As we get further into fall, we’re also losing sunlight.
You may find yourself trick or treating in the dark on this awesome day of the year.
It can be great to make the night spooky, but it can also be harder to see and keep track of your children.
This could mean it’s harder to see what is put in your children’s candy bags.
While most of the time Halloween is safe for kids, there are still many things you can do to make the night a safe and fun time.
If you plan on heading outside to trick or treat with your kids, check out these great Halloween safety tips to keep your family safe this Halloween.
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How to Make Your House Safe for Trick or Treaters!
If you plan on handing out candy this year, there are some great ways to keep yourself and the trick or treaters safe at your home.
1. Turn on the Lights
Make sure your home is well lit, so the kids know to come by.
All porch lights and outside lights should be on at the door you plan on using. so the children know where to go.
If you have a long path to get to your house, you could light the way for the kids to get to your house safely.
I like to leave the inside door open with a light in the entry way as well to give the trick or treaters light to see.
2. Don’t Allow Strangers Inside
You may feel like you’re helping cold people warm up or that it’s harmless because you wouldn’t hurt them, but they don’t know that.
You also don’t know who it is you’re inviting in and if they plan on scoping out your house to rob.
It may seem like a silly thing, but many robbers will find a way to check out the inside of a house before they rob it.
Remember, if someone continues to push to come into your home, “no” is a complete sentence.
3. Turn Out Your Lights When You Are Done
Whether you are unable to answer the door for a few minutes, running out of the house quick, or done for the night, turning the porch light off tells trick or treaters not to go there.
You do not have to leave lights on with a bowl of candy on your porch if you don’t want to.
You should also make sure to lock up the house when you are done so you do not get any unwanted visitors trying to enter your house.
How to Keep Your Treat or Treaters Safe!
If you are taking your children out this Halloween, you will want to find the best ways to keep them safe all night.
1. Wear a Bright-Colored Costume or Use Reflectors
There will be a lot of children walking around outside, but there will also be a lot of cars out on the busy streets.
You will want your children to be seen to make sure you can find them and to make sure drivers can see them as well.
Wearing a black or dark costume is very difficult to see in at night and can make trick or treating stressful if you’re constantly unable to find your children in the sea of costumes.
A safe alternative to making them change costumes is to attach a reflector or some sort of bright item, like reflective tape or glow sticks, so you can have a much easier time knowing where they are.
You should also make sure costumes are the right size, so your children are not tripping over them while walking around.
2. Carry a Flashlight
Most smartphones today have flashlights on them, but they are useless if you’re taking pictures, or your cell phone dies.
By giving each family member their own mini flashlight, everyone will be able to see where they’re going at all times.
This does not mean you should be walking down dark alleys, but it will help you see if there’s an issue or you need extra light to see by your feet.
3. Stay on Well-Lit Streets
This brings us to our next tip, to stay in well-lit areas during Halloween night activities.
If a house does not have lights on, don’t go up to it. The rule has always been to leave the lights on if you want to hand out candy and turn them off if you’re done.
By only allowing your children to go to well-lit house, you’re staying visible to everyone and you’re going to houses that are participating.
Another tip is to stay on well-lit paths. Do not take short cuts down dark alleys or deserted places.
These places could be unsafe for several reasons.
Make sure to stay on well-lit paths in familiar neighborhoods, even if that means walking greater distances and taking extra time to get around.
4. Use Crosswalks and Pathways
Roads will be busy will families driving around looking for houses to go to. You may find running across a busy street could be faster, but it is not safer.
Try to complete trick or treating on one side and cross at the crosswalk at the end of the road. This will give you time to safely cross the road and will put your children in less danger.
This also means staying on the sidewalks and not cutting across lawns.
Many people do not appreciate having kids walk across their lawn and the lawn will not be well-lit.
Be sure to walk along pathways, sidewalks, and crosswalks to avoid any issues with neighbors when you exit driveways.
The traffic signals on street corners are there to keep everyone safe, so use them when necessary.
5. Always Accompany Young Children
Times have changed in the last 30 years or so and it is no longer acceptable to allow your small children to go out alone without adult supervision.
I know when I was a child, parents and older siblings would escort young children out trick or treating.
There were many times my poor older brother had to take me out even though he wanted to be with his group of friends, just like in one of my favorite Halloween movies. He would head out after I was done, but I had to have someone with me the whole time I was out.
Make sure to always go out trick or treating with your children or have older children, family members, or a responsible adult accompany them at all times.
This is still the case, and I don’t see this changing in the near future.
6. Check Your Child’s Candy
Every year, my parents would make my brother and I dump our candy out on the floor to sort it.
We couldn’t stick our hands in our candy bag while we were out or eat a piece of candy until we got home.
We would toss any candy that could be unwrapped and rewrapped and any homemade treats unless we knew the person who gave it to us very well.
The chances of the candy being tampered with were slim, but it was still a good idea to check.
Today, my husband and I only take the kids to houses of people we know well so we know the candy is safe.
There are also many food allergies, which can show up in Halloween candy. You would not want a child to have an allergic reaction while walking around outside.
Hard candies can be a choking hazard for younger children, so another reason to have your child wait to eat their candy until you get home.
Halloween should be a fun holiday for parents and children with the cute costumes and eating tons of candy.
Even though it’s fun, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use safety precautions to keep your family safe and healthy during Halloween activities.
Make sure to practice these safety tips during Halloween events, so you can stay extra safe this year.
Do you practice any of these safety tips to keep your family safe on Halloween?
Are there any tips you want to share?
Share your tips in the comments below!
Happy Halloween!
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