Tips & Treats: How to Stay Safe Halloween

Trick or Treat! Whether mumbled by a tiny ghost from behind a parent’s leg or yelled at the top of an excited pirate’s lungs, it can mean only one thing. Halloween is here. The ghosts and goblins are walking the streets and demanding candy. Here are some tips on what to do and not to do to keep your little monsters safe this Halloween.

• Candy Check - Most parents’ number one worry is that their child will be harmed by some psychopath putting razor blades in apples or cyanide in candy and handing it out to trick-or-treaters. While checking your child’s candy and discarding unwrapped items is a good idea, it’s not necessary to have your child’s haul x-rayed before allowing them to sample it. While these stories rise up like undead zombies every year, this should not be your greatest concern Halloween night.

• Running around the streets can be very dangerous for children.  Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death in young people. When you are on your way out to go trick or treating, take sure your child is in an age-appropriate restraint, and make sure they are buckled in.

• The other automobile danger comes from all the cars driving kids around on Halloween night. Children can dart in between cars with no thought to safety. Make sure your kids can be seen. Reflective tape can be added to costumes. Glow in the dark paint can be used as well. Glowing fairy wings or skeleton bones really add to a costume. Watch out for kids jumping in front of your car. They may not have put on the paint or reflective tape.

• Stay in well-lit areas and go to well-lit houses. The porch or front light on is the universal sign that a house is open for trick-or-treat business. If the front light is turned off, then skip the house.

•Have a plan. Go to neighborhoods with plenty of lighting and children.  If there are more children, there is less chance of having any problems and drivers will be paying more attention. Also, any mischievous children will be discouraged by large groups of people. Check out local businesses and civic organizations for places to trick or treat. There are haunted libraries and big box stores that hand out candy on Halloween.

We hope you gave a blast trick or treating this year.  Check out our Halloween products at our store including trick or treating bags, candy bowls and other Halloween decorations.