Whether you’re a parent getting ready to take your kids trick-or-treating or you’re someone who doesn’t participate in Halloween at all, everyone needs to be aware of the dangers that come with Halloween night. It’s a whole new world out there these days with everything from candy concerns to clown threats. Here are some simple tips to keep your halloween scary in a GOOD way!
5 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe This Halloween
- Pick a costume wisely. Avoid choosing costumes that are dark colors as it makes it harder for vehicles to see you/your children
- Shine your light! Use flashlights, glow sticks, and/or reflective tape to make your kid as visible to motorists as possible.
- Street Safety. Try to cross the street as little as possible. Try to go down one side of the street and THEN cross and go down the other side of the street. Avoid dark streets, busy intersections, and unknown neighborhoods.
- Travel in Groups. Travel with people you know and help keep an eye on each others kids during the chaos of Trick-or-Treating.
- Set a Curfew. For older kids, agree on a specific time children should return home.
What can you do to protect your kids from “sketchy” Halloween candy?
At minimum you should instruct your children 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 old or wrinkled or smashed, rinse and repeat. Throw out any/all homemade items as you can’t really know the ingredients or if they were tampered with. Don’t worry, the creator already posted a picture of it on Instagram so they’re good. If it looks like it’s from last year’s post-Halloween candy sale, it likely is. Toss it.
When can you send your kids out trick-or-treating alone?
Never. Ok, that’s probably a bit extreme. But what is a good age to send out your offspring into the darkness without your trusty Audi 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 – if they try to convince you that their friends are up the street, go with them and make sure their friends are there. 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. 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. We say know your child, know your neighborhood, and make your judgement calls accordingly.
For more safety tips check this post from the CDC website
Additional questions?
Contact AFC Urgent Care West Hartford today.
We’re here to help!
