Halloween Safety

Halloween is only a few days away. Different towns have Trick or Treat on different nights. Irregardless if you have children out that night or not, we all need to exercise extra caution during Trick or Treat.

If you're driving at dusk or later watch carefully for kids darting out between parked cars or crossing the road. While many costumes can be bright and colorful, some are dark and may not be reflective. It can be easy to get distracted looking at bright Halloween displays, but keep your eyes open for costumed kids near the roadway.

Like most parents I’m finishing up my kids' costumes. When you look at your child's costume think about how it will look at night. If it is a dark color does it have any reflective striping on it to help them appear more visible at night? You can make your child's costume more visible by adding reflectivity - reflective tape is sold at most fabric, craft and pet supply stores. They can also wear glow sticks and carry a flashlight.

Does your child’s costume cover their face? Does it need to? Sometimes a little make up can be more comfortable than a full face mask. It would be easier for your child to see when they are walking at night and if you think they might be running it might be easier for them to breathe if they aren't wearing a mask. Also how long is their costume? Will they trip over it? If it is a bit long you can use fabric tac, a glue stick, masking tape or duct tape to quickly shorten the length of the costume.

Are your children trick or treating with you or another adult? Are they going alone with other kids? Do you know where they will be? Plan out where you are going or make sure you know which roads your children will be on.

Remind your children to never visit homes that do not have lights on or not to visit homes of anyone they really don’t know. Double check their loot when they return home to make sure all treats are in unopened and sealed wrappers.

Halloween is a really fun holiday. A little caution can help keep it a safe one as well.

Happy Halloween!