HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

By: Nadyne Lee, A.R.N.P.

            Halloween is one of our children’s favorite holidays.  The American Academy of Pediatric recommends the following tips to help make it a safe holiday.

            Nearly all children want to wear a costume.  Because they can obstruct a child’s vision, masks are not recommended.  Always choose non-toxic and hypoallergenic make-up if your child wants to decorate his face.  Costumes should be flame retardant and fit properly.  Avoid oversize shoes, high heels, and long skirts or pants that could cause your child to fall.  If your child will be trick-or-treating after dusk, be sure he or she has a flashlight and wears reflective tape on his costume.  Be sure an adult accompanies any young children.

            Pumpkin carving is a long time tradition and a great family memory for children.  For young children, let them draw a face with markers, then the parents can do the cutting.  Children between 5 and 10 should always use pumpkin carvers with safety bars.  Votive candles are safest for candlelit pumpkins.   Always put a lighted pumpkin on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects.  Never leave a lighted pumpkin unattended or lit all night.

            Halloween is prime time for children to want to watch scary movies on TV and videos.  Children often have nightmares after watching horror films, and have a hard time telling make-believe from reality.  Children under 17 should not watch R-rated movies, and young children should not watch any frightening movies.  We often see children for sleep problems that began with a child watching an inappropriate film on television.  Don’t let your child pressure you into changing your mind, you (and he) may regret it at bedtime over the next several weeks.

            Serve kids a healthy dinner (with foods that they like) before trick-or-treating so they won’t fill up on candy.  Offer trick-or treater’s something other than candy.  Give them colorful pencils, stickers, large erasers, or decorative shoe laces.  Set a limit on the number of days candy can remain in the house after Halloween before it is thrown out.  Instruct your children not to snack while they are trick-or-treating.  Parents should check all treats at home for signs of tampering, such as small pinholes in wrappers and torn or loose packages.  Parents of young children should get rid of choking hazards, especially gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys.

            To keep your own home safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, remove anything that a child could trip over, including garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.  Replace any burned out lights with new ones.  Sweep off wet leaves from the sidewalk and steps.  Remember that Halloween is for children of all ages, so don’t be afraid to get involved with your little ghost or goblin.