By Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and USAG Stuttgart Safety Office
It’s easy to get scared on Halloween but equally important to not lose focus on the fun.
Cautious parents are bombarded with all sorts of well-intentioned safety info about possible health and safety risks that accompany this holiday. If one were to heed every suggested precaution, then their kids would end up sitting in the middle of their rooms all evening, with no costumes and no candy.
Some suggestions are reasonable – telling people going trick or treating to be careful crossing the street since drivers may not see all the little goblins darting across the streets.
Others may just require a little more effort – searching for hypoallergenic make-up instead of commercial face paint or a bulky mask. Or, rather than banning all candy because of possible contamination risk, simply inspect everyone’s haul before the kids dig in.
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation has come up with a variety of safety tips to help Families balance a desire to be cautious with a goal that all their Halloween frights strictly be of the make-believe variety.
Food: The FDA offers a variety of strategies to help kids to have a healthy experience. These include making sure kids eat a snack before heading outside so they just don’t eat candy all evening, and not to dig into their bags while walking. Parents should simply throw out anything that looks suspicious, such as a tampered package or something that isn’t wrapped well. Homemade candy where you don’t know the source also can get pitched.- Safety: Walking in groups with adults is a smart move, Halloween or not. Kids.gov also offers other suggestions for parents, including adding reflective tape to costumes that will help drivers to see them easier, and giving every child a glow stick or flashlight. If the children are visiting a certain neighborhood or base community, they can also use a map to plot their route.
- Parties: Some parents may prefer to have all the kids off the streets and in one place, such as a party. The same rules can apply to food –pre-packaged candy for all!
Trick-or-treat tips to remember from the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Safety Office:
- Masks can obstruct a child’s vision. Use facial make-up instead.
- Inspect all treats before anything is eaten.
- Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.
- Use flashlights and wear reflective clothing to help children see better, and be seen more clearly.
- Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
- Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
- Watch for children in dark clothing.