Child Halloween Safety

Halloween night is one night of the year where it almost feels like all rules go out the window.

Children count down the days towards Halloween night when it is okay to scare people, okay to play tricks on others, and okay to ask strangers for treats!

We as parents spend so much time and energy protecting our children from common dangers in and out of the home for the every day, but when it comes to special nights like Halloween; it can be very easy to forget some of the most basic rules.

Research indicates that Halloween night is most dangerous for children between the ages of five and eleven, and that lack of parental supervision is a leading cause in many injuries that may occur with children on Halloween night.

To ensure child Halloween safety, even more precautions than your every day safety concerns need to be taken, as the bulk of the activities happen in the dark, with strangers, and on crowded streets.

It is very easy to ensure your child’s safety on Halloween night without compromising their fun as well.

The number ONE rule of Halloween safety is to ensure your child is supervised.

If your child falls in the age ranges between five and eleven, then you must ensure your child is accompanied by you, or by a trustworthy adult.

Do not trust young children with older children, as the night is too distracting and too much fun even for older children.

Take the initiative and the responsibility and attend this event with your child. When years pass and you look back, you will be happy that you did.

Here are some basic child Halloween safety tips for the remainder of the evening.

• Ensure that your child is provided with all of the reflective materials that they need when they are walking in the dark. Put reflective tape and markings on their costumes as discreetly as you can. The younger your children are, the easier this will be considering older children do not appreciate the sanctity of the costume that they have worked so hard on ‘destroyed’.
• If you do have older children that refuse the tape or markings, fret not. Gone are the days of lugging huge flashlights around. Parents can purchase glow in the dark bracelets, glow sticks, or night wands that children can take with them. You may still experience some resistance, but remind your children who is the parent. They don’t take these with them, they don’t go out.
• Ensure your child’s costumes are flame retardant and are not billowy and risk catching flames. Homeowners are getting more and more imaginative with their outdoor decorations and becoming less aware of child Halloween safety. Jack-O-Lanterns are still popular and these ARE a fire hazard regardless of how safe they may appear.
• Your child’s costume should not touch the ground in a manner that may trip them.
• Ensure your children go trick-or-treating on a full stomach so that they are not tempted to eat any treats, questionable or otherwise, while they are out.

• Do not pass stopped cars if you are driving, as they may be unloading groups or small children. If you are driving, it is best to choose a neighbourhood, and park your vehicle.
• Only visit homes that are well lit, regardless of how interesting the spooky décor may be. You also want to accompany young children to the door. People that are scary on days other than Halloween would like to take advantage of this evening in preying on unsuspecting children, and it is your responsibility to ensure this rule is followed for maximum child Halloween safety.
• Do not allow your children to enter a stranger’s home, no matter how nice the people may seem.
• Keep your cell phone on you at all times, and if you are allowing older children to go out with their friends, ensure they have a cell phone with a full battery.
• Do not allow your older children to trick or treat alone.
• Stay on the sidewalks and do not cross lawns. You never know who may be lurking in a bush. Even if someone is hiding for a fun scare, it may terrify young children and ruin the entire evening.
• Older children should have a curfew, and if they do not follow it, their goodies should be confiscated.

After everyone is home and safe and sound, the only concern you have now is what is in their bags.

Inspect all goodies for both young and older children and toss out anything you just don’t feel right about or is questionable.

Do not allow your children to eat anything that has been unwrapped, or does not come in a sealed wrapper.

These are the basics of child Halloween safety. As always, use your best judgment, your parental instinct, and you can ensure a safe night for everyone without instilling a feeling of paranoia.

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