It’s Spooky Season!
This is my favorite time of year, the cooler weather, the leaves add their new colors to the mix, and of course it’s a time to get spooky! For my family Halloween is an event not only for the kids, but the WHOLE family gets involved (even the dog). If you are anything like us, costumes have been picked out for months and schedules are arranged to make the most of everything our community has to offer. However, even with all the excitement around the month of October and all of the festivities; we always keep in mind how to keep our little one safe as we venture out to collect free candy and enjoy the spookier side of life.
Some tips that we follow to make sure everyone is safe are:
- All the kids under 12 have an adult with them while they are trick-or-treating.
- All the kids know their parent’s cell phone numbers and have them written in their bags or costumes in case they get separated from the adults.
- For the older kids, everyone knows the route they are taking, what time they need to be home to check in, and someone in the group needs to have access to a cell phone for emergencies.
- We only go to homes with porch lights on or people outside handing out candy.
- We always stay on sidewalks and walk facing traffic so we can see cars as they approach.
- Everyone has reflective fabric on their costumes and a light source such as a flashlight or glowsticks so they can be seen by vehicles.
- Once everyone is home, we look for candy that is outdated or in torn packaging (and take the parental candy tax hahaha)
We also want to make sure that visiting ghouls and goblins are safe when they trick-or-treat at our home, so we make sure that our porch light is on when we are home, and our dog is kept in the house. We will also make sure that all our sidewalks are clear of trip hazards and or decorations are safely away from paths.
I hope that all of you enjoy your spooky season, remember to be safe, and most importantly have fun!!
Erin
For more Halloween safety tips please go to: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/halloween.html, https://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips, https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/autumn/halloween