All Hallows’ Eve is upon us and that means across the country millions of ghosts, vampires, princesses, and goblins will be running door to door searching for the yummiest, stickiest, sweetest treats. Parents everywhere are hoping their children remember to look both ways before crossing the street, that drivers remember to use caution, and that all candy gained is safe. Oh and possibly hoping their child gets extra Reese’s or Twix 🙂 I am here to help you prepare your kids for a safe trick-or-treating experience that keeps it practical and fun.
Your Practical Guide to Trick-or-Treating Safety
Think size
The more people you trick-or-treat with the more fun and the safer the experience will be. Try to trick-or-treat with a group of friends or find a group you can join or merge with! If your child is under 12 you will want to make sure they are with an adult, and if over 12 and they are not going out with an adult, ensure they are with a group!
Avoid the zig-zag approach
Encourage your child to only cross at crosswalks rather than zig-zagging back and forth across the street. Maybe start at the house that historically has the best candy to help with this approach!
Look left, look right, look left, step
I call this the cross-street shuffle…it’s the latest dance craze just in time for Halloween 😉 Before crossing the street encourage your child to first look left, then right, and then left again before they step off the sidewalk.
That train must go
Make sure costumes (especially those cute princess dresses) do not drag on the ground. This will make running house to house so much easier. It’s safer and equals more candy (that’s more for you too parents). Also, wear comfy stable walking/running shoes for best results on more candy!
Be seen
I encourage you to have your child wearing reflector bracelets or enhance their costume with some reflective fabric. This will make sure they are easier to see. If you do not have access to reflective bracelets, you can use glow sticks (a dollar store has them woohoo!), flashlights (I know you have some in your hurricane supply). You may want to consider lighter colored costumes and costumes without masks.
Candy Police
Congratulations parents! You have been promoted to the candy security force! Set up a deal with your child that prior to them digging in to their loot, you get to inspect it. You are looking for pieces that have been opened (not by your child) or look tampered with. Heavily inspect homemade treats, and only proceed with those if you absolutely know for sure where they came from. Older children who are trick-or-treating on their own may be harder to make a deal with, however, explaining the dangers to them and advising them what to look for will give them the power to make good choices.
Bonus: If you are inspecting you can set aside a piece for yourself…taste testing after all!
I hope you all have a fun filled trick-or-treating experience that is filled with way more treats than tricks! Now spam me and this post with your adorable kiddos in their cutest, scariest, craziest Halloween costumes!
STAY SAFE MY FRIENDS!
