Halloween Safety Tips!

If you and your little ones are going to be out and about this Halloween, make sure to stay warm and be safe. Here are a few tips to keep you and your little ones safe this Halloween:

• Before going out, discuss the important topics with your children, such as not getting in a car with a stranger, looking both ways before crossing the street, not eating treats without wrappers or with loose or broken wrappers, and don’t forget to go over the basics of the neighborhood they will be trick-or-treating in, making sure they stick to the routes you have approved.

• Do not, under any circumstances, allow your children to go trick-or-treating without an adult. Supervision is essential! Also, keep children in groups so they are extra safe.

• Make sure at least one person in the group is carrying a cellphone in case of emergency. All children need to know their home telephone number and how to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency.

• Use reflective tape. Place it on their costumes, bicycles, and anywhere else you can to make your little ones reflective and easy to see. Make sure all children have their own glowsticks or flashlights.

• Take children to a safe and familiar neighborhood, make sure they do not approach houses that are not well-lit and make sure they know not to enter a stranger’s home, under any circumstances.

• Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and telephone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

• Kids can get super excited, but make sure they walk, not run, from house to house.

• Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten. Feed your children before sending them out, making them less likely to eat candy before you have a chance to inspect it.

• Make sure children know to walk on sidewalks or the left side of the road if there are no sidewalks. Remind them to stay off lawns where unseen objects can cause them to trip and fall.

If you are a motorist on Halloween, be extra safe. Please drive slowly and carefully and watch for excited children walking, running and sometimes darting out from unexpected places.

Remember, most accidents on Halloween can be avoided. Take the extra time and precautions to keep your little ones safe!

Happy Halloween from Biltmore Park!