Never Take Candy from Strangers….Except on Halloween: Tips for Trick-or-Treating Safely {Timely Re-Post}

Hitting the Streets

What's wrong with this scenario: OK kids, let's get dressed up in costumes and go door to door in the dark asking neighbors, some known and many unknown, for candy and other treats. On any other day of the year other than Halloween this idea sounds absurd, right? Seriously, doesn't this tradition contradict many of the rules we teach our children about strangers? As a paranoid mom attorney, the concept of trick-or-treating really goes against every fiber of my being…except for the free candy part. I can conjure up too many evil outcomes. Maybe this is why we have mostly attended various area events and activities and not really, truly gone trick-or-treating, except once. However, the fact remains that kids and adults love this entertaining and sometimes frightening custom.

History of Trick-or-Treating     

Have you ever wondered why we don silly, scary or creative get-ups and go out in the night, sometimes braving cold and snowy weather (at least here in the Northern climes) to get free candy? It's thought that the American form of trick-or-treating originates from "souling" in Britain and Ireland. In preparation for All Souls Day or Hallowmas, children and poor people would go door to door offering to sing and say prayers in return for "soul cakes" or other food. The custom of wearing masks and costumes at Halloween is a Celtic tradition attempting to copy evil spirits or placate them, according to Wikipedia. The many European customs combined to form the trick-or-treating traditions we now practice on Halloween after immigrants from various locations began coming to America. Ironically, the United States' Halloween traditions are now starting to rub off on European children due to widespread Internet, television and movie access.

Playing it Safe

This week's posts will be dedicated to making this Halloween as safe as possible. Today's post touches on safety tips for going trick-or-treating in your "hood", checking candy, being aware of any sex offenders in your area, etc. Wednesday's post will focus on making sure that costumes are safe, i.e., flame retardant, the right fit, easily seen, etc. Halloween traditions can be fun and harmless if safety precautions are followed.

Tips

Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers these general Halloween safety tips:

	Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
	Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
	Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
	Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
	Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
	Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
	Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
	Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
	Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
	Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
	Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
	Enter homes only if you're with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.
	Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

 

Home Safety    

If expecting trick-or-treaters at your home, follow these safety tips for offering a safe environment for little witches, ghosts and goblins to grab their goodies, provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics :

• To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.

• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
• Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.

Goodie Safety

Let's face it, the best part for the kiddos (and the parents) is hauling in the loot, but make sure to follow these steps to ensure your child is safe when gobbling up that candy. As recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

• Children shouldn't snack while they're out trick-or-treating.  Urge your children to wait until they get home and you have had a chance to inspect the contents of their "goody bags." 
• To help prevent children from snacking, give them a light meal or snack before they head out – don't send them out on an empty stomach.
• Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn't commercially wrapped.
• Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys.
• Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers.  Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

Avoiding Sex Offenders

Sex Offenders are typically instructed to keep lights off at their homes during the trick-or-treating hours in order to avoid coming in contact with youngsters. If you see a home with no lights on that doesn't mean a sex offender lives there, but is best to bypass any homes with lights off in your neighborhood. There are many online sources that allow users to locate where sex offenders are living in their neighborhoods and even register to receive alerts when sex offenders move into the area.

Prepared for an Emergency

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry. So, just in case of an emergency, POISON CONTROL : If anyone suspects a problem or a potential poisoning, contact the poison center at 1-800-222-1222. This an important number to keep at hand at all times, not just on October 31^st.

The Scoop

Halloween can and should be a fun time for all involved, but it does take some thought and planning. For more great tips, visit Halloween-Safety.com . What safety tips have you taught your children? What do you do to celebrate Halloween in a safe way? On Wednesday, I will post about how to ensure that a costume/makeup is safe. Over and out…

Anna

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Comments

[darcie]

eh. I hate Halloween. Dressing up and begging people for candy? Seems pretty silly to me...but...I have kids...And hopefully in due time they'll not love it like their mom...but for now...
We partake a little bit...We do some Halloween parties with friends...and we trick or treat to the homes we know in the neighborhood - the kids don't know that there is candy to be had at more houses...for now, it works...but I see your point...
What's lurking behind door #....