The most important thing to your child on Halloween may be to fill his pillowcase full of candy, but as the parent, chances are you are more concerned with keeping your candy-crazed, pumpkin-ninja turtle-princess-super hero safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a list of Halloween precautions to keep your little ones safe while they frolic and fright.
According to AAP, children should wear costumes that are bright and reflective. If the costume your child chooses is not bright or reflective, you can add reflective tape or striping to the costume or to their trick-or-treat bag for greater visibility. The AAP also stresses the importance of children and their parents using flashlights or other lighted devices.
Young children should always be accompanied by adults when trick-or-treating. If your children are old enough to go out on their own, be sure they have a cell phone so they can call either 911 or you if they run into any trouble or get lost.
AAP also says you should discuss a trick-or-treat route with your child, so you know where they will be and they know where to go. Remind your child to only go to houses that have porch lights on and to never enter someone’s home or car to get a treat. You will also want to remind your child to stay in groups, to stay in well lit areas and to walk either on the sidewalk or on the edge of the roadway facing traffic. According to AAP, pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween.
Once your little trick-or-treater returns home with their loot, inspect the candy before they begin their long-awaited sugar binge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that parents examine each piece of candy to not only make sure that it is not a choking hazard, but also to make sure that the candy has not been tampered with. The CDC also warns against eating homemade treats because you can’t be sure of the contents and you can’t be sure that the treats were cooked properly. The CDC recommends only eating factory-wrapped treats unless you know the maker of the homemade treats.
By Jessica Weafer. Jessica Weafer is a stay-at-home mom and freelance writer. She lives in Owensboro with her 1-year-old son, husband and cat.