Halloween is just around the corner. While you may have prepared by picking out costumes, hanging decorations, and buying bags of candy, there are additional preparations you should make to have a safe Halloween.

Prepare your children

Consider brightly colored costumes to make children more visible to drivers. There is a significant increase in pedestrian accidents on Halloween as many neighborhoods aren’t used to having a large number of people walking the roads and sidewalks. Be extra careful when walking around.

• Consider trick-or-treating in the afternoon to be even more visible.
• Teach kids to stay on sidewalks and to look both ways before crossing the street.
• Kids should always be supervised by a responsible adult.
• Provide children with flashlights for poorly lit streets and sidewalks.

Prepare your home

If you are expecting trick-or-treaters, you will want to ensure that your home is safe.

• Remove anything that someone, especially a small child in a cumbersome costume, might trip over.

• While Fido may look adorable in his doggy costume, he may be intimidating to small children.  Keep overly friendly dogs away from the front door.
• A dark path that leads to a dark house may put you in the Halloween mood, but it can be dangerous for visitors. Check outdoor lights and replace bulbs accordingly.

Prepare for the aftermath

Kids will want to rush home and stuff themselves with all of the treats they collected. You don’t need a health blog to tell you that this nighttime sugar rush is not a good idea. Rationing the candy will help to spread the sugar consumption over several days. Set aside a fixed time when kids can have their treats. Make sorting the candy a game. Kids can trade with each other for their favorites while an adult can inspect treats to ensure they are not spoiled or unwrapped.

Prepare for a good time!

Halloween is a fun holiday for both children and adults. Lawnwood Regional Medical Center would like to wish you and your family a very safe and happy Halloween!

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