by L. Landrum

Created on: October 03, 2009

It begins....the knock at the door it is time to be scared as you are yelled at "trick or treat"! You are prepared, the kids are prepared and they are looking for a bag of goodies. The fun begins as does Halloween. Preparations have been going on for the past few weeks as costumes were made and the kids were getting excited.

People all over are buying candy or making snacks to give away as the treat!

However, there is a dark side! Halloween is also a time for the "truly scary" to come out. These are the people who put razor blades in the candy, the ones who inject poison into tootsie rolls. The ones who stand by hoping to snatch a kid. These are the thing we parents need to be aware of.

In order to be sure your child is safe, we need to think of the above scenario's and also be thinking about the costume our child is wearing and make sure they are safe as well as having fun.

1. Costumes should have some type of reflective strip on them. This will allow those driving to fully see the little ghosts and goblins and not accidentally cause and accident.

2. Parents should never let their children trick or treat alone. It is also not recommended that you allow them to go with friends alone either.

3. Teach them to never enter a house and to always stay on the porch where you can see them.

4. Parents should carpool and always have their children in site, or go directly to each door with your child.

5. In areas of the country where it is cold, make sure your child is bundled up under the costume so as not to catch cold.

6. Always let your children know ahead of time that they are not allowed to eat any candy until you have inspected it first.

7. When they are finished trick or treating, thoroughly check every piece of candy. If you find any holes or tears throw it out. It is better to be safe than sorry.

8. Find neighborhoods that are well lite to bring your child to.

9. Go to malls or church functions where it is a little safer.

10. Homemade snacks should be tossed out. You cannot be sure what is in them and you cannot be sure they were made with care.

Halloween is a fun time to share with your child, dress up and have fun with them. This is the best way to make sure they are safe!

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