I have the best childhood memories of Halloween. I remember excitedly choosing my costume weeks ahead of the big day, debating with friends about which neighborhood would give out the best candy, and of course greedily counting my candy and trading pieces with my siblings at the end of the night. But now that I am an adult with kids of my own I remember another key component of Halloween that happened every year of my childhood; the Halloween safety talk. This talk was given by my mother moments before leaving for trick-or- treating and was basically a rundown of rules that we already knew. We had to stay with whichever adult was taking us out, always keep our flashlights on so that cars could see us, not go inside any strange houses etc. As a child I saw this lecture as something that delayed my Halloween fun, but now I see how important these rules are for having a safe Halloween. This blog briefly outlines some helpful Halloween safety tips, brought to you by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, for parents to keep in mind this year in order to help have a safe and happy Halloween.

Halloween Safety Tips

 Pumpkin Carving: Keep in mind that pumpkin carving often involves sharp knives and therefore can be dangerous for children. Be sure to supervise older kids while they carve, and help younger children make age appropriate jack-o-lanterns by drawing or painting faces on their pumpkins instead of carving them.

Costumes: Make sure that costumes are hemmed well above your child’s feet so that they can walk easily without tripping. If your child’s Halloween costume involves wearing a mask, have your child carry the mask while walking from house to house and then put it on after ringing each door bell in order to avoid tripping.

 Halloween Candy: Although it’s sad to say, there are awful people out there who tamper with the candy that they plan to hand out to children on Halloween. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully check your children’s Halloween candy to make sure that it is sealed and has not been tampered with. This means that your kids will have to wait until you have checked their candy before they can dig into their sugary loot. In order to manage expectations, it’s a good idea to explain this rule/process to your kids before going out trick-or- treating.

Trick-or- Treating: Children should never trick-or- treat without adult supervision, so make sure that you or another responsible adult accompanies your kids from house to house. It is also a good idea to equip each child with a flashlight so that they can see where they’re walking after dark and so that vehicles can see them more easily. Also, be sure to remind your children to never get into cars with strangers or go inside homes while trick-or- treating.

Have Fun

Be safe, be careful and have a great time. Halloween is a great time to make some lasting memories with your children. Be sure to watch the amount of candy consumed and if you are going to steal some for yourself don’t get caught!

This important information on Halloween safety is a partnered post offered to Jen is on a Journey.