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Halloween Safety
October 24, 2007
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Halloween is a night of fun and fantasy and soon dozens of little ghouls and goblins
will be roaming your neighborhood streets. But before your trick-or-treaters go
in search of goodies it’s important to speak with them about safety.
Michele King is the Director of the Child Advocacy Center at Children’s Hospital
of Southwest Florida. She says it’s important to keep safety in mind on this holiday.
“I think it’s a great time of year, families love to have fun. It’s deep in tradition
but everybody just has to be careful.”
Michele says you want to make sure your little one is clearly visible in the dark.
That’s why she recommends flashlights and reflective tape as additions to costumes.
When it comes to ghoulish garb you should also make sure your child’s costume fits
well and is easy to move around in.
“We actually even see sometimes children at the hospital who’ve had an accident
as a result of their Halloween costume being too long, they’ve tripped or fallen
off of the curb. It’s really important to take that time to alter them, to pin them
up or tape them up,” advises Michele.
When morphing into a scary monster, a mask may not be the safest choice for your
child.
Michele says, “We recommend maybe a fun hat or scarf, some face painting so that
they have really clear vision and ability to see.”
Homeowners can help keep kids safe as well.
If you’ll be handing out Halloween sweets
make sure trick-or-treaters have a clear path to your doorbell.
“Make sure there is nothing in the way of the path to the front door that children
can trip over like a big stone or something decorative. Make sure that it’s clear
and the lights are on,” says Michele.
When it comes to that Halloween pastime of carving jack-o-lanterns, allow children
to draw the face on the pumpkin and leave the carving strictly to mom and dad.
One final spooky suggestion: It’s always best to trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood
where parents and kids are familiar with the homes, vehicles and pets.
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