Scariest Place This Halloween? The Emergency Room

Monsters, goblins and super-heroes will soon be descending on homes everywhere. While Halloween is a time for fun and treats, it’s important to stay safe.

Each year, 9.2 million babies, children, and teens are injured severely enough to need treatment in emergency departments all across America, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The key to keeping kids safe this year, and every year, is close parental supervision and a few trick-or-treat precautions.

Here are 20+ invaluable tips as a guideline to make this year’s holiday a safe one.

Looking for more great Halloween ideas? Be sure to check out my collection of Halloween tips, ideas, activities, recipes and more for the entire family.

Costumes

• Look for flame-resistant materials for costumes and be particularly aware of open flames in Jack O’ Lanterns
• Choose costumes that do not have sharp objects attached to masks or the costume itself
• Beware of costumes with big baggy sleeves or billowing skirts; costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling
• Make sure masks allow for full vision
• If your child wears a hat or scarf, make sure it fits securely and provides adequate ventilation
• Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible
• Apply non-toxic face paint or cosmetics as an alternative to masks
• Always test make-up in a small area first in case of rash or allergic reaction
• Make sure children wear properly fitting shoes
• Plan costumes with highly visible colors
• Add reflective tape or stickers to costumes and treat bags or have the child wear a reflective bracelet
• Attach each child’s name, address and phone number to their clothes in case they become separated from adults

Trick-or-treating

The most important thing to remember is to make children visible to automobile drivers. A child is four times more likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other time.

• Give kids flashlights to carry
• Accompany your children when trick-or-treating
• If your children are old enough to trick-or-treat by themselves, have them go in groups — even if only on your block or in your building
• Allow children to travel only in familiar areas
• Remind children to follow rules of crossing streets – look both ways and cross only at intersections and crosswalks
• Use battery powered jack o’lantern candles. Place pumpkins with real flames well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing
• Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren’t going with them
• Remind your children to never, ever go into a stranger’s house

Candy

• Feed kids a good meal before trick-or-treating so they won’t be as tempted to eat any candy before they bring it home for you to check
• Do not allow children to eat any treats until they’ve been sorted and checked by an adult at home
• Throw candy away if it appears to have been unwrapped and re-wrapped, has a faded wrapper, or has holes or tears
• Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use
• Limit candy to prevent a child from getting an upset stomach or sick

This Halloween, be safe and smart but not paranoid. There’s no reason to scare your child, but be sure to trust your instincts.

Looking for more great Halloween ideas? Be sure to check out my collection of Halloween tips, ideas, activities, recipes and more for the entire family.