Halloween 2018 Safety Tips For Parents

By now, you may have your kid’s costume all planned, have around 5-10 pounds of candy bags, and your house all decked out with spooktacular decorations. Halloween is next week, but before you let your precious ones out, there are some safety suggestions parents should consider.

Here are some safety tips from the American Heart Association parents can follow to ensure your family has a fun and safe Halloween.

Tips For Trick-O-Treaters

• Use flame-resistant costumes.
• Plan a Trick-or-Treat route – Parents should know where the children are going. A parent or chaperone should accompany young children. It’s also a good idea to take routes where there are lots of fellow Trick-or-Treaters.
• Make sure Trick-or-Treaters can see, and be seen. Provide a flashlight for the kids to use. If needed, add reflective tape to their costume or Trick-or-Treat bags.
• Be cautious around animals, especially dogs.
• Walk, never run.
• Only visit homes with a porch light on.
• Kids should accept treats at the door. Never go inside the house. Visit homes with the porchlights on.
• Always steer away from the street. Find a sidewalk, if not sidewalk is available, walk on the edge of the roading facing traffic.
• Always, always, look both ways before crossing a street. Follow traffic light and pedestrian signs and signals.
• Check the treats before letting your kids eat. Make sure to throw away candy that is unwrapped, open packages, choking hazards, etc. Discard any items with brand names that you are not familiar with.

Parents should take be extra careful if the kids have food allergies. Click here for tips on how you can celebrate Halloween for Kids with food allergies.

Tips for Treat Givers

If you are planning to hand out treats, follow these safety tips:

• Sweep leaves from your sidewalks and steps. Make sure your Halloween decorations are out of the way to prevent any injuries from falling or tripping.
• Restrain your pets.
• Make sure your porch light is on, and your home is well-lit so young visitors can see.

Most importantly, we want everyone, kids and adults, to have a fun Halloween. To see more parenting tips, check out our blog!

Reference: American Heart Association