Halloween Safety: From Prominently Colored Costumes to Checking Candy

Although Halloween is a holiday of fun for the little ones, a lot can go wrong.

Until recently, I did not realize all the dangers of trick-or-treating.

Like most parents, I make my children wait until we get home to eat any of their candy. That way, I can sit down and go through their candy to make sure that it is safe. These days, you can never be to sure of the things that people will do.

Do not dress your child in dark clothing. This can make it hard for drivers passing by to see them. Use bright colors. If you do choose a costume that is dark in color, make sure that they can be seen. You can do this by tying bright colored bandana's around their upper arm, leg or even on their heads. They also now make a special tape called reflector tape. You can tare off a few small pieces and apply them to your child's costume, both front and back.

It will be dark out and people can hide in just about any dark area. So be sure to bring a flashlight. This will prevent you from an unsuspected attack. To ensure that you do not loose such things as your wallet, or to reassure that if attacked, nothing will be stolen, leave your purse and valuables at home.

To keep from losing your house keys, place them under a rock, door matt, or another convenient place near by your home. This will reduce the risk of dropping or misplacing your keys.

Make sure that your child's costume is hemmed up around the ankles. This will reduce the risk of them stepping on the pant legs and tripping. Another way to be sure that they wont trip is to wrap bread ties around their shoe laces after they are tied. This will keep them together, so that they can not come undone and your child trip over them.

If your child has a cap, make sure that it is no longer then the middle of their back. This will reduce the risk of them stepping on it and possibly chocking themselves.

Make sure that your child's eyes, nose and mouth are all free of anything that might pose a problem with their sight or breathing.

Always warn your children about the potential dangers such as strangers and to always use sidewalks whenever possible.