Important Halloween Safety Rules for Your Children

With Halloween just around the corner, soon the kids will be out trick-or-treating. Though it is only one night and everyone is aware of the extra kids on the streets, as a parent you need to take every precaution you can to be sure your child is protected and kept safe. There are some simple safety procedures that you can follow that will ease your mind as well as provide additional safeguards to your children. Read on for some great tips on keeping your children safe this Halloween.

First of all dress your child in brightly colored costumes. Look for fun characters, superheroes or animal costumes that contain white, yellow, orange or any other bright colors. The dark colors many children dress in for Halloween only add to the poor visibility the driver's face throughout the evening of trick-or-treating time.

It is also important to be sure your child's costume is made of fire-retardant materials. Many houses have jack-o-lanterns with candles in them or other festive decorations. When children are approaching houses they can easily become distracted and step onto a candle filled jack-o-lantern. Most commercially manufactured costumes follow this procedure during their making.

If you are making a Halloween costume, try to avoid baggy sleeves, pants or any other part of the costume. Loose clothing can catch fire very easily.

To help with visibility, tape some reflective tape on your child. Place strips along their back, down their legs and over their arms. This will make your child very visible to any passing vehicles, and help them stay safe while crossing the road. Also place some reflective tape on any strollers, bikes or candy bags you may have with you.

If the weather is chilly and scarves, mittens and hats are needed be sure they fit well. Loose hats can cover children's' eyes and make it hard for them to see. Scarves can blow about and catch fire as easily as loose clothing can as well. Tie scarves and tuck the ends into your child's coat for safe keeping.

If your child needs a face for his costume opt for face painting over a mask. Many stores sell face paints at Halloween time and they can be washed off easily. Masks should be fitted very well if your child feels they need it for the costume appeal.

If your child has any swords or other long and pointy accessories, be sure they are soft. Falling, running and hoping in a car can all increase the chance of someone being poked with a large, hard accessory. Show your child how to carry them properly and be sure they are aware of keeping others safe who are around them. If your child cannot properly manage one of their accessories it is the parent's responsibility to take it away from them.

During the trick-or-treating time be sure young children are always with an adult. Hold hands while crossing the street and never allow your young children to run off ahead of you. Keeping them close to you will ensure they do not become lost or take off with a different group. Always use a sidewalk when you can and never walk on the road.

It is also important to know where you are trick-or-treating. Only go to well known residential areas and be sure to inspect all candy prior to eating it. Check the wrapper that it is sealed well, and be sure all treats are age appropriate for your children.

Carry a flashlight in case you are out in a more remote area where the streets may not be so well lit. Only knock on the doors of houses with their lights on to avoid upsetting any homeowners that wish to not participate in trick-or-treating this Halloween!

Though all these safety rules seem little, they are very important. While trick-or-treating may be fun, it isn't fun for anyone if someone gets hurt. Safety is always number one on my list when going out to go on Halloween night.