Halloween is a fun holiday for kids. Candy and sweets are everywhere, parties and Trick-or-Treat events are all month long, and best of all, everyone wears costumes! Even with all the seemingly innocent fun, parents of preschoolers need to keep safety at the forefront of their mind. While Halloween is definitely a great time of the year, there are specific dangers and threats that need to be addressed. Being prepared and knowledgeable about Halloween safety can help keep everyone’s holiday full of treats rather than tricks!
1. Costume
Wearing a costume is fun and exciting. While many children have a special cartoon or role in mind when choosing their costumes, parents need to look at more than the character. Make sure a child’s vision is not obstructed and the fabric is safe and flame-resistant. Since preschool children often wear their Halloween costumes at night, parents will want to be sure their children can be seen in the darkness. If needed, reflective tape can easily be added on for easier visibility. Choosing a size with a good fit is also important.
2. Trick-or-Treating
Preschool children will need to be accompanied by an adult while out collecting candy. Candy should be thoroughly inspected by a parent before a child before a child is allowed to eat anything and all homemade treats made by strangers, no matter how tempting, should be thrown away. While most stories of poisoned Halloween candy is an urban myth, it is much easier to be sure of ingredients in pre-packaged sweets. Eating all the yummy treats collected can also be bad for your child’s teeth. Many dentists offer candy “buy backs” the day after Halloween and other groups collect left-over sweets for military troops.
3. Stranger Danger
Happily opening the door and passing out candy to unknown people can confuse preschool children. While they are often taught to never open the door to someone unknown, it is the thing to do on Halloween. Having a discussion with kids beforehand explaining the special event and regular rules apply at all other times can help. Also, with many people wearing costumes and lots of people out at one time, it is important to stick close to children and have a general talk about general stranger danger. An adult wearing a fun Halloween costume may be able convince children to do things they wouldn’t do in normal situations.
Sources
Halloween Poisonings Snopes.com
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