With only a little more than a month till Halloween, it’s time to start planning your family’s costumes for this year, if you haven’t done so already.
Some families think that Halloween is just for kids–but that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, younger kids are generally thrilled when their parents dress up (as long as it isn’t anything scary) for the holiday because it adds to the excitement. At our house, we don’t dress up like scary beings–it’s generally beloved movie, cartoon, or book characters, and we view the holiday as more of a fall celebration (okay–and a bit of a candy celebration, too, though that’s not as much fun as the dressing up).
A couple of safety hints for Halloween:
- (this one might be a personal foible of mine, but…) Always have an adult accompany your child when they are trick-or-treating, even if they are with a group of friends. There’s just too much that can happen out there–and if a child is young enough to trick-or-treat, he or she should also have adult supervision while running around the neighborhood in the dark.
- Make sure your child’s costume allows them to see their surroundings clearly. It’s easy to trip over a curb, branch, etc., in the dark–and a costume that inhibits the wearer from seeing well only makes this more of a danger.
- Give each trick-or-treater a strong sack for their candy–one that won’t break through and is easy to carry.
- Each child should bring a flashlight with them. This makes them more visible in the dark, and makes it easier for them to see.
- Ask children to wait until they get home–and parents can thoroughly check the candy–before they start munching on the sweets he or she has collected. (Unless reminded, a child may dip into his sack while they’re walking from house to house.)
- Adults should hold a child’s hands when crossing the street. It’s just too easy for vehicles to not see a child in the dark.
I’m sure there are a lot more safety precautions one could take for Halloween, but these are what jumps to mind at the moment. I’ll add to the list as I think of more.
Personally, I’m in favor of making the holiday more about the fun of dressing up and enjoying time with family and friends than about the candy. Let’s face it–your favorite childhood memories of Halloween probably aren’t going to be about that pack of M&Ms you ate, so the same will probably be true for your kids. Keep this in mind when planning activities. A Halloween party for friends and family can be loads of fun, and you can plan lots of cool activities–including finding candy you’ve hidden around the house or yard beforehand. (Just make sure you hide the candy in an area that’s safe for the kids to explore, and let them know what areas are off limits.)