Halloween Safety Tips!

With Halloween approaching next week here are a few simple safety tips to make the night a little safer for parents and kiddos!

I’ve split them up into two categories, Costumes and Trick or Treating.

COSTUMES

1. Have some type of reflective material or lights on costumes. For parents, when you go with the kiddos, you can carry a flashlight as well.  It will just help make them more visible to drivers.

2. No real props! If the costume involves swords, knives, etc. make sure they are fake and soft in nature.  We all know how many times we tell our kids to walk to the next house, but the occasional sprint for the house with the big candy bars sometimes gets the best of us!

3. Avoid Halloween contact lenses. There have a been a lot of articles out there about how damaging these can be to your eyes and eyesight.  It is not worth it.

4. Make sure the costumes fit well.  No one wants to fall down in their awesome costume.  Also, make sure any masks aren’t impeding you or your children’s vision or field of view

TRICK OR TREATING

1. Don’t let you kids go Trick or Treating by themselves. Always go in a group of trusted people.

2. Talk to your kids about looking both ways before crossing the streets. Use crosswalks when they are available.  Also, avoid any large intersections.

3. Have a little refresher talk about strangers. Emphasize that they should never go into any houses or accept any rides from strangers, no matter how much candy they have!

4. Stay off of your phone. This one goes for parents and kids that have them.  I’m not talking about the occasional picture.  I’m talking about the face pulled into the tractor beam of your phone all night.  It will help you be more aware.

5. For the older kids who may be going with a group of friends, talk about a pre-planned route and time they should be home.

6. Keep trick or treating to well lit and busier areas.

7. Pay attention while driving. Especially while pulling into or out of driveways.

Remember, Awareness and knowledge are the first steps to making you and your family more safe! Make it a priority!

Happy Halloween and Stay Safe!