Safety Tips for Halloween Night

Halloween can be a festive night for the whole family. Dressing up and being someone else is always a fun alternative to the everyday routines. Whether your kids are young and need you to go enjoy activities or your kids are in high school and want to enjoy the night with their friends, making sure everyone is safe and secure on Halloween is important.

Little Ones

Make sure that your little ones understand how important it is to stay with you. Maybe they need to sit in the stroller as you take them from house to house or maybe they can hold your hand as you trick-or-treat, but no matter what, they shouldn’t leave you.

Halloween is kind of a funny holiday. It’s all about getting candy from strangers, yet we teach our kids never to take candy from strangers or be lured away with the promise of candy. This can send mixed messages. Talk with your little ones about the differences in the two situations. Remind them to stay with you and never run off or go with someone else.

For parents of little ones, my advice is to stay clear of wearing face masks. Because your toddlers and preschoolers are looking for your face, masking it can confuse or scare them. They might end up walking off because they can’t find your face. Be conscious of how you are dressed and remind your child so they can always find you in a crowd.

Young Kids

For school age kids who are learning independence and want to walk around with their friends, but still need supervision, there are some safety rules that will help the night go well.

Make sure your young kids stay in a group. Even if you are just walking behind them and letting them lead the way, you never want anyone leaving the group.

Talk to them about their surroundings. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the night. But, you don’t want this excitement to distract them from paying attention to who and what are around them.

Finally, have them check in with you periodically. You want them to feel independent, even if you are just a couple steps behind them. But, you also want them to remember that Mom and Dad are here if they need you. Having them find you after every house helps them feel safe and establishes a routine of checking in.

Older Children

Once your kids are old enough to go trick-or-treating on their own, life gets a little more nerve racking for Mom and Dad. Make sure that your kids call you when they get to their destination. Then, have them text, call, Snapchat, or find some other creative form of communication to contact you periodically.

Remind them to stay in groups, never go off to a secluded area, and never, ever drink and drive. Even though our older children are just that, children, the pressures they face at Halloween parties can be overwhelming. Go over the rules for your family and make sure you know where they are throughout the night.

From our sweet little babies to our growing young adults, no matter how old our kids are they will always be our babies. It’s hard to let go and give them independence, but with solid communication, letting go can be a little bit easier.