For families that celebrate Halloween, this special holiday is full of fun and adventure. However, all the wonderful things that make it special and exciting can also lead to problems that might be unpleasant or even dangerous. Planning ahead can make a huge difference in making sure that everybody has a great time.
Here are some tips to ensure that your child stays safe over Halloween.
It’s all about the kids
Keep things simple and separate adult celebrations from children’s celebrations. Halloween is a great time to get together with friends, but when adults are in charge of keeping children safe from harm, this is not the best time to be drinking or serving alcohol.
Ensure that the activities are age appropriate. Sometimes adults and older children think it’s funny to act spooky and weird. It’s okay to joke and pretend to be frightened, but remind everyone that being really scared is not fun and that it is against the rules to tease anyone about being nervous or frightened. In a mixed group, the needs of the most vulnerable person should be honoured ahead of the wishes of anyone else.
Remember that all children are different and that less is often more. Some children like going out and some prefer to stay home and greet others. It is better to enjoy doing a few things than trying to do too much and ending up with an exhausted overwhelmed child.
Road safety
Your child may not be used to walking along the street in the dark. Also, they may be focused on their treats, keeping up with their groups and getting more treats. If they are wearing a mask, they may also lose their peripheral vision. Even older kids might impulsively cross the street after suddenly spotting a friend.
A good strategy is to set clear boundaries and go in a group with other adults and responsible older children so you can work together to keep everyone safe.
Flashlights and glow sticks for both children and adults can make it easier for people to see each other and increases visibility for drivers. Use extra caution when you are driving.
Be aware of costume safety
Many costumes, although amazing to look at, can be uncomfortable to wear. They can be easy to trip on and make it hard to see. Unfamiliar shoes, wings, capes, gloves, and fabric can all affect movement. Add to this the challenge of going to unfamiliar places with steep steps and kids rushing past, and there is the potential for lots of falls. Unless they are in a controlled environment for a very short time, masks and high-heeled shoes are a bad idea for most young children. A simpler costume can make the difference between a fun adventure and a miserable disaster.
It can be fun to dress up yourself and to see other adults be dressed up. Remember that young children especially need stability and having their adults dressed up can be strange or potentially upsetting. Make sure your costume, if you decide to have one, is easy to move around in and be prepared to remove your costume if it upsets your child. Some costumes are truly terrifying and should not be worn around younger children.
Another costume hazard is fire. Many costumes have lots of dangly pieces which could be hazardous around candles and flame-lit walkways.
Keep cats and dogs out of the action
For both their own safety and everyone else’s, cats and dogs need to be kept away from the activities. Even normally, very calm friendly animals can become upset because people are looking and acting different. They might bite or scratch, or panic and get hit by a car.
Even at home with their own families, dogs and cats are not in their normal environment. It is unfair to expect them to respond as they usually do when nothing is the same. When visiting other homes, remember that some people bring their dogs to the front door. Just because owners have complete faith in their dog’s behaviour doesn’t mean it isn’t really scary for the animal to suddenly come face to face with a child in a mask. It is safest to keep children away from dogs during Halloween, no matter what the owner says.
Take extra precautions to avoid getting lost
Halloween is noisy and dark and it can be difficult to keep track of each child in your care every second of the time you are out. Remember that what you see and your child sees are different. Even if your child is easily visible to you, watch for that look of anxiety when your child isn’t quite sure where you are. Before going out, make a plan in case your child does get lost.
Review stranger safety rules
During Halloween, children are encouraged to talk to strangers and take candy from them. This is fine, because you are there with them. Even if the adults you visit are people that you know, don’t assume that they are not strangers to your child - some of them will probably look pretty strange. It is important to give children clear guidelines and rules specific to what you will be doing.
Avoid a Halloween meltdown
Remember that Halloween is often very exciting and overwhelming even before trick-or-treating time so make choices on the number of activities you choose to participate in. Also, routines are very important for kids so to prevent meltdowns, go early and give children some time to wind down before trying to get them to go to sleep.
Make a plan about the treats
To avoid disappointment and upset stomachs, make a plan ahead of time for what to do with that bag of goodies. Teach children to focus on the joy of gathering treats without feeling the need to eat most of them, especially right away. Many treats have lots of chemicals, fat and sugar. If your child is allergic to something that is in most treats, like milk or soy, buy some favourite treats and trade after the trick-or-treating is done.
If your family ends up with too much candy, discuss other good ways of using it instead of eating it all. They could trade each piece with you for a Dirham so you can have a bowl of candy for customers at work, or turn it into an art project.
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