Dressing your infant in a costume, getting photographic evidence to post on social media, and staying home to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters has been your Halloween routine for the past few years. Spooky season is definitely more complicated when you have kids in tow, so here are a couple of ways to keep your kids safe this Halloween!
Establish rules and boundaries for trick-or-treating that reflect the age of your offspring. It is your responsibility as a parent to teach your child to behave in a safe and respectful manner. While they are between infancy and age twelve, walk with your kids while they are trick-or-treating. Easily identify your children by providing them with products that produce light. Dollar stores generally sell a variety of Halloween-themed safety merchandise, like flashlights, glow-in-the-dark wristbands, or LED light necklaces. If your child asks to go trick-or-treating with friends, consider tracking their cellphone location. They may not be enthusiastic about this authoritative parenting approach, but it is a healthy compromise that allows you to monitor them without directly impeding on their fun evening with friends.
If you know your kid won’t go home until their candy bucket is full, begin trick-or-treating slightly before the scheduled start time. If starting at an earlier time fails, trick them by adding treats into their jack-o-lantern while they are distracted. Treats that fill buckets rapidly include snack-size bags of cheese puffs, chips, popcorn, pretzels, and small toys. The time and date your town designates for trick-or-treating may be found on the local governments’ website, but you can also call your local government to learn when it will be observed in your area this October.
Plan ahead for the worst. Inclement weather brings big frowns to little faces. When the weather turns foul, moods start to sour. If you notice storm clouds beginning to appear on the forecast, be ready with a back-up plan to do in lieu of trick-or-treat. Some popular traditions include: bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, and making Halloween-themed crafts. Keep the atmosphere festive by broadcasting Halloween specials on TV networks such as Disney Channel and Freeform. If streaming services are more your speed, there’s a large sum of Halloween movies on streaming sites like Disney Plus & Hulu.
When you return home from trick-or-treating, help your kids take off their costumes. Be sure to gently remove any face paint or special effects makeup from your child’s skin to prevent clogged pores. Thoroughly inspect your child’s treats for any signs of contamination or package tampering. Most importantly, remember to be prudent, safe, and to trust your instincts.