Stay Safe Trick or Treating
August 26, 2008 Family No CommentsEvery Halloween, children dress up in their spookiest costumes and set out in search of the best candy. Wandering the neighborhood at night, going from house to house searching for the best treats is a great tradition. Sensible parents remind their children of the safety rules - stay in a group and check your candy before eating it. But those handing out the treats need to be cautious too. Here’s some safety ideas for handing out treats.
First of all, do not become a target. Single women and elderly couples are the most common people to be home during trick or treating and as trick or treating has become increasingly popular with teenagers and young adults, a tone of naughty and mischievous emerges. Beware of intentions of toilet papering homes to demanding the best Halloween candy. If you want to provide treats to visitors, make sure your home is brightly lit and all entrances (including windows) are secure. Also have friends over to share in the treats so that you are not faced alone with large groups of tricks.
Next, help parents out by being conscious of what kind of candy you choose. Make sure pieces are individually wrapped and none are damaged. Pick a healthier option like a granola bar or trail mix. Be sure to buy plenty to go around, and if you have extra, it is always easy to donate at local shelters or hospitals at this time. Avoid passing germs by placing the treat in their bag yourself rather than having each child reach into the same bowl of candy. Giving out one Halloween candy per trick or treat is a good practice to ensure fairness for the children and efficiency for the parents. By only providing one choice of Halloween candy makes it easier for you to interact with the children and faster for the parents to stop at the numerous houses on the block.
A final tip to keep you safe as well as those out trick or treating is to ask questions. Find out the names and area groups of kids are from. This way, you can keep track of who is coming to your home in case anything should go wrong during their visit. Anything from becoming ill to a missing lawn gnome is possible on the magical night of Halloween. Also, the lure of Halloween candy can mislead children farther from their home than they intended. A costumed child becoming lost or missing is a parent’s worst nightmare, so if you were one of their stops and are able to provide simple information of whether they were there and which direction they were going can be a huge help.
Celebrating Halloween with candy and spooky fun is a wonderful tradition. But remember to take care of yourself as well as your visitors. Keep yourself and your home safe and it’ll be a fun and safe Halloween for all.
