Make safety a priority to ensure Halloween fun

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Children all across the country are eagerly anticipating the ultimate candy holiday as Halloween approaches. However, amongst all of the excitement, keeping safety in mind is crucial.

Making Halloween a real treat for the entire family requires following some safety measures, said Laura Hubbs-Tait, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension parenting specialist.

“When children are excited, they can become careless and forgetful,” Hubbs-Tait said. “It’s important for parents to sit down and talk with their children about safety issues that deal with everything from costume safety to when it’s OK to eat their candy.”

Children are so eager to dress up as their favorite princess, super hero or television character. Making sure the costume fits properly is the first step to a memorable and safe Halloween. Clothing that has a cape or tail that is too long can be a tripping hazard.

If the costume is dark in color, adorn it with reflective tape to make the child more visible. Be sure the costume is made from fire-retardant materials.

Hubbs-Tait said another hazard can be an ill-fitting mask. In fact, she suggests using nontoxic face paint as an alternative to a mask.

“Masks can obstruct a child’s vision, which can lead to falls and other dangers,” she said. “However, some of the face makeup also can be a problem. Cosmetics may contain heavy metals or other unsafe ingredients. It’s better to go with some of the online recipes for edible face paint and fake blood as long as you are familiar with the safety of the ingredients and know your child is not allergic to them.”

In addition, accessories such as swords, knives or shields should be short, soft and flexible.

Before letting children go out into the neighborhood, parents need to establish a set of rules and go over the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow.

“Stop only at well-lit houses,” said Gina Peek, OSU Cooperative Extension consumer and housing specialist. “Stop only at houses where you know the people, and tell children not to eat any of the candy until they get home and parents have had a chance to inspect it.”

Children should remain on the sidewalks and not walk in the street. Children also must check for traffic and look both ways before crossing the street, and they should cross only at corners.

Children darting out between parked cars can easily get hurt in traffic. It is always a good idea to carry a flashlight in case street lights are not on. This not only helps the trick-or-treater see better, but also makes them more visible to drivers.

“Not only should children be more cautious, but adults who are driving trick-or-treaters to other neighborhoods need to be more aware as well,” Peek said. “In the excitement of the moment a child may run across the street without checking traffic.”

Motorists are encouraged to be extra careful and drive slowly through neighborhoods where there are a lot of trick-or-treaters.

Hubbs-Tait also pointed out the same safety precautions should be followed for large Halloween events.

She said communities may host trick-or-treating at the local fairgrounds, nursing home or community center. Also, some college and university dorms may allow ghosts and goblins to come in and trick-or-treat.

“Make sure your children pay attention to the traffic in parking lots at events such as these. There can be a lot of excitement at these large venues and children and parents must pay attention to their surroundings in order to ensure safety,” Hubbs-Tait said.

Following these safety tips will help guarantee that all ghosts, goblins and parents have a safe and enjoyable holiday.