Halloween is a fun filled time of year filled with ghosts, goblins, candy, and pranks. As you prepare for the upcoming holiday, safety should always be on your mind. Here are a few simple tips to keep your family safe while trick or treating.
Stay well-lit
When heading out trick or treating, always stay in well-lit neighborhoods. If your child is wearing a dark colored costume it is important to apply reflective tape to it to help drivers see your child. Make sure your child also carries a flashlight with them for added visibility. Always stay on sidewalks and check both ways before crossing the street and only cross at designated areas.
Stay in neighborhoods you know
Make a trick-or-treating plan before leaving the house. Planning a route ahead of time can keep you and your kids from wandering into unknown areas of town. Try to avoid routes without paths or sidewalks and take a route that your child is already familiar with.
Trick or treat in a group
Children must always trick-or-treat in groups. It is also recommended that an adult accompany them while out trick-or-treating. Have the kids check out the other kids in the group’s costumes. This will allow the kids to be able to give a description of their friend’s costumes in case of separation. Create a buddy system within the group and make sure the buddies stay together. This helps keep the kids safe and provides extra fun when trick-or-treating with friends.
Avoid masks
Wearing masks can obstruct a child’s vision, especially as it gets darker outside. Use face paint instead of masks to keep vision unobstructed, allowing your child to be able to see oncoming cars and not trip over any cracks or tree roots when walking down paths.
Check your child’s candy
Make checking your child’s Halloween candy a rule immediately after getting home. Dump the candy out in a well-lit room and discard any homemade treats from strangers. If your child has any food allergies, discard candies that may contain allergens like peanuts. Always err on the side of caution when it comes to candy wrappers. If something looks off, such as an open wrapper or a piece of candy has a hole in it, then discard it. If you do find any candy that you believe has been tampered with, contact the police immediately.
Halloween is a holiday filled with fun, ghosts, goblins, pranks, and frights. Keeping your child safe while trick or treating is top priority. Following these few simple tips can help keep your child safe and allow them to have fun on the scariest of nights.
Bill Herzog is the Director of Operations for LionHeart Security Services in Tempe, Arizona. Herzog has been in law enforcement for over 25 years before joining LionHeart’s staff.
