Halloween Safety for Kids from Planck's Constant

Halloween can be fun scary - but it can also be dangerous scary. When I was a young man, most costumes were homemade and safe to wear, no one tampered with food, there were fewer cars on the road, and children went around without adults.

We may not be living in a more dangerous world but certainly we are compelled to be more cautious just in the 1 in a million chance that something untoward may happen to our children. To help you cope in this age with Halloween, I offer the following for your consideration:

Car Safety

Since there are scads more children on Halloween there are going to be more children hit by cars. To keep your child from becoming a statistic, add reflective tape to your child's costume. Instruct them to stay on sidewalks, cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks, and not to cross between parked cars.

Make sure they skip their rounds during dusk when many costumes will blend into the color of the road and drivers' vision is at their worst. A black or dark gray costume is an invitation to an accident after dark.

If you are driving on Halloween during dusk, don't. Pull over, have a coffee, and wait for it to get really dark, or leave from work earlier or later. Although dusk is the most accident-prone time, be cautious when it's very dark for idiots dressed in black costumes. You may not believe this, but there will be at least one black mother who will permit her black son to go out at the dead of night unaccompanied and dressed as a black cat carrying a black treat bag (see photo above). If you hit this child, Al Sharpton will make it his business to call you a racist and blame you for the accident and not the mother.

Stair Safety

Since kids will be climbing stairs they are not used to, there will be many accidents due to falls. Indeed, falls are a leading cause of injuries among children on Halloween.

Grave Digger Truck Costume
Photo Credit: familycrafts.about.com

Here are a few tips on lowering those kinds of accidents. Avoid accessories that attach to the costume that make it awkward for your child to maneuver around: swords, long tails, shovels, rifles, etc.

Many costumes look like fun, but should only be worn by trained Hollywood stuntmen. Big, bulky, cumbersome costumes made from cardboard boxes may be clever, but they almost guarantee a fall down the stairs. Again, some costumes are more appropriate to those 13 or older who are more adroit.

Trim any costume that is loose fitting around legs and feet that could cause a child to trip. Practice a few climbing trials with your children making sure they hold on to the handrails while both ascending and descending. Make sure they have fresh batteries in their flashlight to help climbing unlit stairs.

Physical masks sometimes make it difficult for young children to clearly see while they are climbing stairs. Use face paints instead of masks.

Do not let small children wear clown shoes that make it difficult for them to balance themselves properly.

Eye Safety

Children under 13 should not be waving fake knives, swords, magic wands, brooms, guns, arrows, spears, etc. Tell your children to stay away from groups of children brandishing these potential eye-pokers.

Costume Safety

Since so many costumes are made in China, it is very likely that there are dangerous chemicals in them. It is better for your child's facial health not to come in contact with a mask made in China. It would also be a good idea to have some thin cotton cloth between the costume and your child's skin. Many costumes have fire retardant chemicals that can irritate or cause rashes if they come in direct contact with your child's skin.

Your children should wear comfortable but proper fitting shoes. Extra underclothing is necessary if the weather is cold.

Food Safety

Instruct your children not to eat any candy on route. Give them a snack or
light meal before going out. You should inspect all Halloween treats before your children start tearing into them.

Dump any homemade treat or any candy not in its original and undamaged wrapper. Look for pinholes, tiny tears, and if it merely looks suspicious, dump it.

General Safety

Depending on their age, you should accompany your children on Halloween until they demonstrate to you that they will follow safe Halloween habits.

Even if you do accompany your child it is a good idea for small children to have their names and addresses attached to their costumes. One small distraction and your child could easily get lost among hundreds of others.

Draw a trick-or-treating route and insist that they stick to it.

Teach your children by actual lessons on how NOT to enter into a stranger's home. Practice having them come to your door where you pretend to be a stranger telling them that the candy is inside.

Talk about these safety rules with your kids before releasing them into the wild.