Make sure that children have a safe holiday with the following tips:
- Children who will be trick-or-treating after dusk should have reflective tape on their costumes and carry flashlights.
- Young children should always go trick-or-treating with a responsible adult or older teenager.
- Children should never trick-or-treat alone. Have at least 2 buddies go with your child.
- Children shouldn't snack while they're trick-or-treating. Parents should check treats at home.
- Parents should serve their kids a filling meal before trick or treating so they won't be tempted to eat any candy before they bring it home for you to check.
- Watch for signs of tampering, such as small pinholes in wrappers and torn or loose packages.
- Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.
- Children should accept treats only in the doorway and never go inside a house.
- Visit only houses where the lights are on.
- Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.
- Best to plan a route the day prior to trick or treating. Establish a beginning, middle and end point in case any members of the group get lost.
- Know what other activities a child may be attending, such as parties, school or mall functions.
- Children who go trick or treating should carry a cell phone with them, if possible.
- Make sure you set a time that they should be home by. Make sure they know how important it is for them to be home on time.
- Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism. Throwing eggs at a house may seem like fun but they need to know the other side of the coin as well, clean up and damages can ruin Halloween
- To keep their home safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove anything a child could tip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
- Consider purchasing both sweets and non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
- Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
- Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers, then parents can do the cutting.
- Lighted pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects and should never be left unattended.
- Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame.
- If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.
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