Keeping Toddlers Safe when Trick or Treating
Ghosts and Goblins, Oh my! Vampires, Lions, and Werewolves, Oh no! Halloween is a big deal for kids. From the time they are small children, little kids everywhere dream about the exciting fun they will have on Halloween. They enjoy getting to pick out and dressing up in costumes which represent their favorite action heroes, celebrities or cartoon characters.
They love to carve up pumpkins, help decorate their houses with cobwebs, scary lights; cardboard cutouts of witches and black cats, and helping their moms bake wacky treats for their family to enjoy. They also enjoy running through corn mazes, visiting haunted houses, and most of all, going trick or treating.
All children, regardless of their ages, like to dress up, go trick or treating, and collect piles of candy. It is important that as a mother or father, aunt or uncle, grandma or grandpa, that you are aware of the potential dangers that can occur, and set up some safety rules to follow for your children, especially if you have toddlers.
Buy costumes that fit your children correctly so that they don’t trip or fall down. Make sure that the material that your child’s costume is made out of is safe for them to wear. That includes not having too small pieces attached to them that a toddler might easily pull off and potentially choke on.
Always make sure that either you or another adult in your trick or treating group always holds on to your toddler or toddlers’ hand. Place a reflective/ light up device somewhere on your child. A florescent bracelet or necklace is a good choice to use. Never allow your child to go up to a stranger’s house by themselves.
Never allow them to enter a stranger’s house alone or at all. Be careful crossing streets. Make sure your child looks in both directions, before stepping off the curb into a road. Choose streets that are well lit up on either side of the road so that your child does not get separated from you or lost in the dark.
Do not let your child run around with hard candy or a sucker in their mouths as toddlers might choke on it if they fall down. Before letting your child eat any of the candy they accumulate while trick or treating, always check over it to make sure it is safe for them to eat.
Keeping all of these safety tips in mind will insure that you and your children will have a safe and fun Halloween experience.
