by conversation with other parents or your phone, but looking away from your child even for a second is enough time for something to happen. If your child is very young, you should hold their hand the entire time they trick or treat, especially as they walk up to somebody’s door.

Check the Candy

It may be tempting for your child to eat candy as soon as they get it, but that’s not safe. Before your child eats any candy, you need to check all of it thoroughly. Look for opened packaging, or packaging that looks like it’s been opened and resealed. This rule applies to children of all ages because the candy that is tampered with is typically given out randomly, meaning there’s no way to know if your child has received bad candy or not without checking it.

Buddy System

If your child is old enough that you trust them to safely go trick or treating alone or with friends, they should utilize the buddy system. Their buddy should be someone you know and are comfortable with. Create a specified route before your child starts walking so that if they aren’t home when they should be, you know where they might be. It’s a good idea to keep this route close to your own home and check in with them as they walk if they have a cell phone. The area you live in may have a large impact on rather or not you’re ever comfortable with your child using the buddy system without parental supervision. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea, don’t do it.