by Melissa Cunicelli

Created on: October 01, 2009

A safe holiday does not mean a boring one. You can take a few very simple precautions in order to protect your little one and have a magical Halloween celebration.

As the sun sets on the eve of the thirty-first, the excitement builds. Even as a mother of four, I still feel a bit of it after all these years. What a great holiday! One which almost forces togetherness, if even for a moment in our communities. We end up catching up with neighbors we haven't talked to for a while every year.

=EAT LIGHT FAMILY TIME RULES=

Eat a healthy dinner, but do not over eat or you will be walking with a belly ache and ready for bed. Besides, you have to leave room for some chocolate later. Yes, hard candy and bubble gum are nice, but I know most of you out there are digging for those mini chocolate bars that shall not be named. We all have our favorites.

Take this as celebration time with some family togetherness, and do a small craft or set the mood by turning on some spooky music at the house. This will make the young ones listen better later when you're yelling out, "Look both ways for cars!" Before you leave, prepare them for the evening by telling them your expectations of their behavior, informing them of rules, rewards, and consequences.

=MAKE UP AWAY FROM THE EYES COSTUMES LESS THAN ANKLE LENGTH=

If your child is a zombie or Dracula this year and their look requires makeup, just keep it light and not too much around the eye. If they rub it into their eyes, it will make them very uncomfortable and agitated.

If the costume is long or has a cape, safety pin it or trim it down. They could trip over it in the front or someone could step on it from the back and hurt their neck or knock them over.

=ONE ADULT STAYS HOME=

If one grown up stays behind, s/he can look after the house to protect from those ghoulish pranksters, and hand out candy to the kids. We set up a split shift so we both get to see the kids trick or treat.

=STAY ON THE SIDEWALK STAND RIGHT NEXT TO THEM WHEN AT THE DOORS BE PREPARED FOR WEATHER=

While you are walking from house to house, have a plan. We like to knock on all of the houses on one side of the street for a block, then cross and come back on the other side before we are on to the next block. This way, you don't have to cross the street after every house.

Stay on the sidewalk, and when your child knocks on the door stand right next to him. This way, you can greet your neighbor face to face, get a peek in their house, see exactly what they are handing

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>