Teaching Your Kids Halloween Safety

Are you gearing up some trick-or-treating adventures in the next week or so? We are! It’s our third official Halloween and the older our son gets, the more fun it becomes. As a child I really didn’t like Halloween. I spent most of the time sitting on my grandparents’ porch handing out candy with her. I didn’t like scary costumes, which meant I preferred to just sit out the whole trick-or-treating thing. Honestly, sitting on my grandparents’ porch handing out candy is some of my favorite memories as a little girl. But things are different now. Nowadays I couldn’t imagine a better Halloween then with our little man.

His excitement makes it all worth it. But as mom I am fully aware how dangerous Halloween can be. There are so many kids running around – in costume, they’re literally taking candy from strangers (which is what we tell them to never do), and in Southeast Missouri the weather is usually cold and wet.

Before heading out for Halloween make sure you prepare yourself and your little one to have a safe night. Here are some tips for teaching your kids Halloween safety this year and for making sure you’re prepared.

Inspect Candy

Before letting your little ones dig into their stockpile, make sure to take a quick look through it. Let them know they aren’t allowed to eat any until you all get home and can get in a well-lit area to inspect it. Check wrappers to make sure they haven’t been tampered with. Remove any candy that isn’t in its original wrapper or if it’s homemade. Check expiration dates to make sure everything is still good.

Also, you’re not just checking for tampered candy, but you’re also wanting to make sure you remove any candy that could be a choking hazard.

If you’re in doubt throw it away. And if you do find anything that has been tampered with – call the police and let them know the candy and the area you trick-or-treated in.

Areas You Know

This one goes with the same tip as below, but make sure if you’re going trick-or-treating you know the neighborhood. It’s recommended to travel to houses where you know the owners or feel comfortable. That way you don’t have to worry about candy (but should still inspect it) and can keep a good eye for any cars that look out of place.

Well Lit Subdivisions

If you walk from house-to-house make sure you select a neighborhood that’s well lit and in a good area of town. Try to hit the streets early and call it quits when it starts to get too dark. You want to make sure you stay in well lit areas with street lamps and close knit homes. We tend to stick to the main street we live off of and call it quits before dark hits, which means not a lot of time for trick-or-treating, but that’s okay. We would rather be safe than sorry.

Personal Alarms or Whistles

Your little ones should carry a battery-operated personal alarm or an emergency whistle. Teach them to use those alarms only when necessary – when they are afraid, when they are separated from you, or when they’re in danger. It’s hard to teach younger children to use it only when needed, but it can be done. So start practicing early and make sure you teach them who are strangers and who are not strangers. If you use a battery-operated personal alarm (like this one in blue or this one in pink) make sure it has a flashlight attached, too. That way they can see more easily to look for you if they get separated.