Halloween Safety Tips
Keeping Halloween a Treat for Everyone
The
excitement of Halloween can sometimes make children forget to be
careful. Following are tips for making Halloween a treat for the entire
family.
Trick-or-Treating:
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Make sure that an
adult or an older responsible youth accompanies young children.
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Plan and discuss
the trick-or-treat route your children intend to follow, ideally a
well-lit, well-populated course. Instruct your kids to stick to this
route, and establish what time they should return home.
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Write your child's
name, address and phone number on a piece of paper and slip it in a
pocket or pin it to his or her costume, in case your child gets
separated from the group.
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Review pedestrian
safety rules with your children, including looking both ways before
crossing the street and not crossing the street between parked cars.
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Tell your children
to walk on sidewalks, not on the street. Where there are no
sidewalks, children should walk on the left side of the road, facing
traffic.
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Teach your
children to stop only at homes that are well-lit, and to never enter
a stranger's house.
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If you're driving
your kids around to trick-or-treat, make sure they get out of your
car on the curb side, not on the traffic side of the road.
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Instruct your kids
not to eat any of their treats until they get home. Be sure to wash
any fruit and cut it into small pieces before giving it to your kids
to eat.
Costumes:
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Knives, swords and
other accessories should be made from cardboard or flexible
material. Sharp toys present all sorts of dangers, including
injuring your child if he or she trips and falls on it.
Falls
are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween!
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Trim
trick-or-treat bags with reflective tape.
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Give your children
flashlights to carry so they can be more visible to motorists.
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If your child is
wearing a mask, make sure that it has large holes for the eyes and
mouth. Also, avoid hats that will slide over your child's eyes.
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Ideally, costumes
should be flame-retardant.
Other
Halloween Fun:
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Avoid giving
treats that can be harmful to young children, including gum,
peanuts, hard candies and small toys. Also, remember that many
children have food allergies to peanuts and dairy products.
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When carving
pumpkins, kids should not be allowed to use knives. It's best to let
children clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it.
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If you set out
jack-o-lanterns on your sidewalk or porch, be sure there is enough
room for kids to pass through in groups without the danger of
costumes catching on fire.
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Explain to your
children the consequences of vandalism and other antics, such as
animal cruelty. Both are unacceptable and punishable by law.
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