Five Essential Tips to Keep Your Children Safe This Halloween

Halloween is probably the most nerve racking holiday of the year for young parents. Dressing your children up in masks and then setting them out on street to ask for candy from strangers can be a recipe for disaster if you’re not properly prepared. Luckily, it doesn’t need to be a stress-filled evening. It can, and should, be entertaining for both you and your children. To make sure it goes that way, here are five easy tips to make sure your kids stay safe this Halloween.

1. Plan Ahead

The easiest thing you can do as a parent to ensure you have a safe Halloween is to plan ahead a bit. This can be done by going out before the day and planning your route. Check the houses, make sure you won’t be walking through any sketchy parts of town, and ensure you’ll be home at a good time. If, for some reason, you cannot go along with your child to trick or treat, talk with the parent who will be going and make sure you know their route and the plans they will be following.

2. Have One Parent Along

If at all possible, at least one parent should go along with trick or treating youngsters. It’s not only safer to know exactly where your child is, but you can ensure your child stays out of any trouble they could get into when left alone with a mask on and a group of their friends.

3. Stay in Familiar Grounds

The easiest way to keep safe on Halloween is to stay near home. Don’t wander away from roads and houses that you know and don’t ring any doorbells or knock on any doors that are unfamiliar. If you’re lucky, you have a small neighborhood where everyone knows one another. If not, consider some popular alternatives, such as the mall. Each year many retailers will hand out candy to children to ensure they have a safe place to go.

4. Safety First

Safety is vital and even if you’re super cautious, accidents can happen. Make sure to bring a flashlight, as well as glow sticks for your children to carry. Have a first aid kit on hand in case anything happens and always watch for cars. There may be 200 kids and parents on the sidewalks, but it is still night time and there are cars on the streets.

5. Proper Costume Safety

Some costumes can be dangerous if they are not properly altered. This means that you should take some time and add reflective tape or glow patches to the backs and fronts of the costumes to ensure they can be seen from anywhere including the road. If your child is dressed up as Batman, they’re as good as invisible at night. Make sure that there are enough reflectors on them that someone will see them from a good distance away.

If you prepare properly for Halloween, it doesn’t have to be the scary ordeal that it seems to be each year. Use common sense as well, checking the candy your children bring home, and not letting them wander off without you, even if there is another child or parent with them. Taking care, spending time to plan, and not letting the little things sneak up on you will all ensure a happy, fun Halloween.