Halloween is a fun time of year for kids. They get to dress up as their favorite character, go trick-or-treating and eat candy. But there can be hidden dangers for children as well. Dr. Sears offers the following guidelines so parents can insure their children’s safety during this festive holiday.
Make sure your child’s costumes are safe:
• Makeup should be non-toxic so it doesn’t cause skin irritation or rashes
• Costumes need to be fire-retardant
• Children should be able to see through masks without obstruction
• Knives or swords should be soft — made out of cardboard or other flexible materials
Prior to sending your kids out trick-or-treating kids should:
• Eat a full dinner so they are not hungry and tempted to eat their candy
• Memorize their phone number in case they get lost
• Place reflective strips on their costumes so cars can easily spot them
Important rules kids should follow on Halloween:
• Use flashlights or glow sticks
• If there is no sidewalk, walk toward oncoming cars, not in the same direction as the cars are moving
• Don’t ride a bike or wear rollerblades
• Don’t enter a stranger’s house
• Have a buddy system
• Don’t eat any candy before returning home — parents need to inspect the sweets
Parents need to monitor candy intake because:
• Sugar suppresses the immune system
• You don’t want young children choking on small candies
• Make sure everyone knows CPR
Review fire safety with your child:
• With candles and jack-o-lanterns at every turn, kids can get burned. Make sure they know the Stop, Drop and Roll rule
Make your home safe for trick-or-treaters:
• Trim bushes back from the sidewalk
• Remove flower pots kids can trip over
• Make sure your outdoor lights are working properly
• Secure animals away in the backyard
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Kudos on all of the above.exspecially with all the crazy people out today. We should all pull together in our neighbor hoods and any other communities we come in contact with to protect our children.It is a different world we live in now. Pitch in and watch all our children.
Smile
Sheilah
So true.. And what you woud eat first.Not running and having candy checked or being picked up.
Our family gets together as a group and goes to a local church for what they call harvest fest. So far its proven to be the safest. And with us being a group its easier for us to keep an eye out on all our children.. Last year one of our local elementary schools had a halloween carnival and some of the candy they purchased ended up being old and had worms. so halloween has proven not to be safe even at your local elementary schools. We wont go that route again.
That is a good idea
We love Halloween at our house.I usually make a large dinner almost like a Thanksgiving type deal.Like a celebration . We all get dressed up even the Roxy our dog. She somehow senses not to go to certain houses with our son. She will sit in front of the house and bark. This yr Evan will be a Knight and Roxy will be a Dragon. We tried the "noble steed for the dog but didnt quite work out . We do have some very good neighbors that we trust completely. But some we dont know at all. so we tend to stay away from them.
We go out on our tractor that has headlights and flashing lights on a trailer that we sit in . Plus no ones gonna mess with Roxy .They take one look at her and move over to the otherside of the street.
That is a great idea dressing up your dog also. I would never have thought about that. I think I will try that. We have a black lab/chow/akita mix dog named little bear and he fits his name. Thanks for the idea.
halloween is my favorite holiday. when i was a child my parents, would take my candy and x-ray all of them. then they would take the apples and oranges and throw them away, i would ask them why, and they would tell me someone could put somethink in it to make me really sick, or injury. they still check my candy, but know they would eat it before i could eat it. I take my little cousins out now and i would not let them eat the candy until i check it, but if it is people we know i will let them eat some.
Last year, when I was getting ready for Halloween with my son (he is four), instead of using a candle in the pumpkin that he helped clean, and I carved--is I used another form of lighting... I used those candles that are activated with you blowing at the 'wick'. (It has a battery), so no fire hazards. :) These look like real candles.
P.S I was thinking about and interested in pediatrics, how long is the course?
Last year, when I was getting ready for Halloween with my son (he is four), instead of using a candle in the pumpkin that he helped clean, and I carved--is I used another form of lighting... I used those candles that are activated with you blowing at the 'wick'. (It has a battery), so no fire hazards. :) These look like real candles.
P.S I was thinking about and interested in pediatrics, how long is the course?
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