Safety Tips for Halloween 2011

Halloween 2011 brings with it dreams of candy and costumes for millions of children around the United States, but with it has to come a reminder to parents that there is nothing about the holiday that should be taken for granted. With that in mind, it's critical to observe proper safety throughout the holiday to ensure that everyone has a happy and healthy Halloween 2011.

Costumes

Children's costumes should be in some way visible during evening hours. Most costumes that you see in major department stores are brightly colored as a matter of safety, to ensure that children are seen as they take to the evening streets. If your child chooses a costume that is dark colored, apply reflective tape to the costume so that it can be seen at night. Additionally, costumes for children should be easy to walk in and difficult to catch on stair treads or other obstacles. Your child should have full visibility when wearing the costume, as well.

Trick-or-Treating

Always accompany your children on their trick or treat rounds, or designate a parent to accompany a group of children, making certain that they have a headcount of how many kids are with them. Additionally, avoid allowing your children to trick-or-treat in unfamiliar neighborhoods. It's usually best just to stick with your own neighborhood and the people you know, anyway. If you are not one of the parents accompanying the group, make certain that you know the route that your children's group will take, and approximately the time you should expect your child back.

Candy

Tell your children that they are not to eat any candy until they have brought it home and you have gone through it. This may sound elementary, but every year there are new stories about children getting sick off of tainted candy. When you search the candy, inspect every piece. Throw out any unwrapped pieces. If you find large quantities of pieces that have been obviously tampered with, you can either throw them out or turn them over to your local police department. An officer may come visit you at home if your child can remember where that particular piece of candy came from, but in most cases, they will tell you simply to dispose of the candy.

Strangers

Most importantly of all, make certain that your child is aware of the danger of strangers, and knows to run away from anyone who asks them to join them in a car or who wants them to come into their home. Tell your child the importance of staying with a group, and you and your child will be far more likely to have an incident- and accident-free Halloween experience this year.

"Halloween Safety Tips"; Rik Feeny; 2011