Halloween Safety Tips For Parents, Kids And Pets

With Halloween only two days away, now is the time to think about Halloween safety tips for parents and for kids.  Follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and fun Halloween for you and your family.Safety tips for the trick-or-treaters:

Don't walk in the road.  Stay on the sidewalk.  If there are no sidewalks, walk facing the oncoming cars.

Carry a flashlight and put reflective tape on your costume so motorists can easily see you.

Don't run, just walk.

Trick-or-treat in neighborhoods you know.

Obey traffic signals.

Don't wear a costume that will make you trip and wear shoes that fit properly.

Try not to wear your mask while walking from house to house.  Put it on when you get to the house you're trick or treating at.

Don't go to houses that are all dark.

Stay away from pets you don't know.

Trick-or-treating tips for mom and dad:

Feed your child dinner before they start trick-or-treating.

Have a cell phone with you and if you have older kids going without you, have them carry a cell phone.

Wear a watch you can see in the dark.

Young children should always go with a trusted adult.

If you can, buy costumes made of flame-retardant material.

Always check the candy before letting your kids eat it.  Looks suspicious?  Throw it away.

Halloween safety for pets:

Keep them away from the door, preferably in another room so they're not upset by the trick-or-treaters.

Don't leave them outside on Halloween.

Halloween candy is for kids not for pets.  Don't feed it to them.  Chocolate is lethal for dogs and cats.

Keep cords and lighted pumpkins away from pets.

If you're dressing them up, make sure they can easily see, breathe and move around.

Halloween safety tips for homeowners:

Keep your lawn free of things kids can trip on.  Put away the rakes, brooms, flower pots and other tripping hazards.

Many pets get scared on Halloween.  Keep them inside.

Battery powered jack o lanterns are safer than using real candles.

Don't want to hand out candy? How about packages of dried fruit, crackers and peanut butter, raisins, chips, popcorn or small boxes of cereal.

Have your steps and front door lit well so kids don't trip going to and from your house.

Have a Happy Halloween!

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·     Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones

·     Pets get frightened on Halloween. Put them up to protect them from cars or inadvertently bitting a trick-or-treater

·     Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame

·     If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing

·     Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations won't be blown into a flaming candle

·     Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later

·     Non-food treats: plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, coins