ParentLine

Dear ParentLine,

Remember when we were kids…we used to go trick-or-treating with a group of friends (no adults), at night, all around the neighborhood and beyond.  Now, however, I’m terrified to let my children do the same thing.  Can you give me some tips for Halloween safety AND tell me what age they should be chaperoned by an approved adult and when they’re old enough to go it alone? 

Signed, Good Witch of the East in Exeter, NH

 

Yep, that was then and this is now.  Without being an alarmist, pick up a newspaper any day of the year, and somewhere on the front page, you’ll find a story that will make most horror films look tame. You bet things are way scary out there these days.  Mom, you’ve got legitimate reasons to fear for your children’s safety.

 

Instead of starting a riot at home when the discussion about “going it alone” comes up, let ParentLine be the bad guy. A good way to think of what’s appropriate with regard to chaperoning the kids is to think about your family’s rules for being out at night alone on any other night of the year.  Then, add the freak factor attached to Halloween and you’ve got your answer.

 

The issue isn’t whether or not you trust that your kids are mature enough to be out on the streets alone at night. The issue here is their safety.  Period. Parent’s chaperone school dances, right?  You might ask what they could possibly want to do on Halloween night that would cause them not to want you to be there. Shrug off your almost-grown-kids pleas of “Aw, Mom (or Dad),” dust your broomstick, dig great aunt Hilda’s old black, moth-eaten opera cape out of the trunk in the basement, and go. Don’t let ‘em just think you’re a witch, on Halloween, it’s OK to be one!

Whether you drive the kids to the neighborhood of choice and stand on the corner where you can keep your beady eyeballs on them or whether you accompany them right up to the corner of the yard, be square and be there. And, remember just because you’re in costume, too, this doesn’t give you license to act like one of the kids.  Think of your stance in terms of “silent presence, solid safe guard.”  If you get guff, especially from the older kids, tell them your job as their parent isn’t to be their friend, it’s to be sure they are safe.

   

Now, about those safety tips.  Let’s start with pumpkin carving, but here’s a little history first.  According to Spookmaster Online Pumpkin Carving Patterns article “Pumpkin Carving 101,” Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced “sow wan”), which means summer’s end.  It was the end of the Celtic year, starting on sundown of October 31 and lasting till sundown November 1st. This was a night to honor loved ones that had passed on since the veil between their realm and ours is at its thinnest on that night.  On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds were set outside homes as protection from malevolent spirits.  When European settlers arrived in America, they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed to be the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns.

 

Very young children can help with the selection of their pumpkin and can draw faces on their pumpkins with markers.  Older brothers and sisters can do the carving, with Mom or Dad supervising.  After an older family member carves the lid, youngsters can scoop out the pumpkin guts, wash off the goop, and help prepare the seeds for roasting.   Preheat the oven to 250, spread the seeds on a cookie sheet sprayed with veggie oil and bake golden brown.

The children’s Safety Zone offers these Halloween Safety Tips for trick-or-treaters:

  • Carry a flashlight.
  • Walk don’t run.
  • Stay on sidewalks.
  • Obey traffic signals.
  • Stay in familiar neighborhoods.
  • Don’t cut across yards or driveways.
  • Wear a watch you can read in the dark.
  • Make sure costumes don’t drag on the ground.
  • Avoid wearing masks while walking from house to house.
  • Carry only (fake) and flexible knives, swords or other props.
  • (If no sidewalk) walk on the left side of the road facing traffic.
  • Wear clothing with reflective markings or tape.
  • Approach only houses that are lit.  (Better yet, just go to the lit houses of the neighbors you know.)
  • Stay away from and don’t pet animals you don’t know.

Tips for parents:

  • Make your child eat dinner before setting out.
  • Children should carry quarters (or carry a cell phone) so they can call home.
  • Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
  • If your children do go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark.
  • If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material.
  • Tell children to bring candy home to be inspected before consuming anything.
  • Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.

Tips for homeowners:

  • Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones.
  • 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.
  • Provide healthful food alternatives for trick-or-treaters including 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.

ParentLine asks that you think about your pet’s safety, too, on Halloween.  The Halloween Is Here website (www.halloweenishere.com/safety-tips.html), offers the following tips for pet safety:

  • Don’t leave your pet out in the yard on Halloween. 
  • Trick-or-treat candies are NOT for pets.  Chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals.  Tinfoil and candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.
  • Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin.
  • Don’t dress the dog in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it causes stress on the animal.
  • If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume isn’t constrictive, annoying of unsafe.  Be careful not to obstruct his vision or inhibit him from “doing what comes naturally,” and get him used to wearing his costume before the actual date of Halloween.
  • All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; many strangers in strange garb can be scary to the dog.
  • Be careful that your cat or dog doesn’t dart out through the open door.  Walk your dog early in the night before it gets dark.

So, boo to you and have a safe and happy Halloween!

ParentLine is a free and confidential service of Child and Family Services, a statewide, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the well-being of children and families.  Call ParentLine, 1-800-640-6486;  write ParentLine, c/o Child and Family Services, P.O. Box 448, Manchester, NH; email parentline@cfsnh.org or visit our website at www.cfsnh.org.