Halloween Checklist

Each year for Halloween, families flock to their favorites stores to decide on that perfect trending costume. As parents are helping their little monsters prepare for a spooky night filled will festive fun, they fail to address some of their concerns.

Parents tend to stay on high alert as a precautionary measure for the safety of their children, but will often neglect to discuss with their child a conversation about safety. This year, consider this helpful list to address your concerns before taking them trick-or-treating:

Costume Choice

Depending on your Halloween route, many parents worry about other drivers in high-traffic area, especially where other trick-or-treaters are walking. Although not every costume might be a bright color or significantly noticeable, you can incorporate reflective gear to increase their visibility to other drivers.

Have your child’s costume be incorporated with reflective tape or be sure to provide them with a bright flashlight to have their presence known.

You might also want to consider the type of costume they have as well. Many costumes for children come equipped with a mask. Be sure that the mask does not hinder their vision so that they can safety cross the road if needed.

Venue Choice

Another safety measure to incorporate into your child’s checklist is the venue. Be sure that you, as the parent or guardian, are with your child or that they have a chaperone to stay with them on their spooky venture into the night.

If your venue is scattered, such as a neighborhood, be sure to let them know to stay on the sidewalk and avoid running into the street. Pedestrian accidents happen every day, especially in high foot-traffic areas.

A great alternative for trick-or-treating has been utilized by communities as an effort to keep safety in mind. The trunk-or-treating concept is a great way to keep everyone in a familiar venue such as a parking lot with community members providing all the treats from their cars. This alleviates a great deal of stress on parents as they keep an eye on their goblin every step of the way.

Curfew

For some of the older children who might now require a chaperone, be sure to have your child check in periodically to ensure they are safe and out of harm’s way. A great way to ensure that your child is back at an appropriate hour is by setting expectations through curfew.

Although this might not be the most favored option put into effect, your up and becoming teenager can still enjoy some of their night while being able to make it home safely.

Halloween is time for festive fun with friends and family, but it can also be a time to address concerns. Make sure that you address the concerns you have for your children so that they can understand how to be safe. Setting house rules and remaining more cautious than normal can be assisted by creating your checklist in advance.

What are some other suggestions you might have for your checklist?