ASOTIN – Halloween can be a fun holiday for kids, but a worrisome one for parents. Concerns about children’s safety — whether they are out in the neighborhood or back home with bags of bounty–can darken the day more quickly than a black cat. But not to worry! To make Halloween a treat, follow these safety tips.
ADULTS
Make sure the path to your door is clear and well lit, welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights and turn on any exterior lights.
Sweep leaves and other debris from sidewalks and walkways to prevent any slip hazards.
Use alternatives instead of candles and open flames.
Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your police department immediately. 9-1-1 or 509-758-2331
Do not give homemade or unwrapped treats to children.
MOTORISTS
Exercise extreme caution when driving a vehicle. Be on the alert for excited youngsters, whose vision may be obscured by masks, darting out into traffic.
Never Drink and Drive
TRICK OR TREAT TIPS
Make sure your kids dress up safely
Make sure costumes are flame retardant so children aren’t in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns.
Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.
Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable, and they can obstruct a child’s vision, a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.
Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape and glow sticks on their costumes.
Make costumes loose for warm clothing underneath.
Sword, Knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible to prevent injury.
Wear comfortable, safe shoes.
Make trick-or-treating trouble free
Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups, so they aren’t a tempting target
for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany young children.
Make sure older kids trick-or-treat with friends. Tell them to stop only at
homes where the outside lights are on.
Try to get your kids to trick-or-treat while it’s still light out. If it’s dark, make
sure someone has a flashlight, add reflective tape and glow sticks to costumes and bags, and pick well-lit streets.
Do not go inside anyone’s home. Always remain on the porch.
Do not approach or accept rides from strangers and be sure children do not approach any vehicle, occupied or not.
Remind kids to keep a safe distance from moving cars.
Cross only at street corners or crosswalks, never between parked cars, and never diagonally across an intersection.
Look in all directions before crossing the street and obey all traffic signals. Walk, never run, across the street, and use sidewalks, not the street, for walking.
If there is no sidewalk, walk along the edge of the road as far off the travel lane as possible, facing traffic.
Do not take shortcuts through back yards, alleys, or dark parks.
Do not eat any treats until parents have inspected them.
Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats.
Provide a cell phone if not accompanied by an adult and teach children how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Start early. Try to finish before dark. Have a flashlight.
Check all treats before eating
It’s hard for kids to hold back from eating their treats until they get home. One way to keep trick-or- treaters from digging in while they’re still out to feed them a meal or a snack beforehand.
Check out all candy in a well-lit place when your trick-or-treater gets home.
What to eat? Only unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers. By all means remind kids not to eat everything at once or they’ll be feeling pretty ghoulish for a while!
Halloween can be a lot of fun for parents and kids alike–if everybody remembers the tricks and treats of playing it safe.