Stay Safe This Halloween By Following These 5 Tips For Maine Trick-Or-Treating
Over 160 million folks go trick-or-treating each year in the US, and while Maine currently ranks as the 4th safest state in the nation for Halloween festivities, there are still some extra measures you can take to keep us at the top of that list this year.
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Second to opening presents on Christmas morning, kids LOVE to trick-or-treat, and seem to abandon all sense for that quest for candy. So it's up to the grownups in their lives to follow some simple rules, to ensure they make it home safe to enjoy all their holiday loot!
Here are 5 things to keep in mind as you head out the door with your kids this Halloween.
1.) Think Simplicity and Visibility when it comes to Halloween costumes.
When you're helping your kiddo pick the perfect pirate or princess costume, healthychildren.org says you should make sure the outfit fits your child well and doesn't keep them from seeing or being seen.
Halloween is the deadliest day for child pedestrians, so making sure your kids know the rules of the road, and can see and be seen by motorists is of the utmost importance on this day.
Reflective or light up clothing is best. And make sure there aren't any sharp accessories (like swords) that would injure someone.
2.) Choose your treats wisely.
While we may remember a time where folks handed out homemade fudge and popcorn balls on Halloween, people have made the migration towards individually wrapped candies, and with good reason.
Those candies often have ingredients on their wrappers, which is helpful for parents who have kids with food allergies or medical conditions like diabetes. (More on that in just a bit!)
It's also easier for helping kids to portion out their candy if it's in little fun-size helpings.
3.) Prepare the way for trick-or-treaters to visit.
Before those little ghosts and goblins make their way to your house to get those goodies, it's a really good idea for you to take a walk around your property to ensure that they have a safe path to travel. According to Mike Holmes of the Holmes Builder Network, there are some key things you'll want to keep an eye on.
"Clear leaves, hoses, toys and other tripping hazards from walkways. Check your driveway, sidewalks and steps for cracks or uneven surfaces and make sure stairs, decks, porches and handrails are secure. Turn on exterior and pathway lighting, replace burned-out exterior bulbs and use battery-operated lights instead of candles in pumpkins. Keep decorations away from stairs and walking paths."
"Use only outdoor-rated electrical decorations and extension cords outdoors, plug outdoor decorations into GFCI-protected receptacles, and keep extension cords out of driveways and walkways. Check electrical decorations for damaged cords or plugs."
Holmes also recommends making sure all the exits and doorways are clear. And don't forget to restrain pets so they don't feel anxious and try to jump on or bite your guests.
4.) Know where you're going and stay on a path.
If you can accompany your child around, that's the best.
But if they are old enough to go door-to-door by themselves, there are some things you want to make sure your kids know about and bring with them.
First, taking flashlights along is a must.
Second, stick to houses you're familiar with.
Third, make sure your children are familiar with traffic laws, and are paying attention to their surroundings and the road instead of electronics while they're out.
If you can go with a big group, there is a certain safety in numbers, too.
5.) Check all the candy BEFORE you eat it.
This can be one of the hardest parts of trick-or-treating; patience.
Law enforcement agencies also remind folks to check all the collected candy before letting kids eat it.
According to childrens.com/health, there 5 main reasons why you should absolutely inspect candy before kids consume it.
1.) Food Allergies: A lot of candies contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, and soy, that could all trigger something in the body of child with food allergies.
2.) Choking Hazards: Things like the dreaded gobstoppers, hard candies, gum, nuts, and small toys can easily block a young child's airway. Little kiddos (under 5) shouldn't really eat these, so you can throw those right out.
3.) Damaged or Tampered Packaging: If there are pinholes, tears, loose seals, or unusual colors and smells, chuck that stuff. It's not worth the risk.
4.) Cannabis and THC Edibles: It's become more of an issue nowadays that some package-free or lookalike products may contain THC or other intoxicating substances that mimic regular commercial sweets. As much as you don't want your kid to accidentally trip and fall down, you probably want avoid them accidentally tripping on a pot-laced goodie as well.
5.) Homemade Treats: Unwrapped or homemade goods (like baked treats) should generally be thrown away unless they come from a known, trusted source who prepared them.
A good rule of thumb is that anything that's not wrapped by the factory or isn't sealed should be tossed.
No candy bar or lollipop is ever worth taking a risk with a child's health or well-being. And if you think it's going to be too hard for your kiddo to resist, you could always back a small baggie of pre-checked candies for them to snack on on the way!
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Good luck out there, and we hope you have a safe and happy Halloween!
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