Halloween safety may seem intuitive, but I think back in the day, people used to think candy could be tampered with. These days, it rarely seems to be a concern now. I still think it’s important to use common sense if candy appears opened or tampered with. Another thing to keep in mind, especially if you have older children in the house with younger kids is that babies and toddlers should not have any hard candies, caramel apples, popcorn, gum, small candies or anything with nuts.
I think it’s very important to review road safety as well prior to Halloween night. CDC reports 4x the regular amount of pedestrian related MVC on Halloween and Halloween night. Texting and driving is always a big no-no but please be hypervigilant and compliant about it on Halloween. If you’re taking your children trick or treating, it’s better to go to one side of the street and then cross over at the cross walk. That means no zigzagging! Stay in a group and try to cross the street together.
Surprisingly, broken arms or legs can be quite common on Halloween, and most of these injuries are due to tripping on the sidewalks or curbs in the Halloween costumes. When buying costumes, try your best that they fit appropriately and if possible, be flame resistant. I know with multiple children, it can be convenient to re-use the outfit and just roll up sleeves and pants to fit the younger sibling. Please make sure to carefully hem as these are a common tripping hazard.
Something to be aware of with older children who like to use costume contact lenses. These lenses are not fitted to a child’s sclera and not breathable. They can cause significant eye damage or corneal abrasions especially since they are usually put in by children who don’t wear contacts and may not be placing them in correctly. In some occurrences, these lenses can even get stuck to the eye which can be
What about healthy eating? Here are some tips I like to give families before this fun holiday:
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Try to feed your kids dinner before they go trick-or-treating-bonus points if it’s also healthy! That means they won’t be hungry and as likely to dig into their baskets after every house.
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Try to be a role model yourself! That means no noshing on candy in front of your little one and limit sneaking it behind their back because kids are very smart!
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Encourage your kids to be mindful of how much candy or sweets they’ve eaten. I recommend some leniency on Halloween; this is a special occasion after all! But you’re the parent after all so do try provide some limit before your child eats too much and feels sick to their stomach.
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On that note, try to keep the Halloween candy in a common area so you can keep track of how much is eaten or how quickly. Maybe allowing your child to keep it in his or her room wouldn’t be the best idea as it can be very tempting for them.
What about what to give out to kids on Halloween who come to your door trick or treating? I personally recommend buying a candy bag last minute so the temptation period is short and go for your least favorite candy so you’re less inclined to eat the leftovers too! Happy Trick or Treating, my friends!