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Child Safety on Halloween
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When my own children were "trick or treat" age, there weren’t any cool costumes like there are today. Everything was constructed with whatever we had at home. We used sheets, cardboard, poster paint, popsicle sticks and bailing wire. Anything that worked. Imagination and some hours at the sewing machine, including some glue—created some pretty wonderful things. One year Courtney was a tube of toothpaste. I made a modified version of a stovepipe hat out of poster board (sans brim), folded another rectangular sheet into accordion-style folds and glued that on, voilà the cap! I sewed a white sheet into an simple pillowcase with an A-line bottom and painted the logo of a Colgate toothpaste tube on the front with directions on the back. He looked great!
One year our foreign exchange daughter, Jopie, (from the Netherlands) sewed both boy's costumes; (she also taught me how to knit!). The kids were a leopard and a panther. She used a Vogue pattern and we painted their faces with cat-like eyes and whiskers. The leopard fabric had a nice, soft nap and the panther was made out of shiny black satin.
I’ll never forget the first year we actually bought a “scary” mask from Spencers. It was a caricature of a really ugly dog. Courtney thought it would be funny to frighten the monkey and "Ziggy," our capuchin, redefined the words “scared sh**less.” Even though she saw that the ferocious dog had Court’s body and voice, that didn’t seem to matter; she was freaked.
Anyway, since I am Home AND Living Examiner, and since celebrations are one of my main bailiwicks, today I am going to provide some suggestions for child safety on Halloween night. I’ve been through a few, so I have some advice to impart.
Costuming
Don’t ever put a child in a mask or headdress where their vision is restricted. Ditto for breathing, make sure the child is not gagging on a bad smell, sneezing, or reacting as if they were asthmatic. Make sure that they can wear comfortable shoes and that the hem of the garment is not going to trip thme up or entangle them. Add reflective tape somewhere, that is to say, striping—a design pattern to fit with the theme—or on their trick-or-treat bags.
Make sure that makeup is nontoxic and hypoallergenic. If not, choose something else. For wigs, fur and other accouterments, they must be flame resistant or retardent. Many pumpkins and other decorations use candles, it only makes sense. Reconsider using fake knives, guns or swords that could look stiff or authentic. If they are not the super soft rubber variety, make up another option.
Equip everyone with a working flashlight.
Age appropriate supervision
A parent or a responsible adult should take young children on their neighborhood rounds for trick-or-treating. My recommendation is at least to age eight with an adult, and then they should still go in a group, with one older leader—stressing the buddy system always, but better still, no splitting up.
Street caution
Children need to stay on well-lit streets. If the sidewalk is nonexistent, teach them to walk facing traffic into the shoulder as far as possible. No cutting across yards; no shortcuts through alleys; never run. Tell them not to assume the >right-of-way.< No riding in anyone’s car and never enter a stranger’s home. They should only approach houses that are familiar and have their porch light on.
Behavior
Children should be taught their manners and s-p-e-l-l out what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Never let them eat unwrapped food; and refrain from indulging in candy until the goodies can be checked carefully by an adult in the privacy of the home. No open beverages or drinks of any type. (Carry your own water bottle for hydrating.)
Make sure that kids know their home telephone number and reiterate how to use 9-1-1 if that is your area’s emergency number).
Home Base
Eliminate hazards on your own porch. Make sure bushes are trimmed back. Check your property for hanging or broken tree limbs. Remove hoses, flower pots or any type of support wires from your grounds that could prove hazardous to excited children.
Checking candy
The sites listed below have great tips for candy safety, check them out. For your own giveaway candy, you might think about pasting those little address labels on them so parents can contact you if need be.
And finally, there is always the option of having a children’s party at home or you might even plan a hayride evening with the whole family instead. As an extra bonus, if you are going to have a party, write me at: andreacampbell@hughes.net and I will e-mail you a free party game idea.
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