Halloween Safety and Flu/Illness Tips

October 31st, 2009, by Claire

Do you have a fun night of candy hunting planned with your little ones? If so, here are some tips for general safety as well as tips for avoiding flu contamination since this year the numbers are up a little.

The following general safety comes from the CDC:

  • Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
  • Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
  • Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
  • Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
  • Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
  • Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
  • Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
  • Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
  • Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
  • Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
  • Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
  • Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.
  • Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Flu Safety:

  • Don’t allow children to reach into bowls of candy, instead keep your hands clean and pass it out yourself — there is less risk for cross cotamination that way.
  • Keep hands away from eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Carry some antiviral/antibacterial liquid hand sanitizer or sanitizer wet cloths with you. Have your children clean hands in between homes if they use the doorbell, touch the door handle.
  • If your child has been sick be sure she has been without fever for a minimum of 24-hours before she attempts to go out anywhere. If she must miss out on the fun, come up with a creative way to cheer her up like having a small treasure hunt through the house looking for small toys and small amounts of candy.

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    4 Responses to “Halloween Safety and Flu/Illness Tips”

    1. John H Says:
      October 31st, 2009 at 11:47 pm

      Well Halloween 2009 Candy Give A Way is finally done. I’m posting west coast time. Not a bad evening over all and some pretty good costumes and many of the little ones were just down right lovable. Really have to watch that comment.

      Particularly troublesome for me was some of the costumes worn by some of the young tween females. We live in a limited access community so it’s pretty protected. But where and by what wisdom allows a 12-13-14 year old young girl to spend Halloween dressed as a prostitute? And who was the parent that allowed them out the house in such a get up?

    2. Claire Says:
      November 1st, 2009 at 2:03 pm

      Oh John, that’s terrible isn’t it? Ack! My husband would have a stroke if my daughter even attempted to dress like that for Halloween. We allowed her this year to dress like a cheerleader, but it was a very modest costume;.. even with that my husband was still not sure!

    3. John H Says:
      November 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 am

      Even thought I was going to get smacked up beside the head a few times after seeing some of the moms who came with their kids. I lost track of what they were wearing as opposed to what they weren’t wearing. And some of them were not wearing a lot. Oh well, must be getting old.

    4. Claire Says:
      November 5th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

      I don’t know… it may be age, but with age comes wisdom!

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