by Mysti Guymon

Created on: October 03, 2007

Halloween is around the corner and many children will take to the street in search of just one more piece of candy. Their safety is important on this night, just as any other night. A few tips for keeping your young ones safe will having a blast this Halloween:

Costume Safety

* Make sure that the costume your child is wearing fits. Parts of the costume shouldn't drag on the ground and pose a tripping hazard.

* Make sure that your child has clear visibility if wearing a mask. You don't want them to struggle watching where they are going by a bulky covering on their face. If possible, use non-toxic face pants instead. They can still be visually appealing without the hazards of masks.
* Flame resistant/retardant costumes are a must! One never knows if there will be an event taking place that causes a fire. Make sure your child's costume is flame resistant. Increase their odds of safety on this ghostly night.
* Visibility to motorists is important. You can purchase reflective tape and decorate' their costume appropriately. This is especially important when children are wearing a primarily dark costume. You want motorists to have sight of your children to prevent an accident.

Street Smarts

* Setting boundaries in your neighborhood is important. You don't want your children venturing off and getting lost.
* Safety in numbers. Children traveling together on Halloween is important to their safety. The more, the merrier!
* Knowing what houses are appropriate for visiting is important. Explaining to your children that you only visit homes where the lights are on and never accepting an invitation to enter is key for their safety.
* Know of any predators in the area. You can visit Family Watch Dog and plug in street names to determine if there are any convicted predators in the area. If there are, you want to be especially careful when allowing your children to trick-or-treat.
* Have an adult go with children. Even one adult present can make a huge difference in the eyes of a potential predator.

Treat Safety

* Take the time to examine the treats your children collect prior to ingestion. If they have any allergies, be sure to remove those products from their possession to ensure their physical well being.
* Make sure that your children eat a full dinner prior to trick or treating. The chances of them sneaking in a piece or two prior to coming home is lessened by a full stomach.
* Home made treats are a wonderful thought, but in all reality, they can pose an incredible danger. Unless that particular treat was picked up from someone you know well, it's best to discard those treats.
* Community X-Rays of treat bags is great to spot any items that might contain a metal object inside. The problem with this, however, is that they are unable to find an item such as drugs. You can't rely solely on this process to know that the candies collected are safe.
* Inspect, inspect and inspect everything again. A few things to look for when examining your child's loot are needle holes, and tears. Those can be quite inconspicuous, but generally can be found around the seals of candy. If there is any doubt, throw it away.

Most importantly, enjoy Halloween! It's a fun time to celebrate for children of all ages (including the adults.) Keep safety first, but always remember to have fun.

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