6 Safety Tips to keep your children safe during Halloween

I was a Paramedic for 24-years.  One of my biggest fears in my career was children getting hurt.  I was prepared for anything but those moments when children got hurt were times when I felt most vulnerable emotionally.  So Halloween has the potential to be a time when kids are susceptible to injuries.  So here is a short list of 6 things that could make a difference.

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Keeping our children safe is a year ‘round concern. There are always new things to think about as a parent, whether it is protecting them from falling, down to monitoring their activity on the internet. There are so many dangers in the world that can affect our children’s lives forever if we aren’t careful. Even though we are cautious year world‘round, at Halloween, due to the nature of the holiday and the fact that so many of us are out at night, we take some extra precautions to ensure our children’s safety on that day. Here are some great tips to ensure your child’s safety during Halloween and trick or treating:

1. Before leaving the house, make a plan – Knowing in advance where you’re going to be heading and what to do if you get separated can add a layer of security to your evening beyond just keeping an eye on your child.
2. Instead of masks, consider face paints – Masks can slip or obstruct your child’s vision. Prevent that by allowing the child to decorate their face with paint. The same goes for head coverings and wigs. If it is capable in any way of blocking your child’s vision, it needs to be eliminated from the costume
3. Keep the fancy footwear at home – Though it looks beautiful, you want your child to be able to move quickly and comfortably from one location to the next, so leave any heels or shoes with slick bottoms at home, opt for sneakers with great grip instead. Also, make certain that the hemlines and pants legs of your child’s costume are well out of the way of their feet and cannot trip them.
   
   
4. When walking, stick to sidewalks and walkways – People leave items in their yards and decorate them. Besides potentially ruining someone’s landscaping job, you are also running the risk of tripping on unfamiliar terrain and hurting yourself on decorations and tools that may be in their yard. Instead, stick with the walkways and sidewalks you can see.
5. Light up the night – Speaking of lights, you want to be certain that your little ones have their pathways illuminated. Give everyone a flashlight with a fresh set of batteries in it. That way, even if you are separated you know that your child has a way to see where they are going.
   
   
6. Carry a mini first aid kit with you.  As careful as you can be, a kid might fall and scrape their knee or arm.  Be prepared with some antibacterial cream and band-aids and bandages just in case.
   
   

Life can be dangerous, but if you take the proper precautions you can help reduce the risk that comes along with being out in the dark. Follow these safety tips to keep your child safe and concentrating on candy this Halloween.

What are your biggest concerns during Halloween?
What do you do to help protect your kids when trick or treating?

Share your thoughts below, and be sure to share this article with others on social media.  Thanks. ~Tom

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