The excitement of the holiday is around us everywhere. As kids are putting final touches on costumes, and getting geared up for the annual candy feast, there’s a lot more to keep in mind, before heading out this year on Halloween night.
 
The preparation starts in advance! Make sure your child’s costume is weather adjusted for the sudden drop in temperature. You can add extra layering inside to ensure the effect of the costume isn’t lost. But make sure you’ve got the warm woolies on! If your child has a long trail or a flowy costume, then keep in mind that it can also be a potential fire or trip hazard, especially while walking around the neighborhood in the dark! Masks can also be the cause of a lot of injury, so opt for face painting instead, to ensure you child’s vision is clear of any hindrance.
 
Before Halloween night, talk to your children about the route they will use. Sit with them and go over safety rules, like using the sidewalk and crossing at the corners. You should also get your children glow bands at night, to make sure drivers can easily spot them on the road. Once the costumes are on and the kids are heading out the door, don’t let them go out alone! Little kids should always be accompanied by an adult, no matter how safe the neighborhood is. If you can’t take them out yourself, ask a friend, or a neighbor to take them instead.
 
While they are out, encourage them to walk from house to house, instead of running. Although the excitement of Halloween night can get even the slowest zombie to break into a sprint! You should also have them go down a street before crossing over, rather than darting across the road several times.
 
Once you’ve brought home the loot, you might want to hold off on the sugar high. Let your child pick one or two favorites, and then leave the rest of the bag for inspection. At first glance, all treats seem pretty safe, but you need to give it that close look. Discard and open candy or damaged wrappers. Since you don’t know which house it came from, you can never be too safe. Check ingredients to make sure it all complies with what you allow your kids to have. You might also want to check the expiry label, it’s not completely unheard of to land up with last year’s candy! Once the loot has been inspected and approved, it’s up to you to let your kids enjoy their treats as you like!
 
Halloween night can be a lot of fun, with scary decorations and haunted houses. Costumes and candy galore! Make the most of the night with your kids, let them get their sugar fix for the year, but make sure you play it safe! Here’s wishing all of you a Spooktastic Halloween!
 
Bill