Remember when the only challenge you had at Halloween was which superhero your child wanted to be? It’s a whole new world out there these days with everything from candy concerns to unknown neighbors. What’s a trick-or-treater to do when all he or she wants is to come home with a bag full of loot that hopefully will carry them through to Thanksgiving Day? Here are some quick tips on keeping your little monsters safe this Halloween

6 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe This Halloween:

1. Pick a costume wisely. Think about safety when your child is choosing their costume. That Darth Vader choice? Too dark. Your kid will not be seen by passing motorists. Make sure the costume fits.
2. Shine your light! Use flashlights, glow sticks, and/or reflective tape to make your kid as visible to motorists as possible.
3. Plan ahead. Tell your child exactly where you will go so they know the route. Maybe take a test run with them a few days earlier in the daylight so they know exactly where they will be going. Avoid dark streets, crazy intersections, and neighborhoods that are unfamiliar.
4. Safety in numbers. Always travel in groups. Maybe get all your friends together and carpool, that way you can also help each other keep an eye on their kids.
5. Download Apps. Register your home on the Nextdoor app to identify your home as a safe candy-giving pit stop. Also allows you to see other safe houses in your area.
6. Make sure you know your New Britain neighbors and the locations where your kids will be trick-or-treating. To help other parents keep their kids safe, register your home on the Nextdoor app to identify your home as a safe candy-giving pit stop.Here are some additional tips to keep everyone safe this Halloween.

What can you do to protect your kids from “sketchy” Halloween candy?

It’s hard to know what’s sketchy and what’s not, but at minimum instruct your child not to eat anything until the loot bag is spilled open on your kitchen table for inspection. If it’s not sealed tight, throw it away. If it looks wrinkled, smashed or homemade throw it out since you can’t guarantee its ingredients and/or safety. If it looks like it’s from last year’s post-Halloween candy sale, it likely is.

When can you send your kids out trick-or-treating alone?

When is a good age to send out your kids off into the darkness without your trusty van with the high beams on? Only you know the answer to this question but here’s a few things to keep in mind. Never send your kid out alone – even if they try to convince you that their friends are up the street, even if they are telling the truth walk them to their friends. Give them a specified area to stay in and tell them that you will be glued to your trusty mobile device with its GPS-enabled app to track their whereabouts. Lastly, give them a curfew. They won’t like it but as we all know, kids need rules.

From Safe Kids Worldwide to AAA, to local law enforcement agencies, most safety groups consider 12 an appropriate age for kids to begin trick-or-treating without an adult chaperone. The American Academy of Pediatrics is more hard-lined: they argue adult supervision – for all ages – is key to safety. No one knows your kids or neighborhood as well as you so make your judgement calls accordingly.

For more safety tips check this post from the CDC website

More questions? Contact AFC Urgent Care New Britain today. We’re here to help!