Halloween Is One of the Most Anticipated Nights for Children – Review Your Trick or Treat Safety

My church has a Halloween tradition called Trunk or Treat. We all get together in the parking lot, decorate trunks (or your entire car), and pass out candy to the costumed youth of our church. It is a way for the kids to be safe and still enjoy the holiday.

My husband is a funeral director and one year we even discussed putting a casket in the back of our van. He wanted to jump out and scare the kids!

Thankfully, he wasn’t able to accomplish it.

In an interview with Consumer Reports, Kate Carr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide says “Halloween is one of the most anticipated nights of the year for children, and it’s an important night for parents to be extra vigilant, because the reality is, twice as many kids are hit by a car while walking on Halloween than any other day of the year”.

Here are some tips from the NY State Troopers and Halloween Express to help your family be safe this year.

Costume Ideas

Make sure children’s costumes fit and that your children can see clearly. To prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night, keep costumes short. They should not interfere with a child’s ability to walk safely.

Loose fitting costumes and large shoes can trip a trick or treater.

Apply makeup instead of having your child wear a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and, more importantly, they can obstruct a child’s vision — a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.

Make sure costumes are visible at night. If a costume is not light-colored, put reflective tape on the back and front of it.

Only purchase costumes are that are flame retardant, so the little ones are not in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards.

Younger children should:

• // Trick-or-treat while it is still light out.
• // Be accompanied by an adult or responsible teenager. Go with them yourself if you can.

Older children should:

• // Trick-or-treat in a predetermined area. Parents and their children should map out a safe route together. This way the parents will know which route their children are taking.
• // Trick-or-treat with friends. Parents should know which friends their children will be with.
• // Only visit the houses of neighbors they know.
• // Never approach any unlit house or enter a house of people you don’t know very well.
• // Try to walk on well-lit streets and carry a flashlight.
• // Be aware of traffic. Use sidewalks, when they can and if there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the street facing oncoming traffic.
• // Not accept rides from anyone but family members.
• // Avoid animals and pets which may become upset by masks and costuming.

Check all treats first!

Instruct trick-or-treaters not to sample treats until they are home and the treats have been examined by an adult.

Remind kids not to eat everything at once or they’ll be feeling pretty ghoulish for awhile!

Before eating any treats:

Check out all treats at home in a well-lit area.

Throw away anything opened, partially unwrapped or not in its original wrapper. Carefully check all wrappers for signs of tampering.

Wash, cut and inspect all fruit.

Inspect homemade goodies for anything suspicious.

If there are any suspicious treats, call the police.

Consider . . .

• // Attending “haunted houses” and Halloween festivities organized by trusted community members.
• // Plan a Trunk or Treat Party with the members of your church or other organization.
• // Have a Halloween party in your home for your children’s friends and other neighborhood children.
• // Trick or Treat the local Shopping Mall.
• // Go to a local neighborhood that has sidewalks and overhead lighting if yours do not.

What halloween safety rules does your family follow? Leave your ideas in the comment section below.

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