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Parent Teacher Association of Connecticut, Inc. |
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| Tips for Trick-or-Treaters and Parents |
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Halloween Story!
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Ghosts, goblins, witches, and monsters of all sorts beware. Halloween's not just fun and games. It's important to remind children of a few safety tips before they head out trick-or-treating. First and foremost, remind children to always use common sense. Young children must always go trick-or-treating with an adult.
Remind older children of the following:
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Be back home on time. (Set a time limit for your children to trick-or-treat and designate a specific route for them to take.) |
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Never trick-or-treat alone. Go with at least two friends for the entire evening. |
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Carry a flashlight and use it. |
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Cross only at street corners, never between parked cars, and never diagonally across an intersection. |
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Look in all directions before crossing the street, and obey all traffic signals. Walk, never run, across the street; use sidewalks. |
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Do not take short cuts through backyards, alleys, or parks. |
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Do not go inside anyone's home. |
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Do not eat treats until parents have inspected them. |
What Else Can Parents Do?
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Choose costumes wisely. Make sure costumes fit and that your child can see properly, especially if he or she is wearing a mask. Don't allow trick-or-treaters to decorate their faces with things that aren't intended for use on the skin. |
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Don't allow young children to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision. Don't allow any trick-or-treaters to go out alone. |
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Make sure that trick-or-treaters are visible. Give them a flashlight (and tell them to use it!), or attach reflective tape to some part of their costume. |
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Instruct trick-or-treaters to only visit homes with a porch light on, and never to enter a home. |
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Don't allow trick-or-treaters to eat any candy before you have inspected it for tampering. Don't allow them to eat any homemade treats. |
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It's all too easy for children (and adults) to get caught up in the excitement of Halloween and forget about safety. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the number of childhood pedestrian deaths increased fourfold on Halloween evenings when compared with all other evenings.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the CDC recommend the following precautions to ensure a fun and safe Halloween for your favorite little monster or Britney Spears look-alike.
| Stay alert. Remember that kids are more focused on the mad rush for more candy than on cars. Trick-or-treaters may suddenly dart into streets from between parked cars or from behind bushes and shrubs. |
| Slow down. Watch for children walking on roads, medians and curbs. Enter and exit driveways carefully. |
| Be patient. Give children lots of time to cross the street. Their costumes may impair their ability to see and hear you, and to get out of your way quickly. |
| Don't overestimate a child's judgement. Kids may forget to "stop, look, and listen," so don't assume that they will. Children often have a difficult time judging distance, speed and younger ones may think they're magically safe in crosswalks. |
| Stay out of the street. Always walk on the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the street facing oncoming traffic |
| Stop, look and listen. Before crossing a street, stop at the curb or edge of the road and look left, right and left again to make sure no cars are coming. |
| Always cross streets at the corner or intersection. Don't cross streets between parked cars or bushes. When crossing at an intersection with a traffic light, be sure to watch for turning cars. Obey all pedestrian signals. |
| Be seen. Carry a flashlight. If possible, wear costumes that are light-colored. Darker-colored costumes and goodie bags should be decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape can be purchased at bicycle, hardware and sporting goods stores. |
| Be able to see and hear. Consider using face paint instead of masks, or if you do wear a mask it should be well-fitting with eye- and ear- holes that don't obscure sight and hearing. Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes. |
| Don't trip. Forego the floppy clown shoes or the wobbly high heels for sturdy, well-fitting shoes. Stay away from long, baggy or loose-fitting costumes. |
| Use a map. Younger children should always be supervised. For older children, parents should establish a route in a known neighborhood. |
Source: Mapquest.com
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With Halloween comes the plastic jack o' lanterns and pillowcases filled with high-fat, high-sugar candy. Here are some tips to help children avoid the gluttony of Halloween candy binging:
| Feed your children before they go trick-or-treating to discourage snacking. |
| Limit the length of trick-or-treat outings to decrease the amount of candy brought home. |
| While inspecting the candy for signs of tampering, help children weed out candy they don't like. |
| Limit candy to a few pieces as an after-meal snack, and store the candy out of sight. |
| Set a good example by handing out healthy treats such as granola bars and raisins. Or, look for non-food treats, such as stickers. |
| Donate leftover candy to a charity. |
Sources: Los Angeles Daily News, Baylor College of Medicine, http://thriveonline.oxygen.com
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TRICK-OR-TREATERS CAN COLLECT EYEGLASSES FOR THE GIFT OF SIGHT CLICK HERE |
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Parents.com Halloween Planner Offers Handy Halloween Tips |
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For more safety tips, visit National PTA's "Halloween Safety" Web page. CLICK HERE |
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The Food and Drug Administration's "Halloween Safety Tips" give specific advice regarding the inspection of treats, the use of Halloween and theatrical makeup, and the dangers of novelty contact lessons. CLICK HERE |
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The National Safe Kids Campaign also provides advice for keeping your trick-or-treaters of all ages safe this Halloween. CLICK HERE |
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