Yes Halloween is around the corner! I bet every single mom out here cannot wait to bring their little princesses, pumpkins, vampires, witches, pirates, clowns, angels, fairies etc. out for candy. There are many things us as moms need to think about before bringing our children out trick or treating.
Weather - Halloween is almost always cold for children, if we're lucky it will be a nice night this year. It's a good idea to think of costumes that can cover layers of clothes, if it does end up being cold that night simply add the layers on. Sweaters, long johns, high socks, ear muffs etc. If you decide to walk with your little ones, try using a wagon and bring along a blanket to cover up between houses. Gloves are great idea also, there are many costumes that will work very well with gloves. For moms who have babies 6 months and under it is a good idea to put them in a Moby wrap/kangaroo wrap to keep them warm. There are many ideas out there for babies face paint for Halloween. This way you can keep them covered up and close to you, but still have them look cute for Halloween.
Costumes - Picking a costume is a tough trip, a few things to think about are is it good material? Will it be loose enough to fit a few layers of clothing underneath? Are the weapons rubber and bendable? Is it too long that my child will trip while walking? Using face paint is better than using a mask, a mask can be very hard to breathe in and very hard to see out of. Be sure to get reflective stickers and place them on your childs back and front, if you cannot find reflective stickers try finding a blinking light source.
Decorations - Decorating your house is fun, especially if you are decorating with your little ones. There are some precautions you should be taking while decorating. Try not to hang any decorations above heaters, decorations are known to fall when nobody is looking and this will cause a fire. If you do hang decorations above a heater make sure they are hung up very well and do a test to see if it is easy for them to fall. Anything small such as tiny spiders for spider webs should be tangled into the web so they do not fall to the floor where a little one can easily pick it up and put it in their mouth. Candles are not the greatest idea, especially in the window sill because they can cause fires. Always keep an eye on the little ones while decorating, all it takes is 1 second for anything to happen.
Carving pumpkins - Little ones should never carve the pumpkin, instead let them draw the face of the pumpkin. It is a good idea to get each child a pumpkin, that way they can draw their own face on their own pumpkin and there will be minimum fighting. Drawing a face on a few pumpkins yourself is a good idea instead of carving because the pumpkins will last longer. However, if you do carve the pumpkins it is a good idea to put them outside at night time or in the freezer this way they will last longer.
Trick or treat! - While trick or treating young ones get distracted by candy, it is a good idea to start reminding them that they need to look both ways before crossing the street. Always accompany your children while trick or treating, you may think your small town is safe but there are a lot of predators out there just waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab a child. It is a horrible thought but it's definitely one you need to think about. For older children who can go out trick or treating alone, remind them about all the dangers that are out there. You should set some rules come Halloween night such as 1. Never go into anybody house unless you know them very well or you are in a big group. 2. Never walk alone at night. 3. Always have your cell phone ready and have your local police department on speed dial. 4. Always tell mom where you are and where you are going. 5. Only go to houses where the lights are on inside and outside. 6. Never cross between parked cars. *If your older child is staying home to pass out candy and watch scary movies also set some rules such as 1. Make sure all windows and doors are always locked. 2. Make sure you have a friend over or a few friends. 3. Look out the windows to see who is knocking before opening the door. 4. Have your local police department on speed dial.
Checking out the candy - Remind your children to bring all of their candy home so you can inspect them. You can give your children a pocket full of candy from home for them to eat while trick of treating. Look for candy that is already opened or half opened and throw them away. Look for puncture holes in the rest of the candy, apples and other fruit and throw them away. Throw away home made treats such as cookies, muffins etc. unless you know the person who baked them.
Halloween is a great time to start family traditions, get all dressed up, go out trick or treating, carve pumpkins and tons more of great fun. I hope everyone has a great and safe night. Happy Halloween!!!
There is nothing worse than your child waking up in the middle of the night with a fever, cough, sore throat etc. It's a good idea to keep yourself prepared. Here is a list of thing you should put into your medical cupboard
Cough syrup
Vicks baby vapor rub
Johnsons vapor bath
Baby Tylenol
Childrens Tylenol
Tempra
A suction bulb
Finger nail clippers
Tweazers
Adult tylenol
Peroxide
Rubbing alcohol
Band aids
Gauze
Medical tape
Cough drops
Tums
Q-tips
Needles
Cotton balls
Nasal drops/spray
Childrens gravol
Pepto-bismol
Scissors
Medical gloves
Ice cold pack
You can have a lot more but this is just the basics.
Is your little one up at 2AM coughing and coughing? Are they complaining about a sore throat? Losing their voice? Have a fever? Yes...it's that time of year when our warm weather leaves us and the cold comes in without warning. It's so very hard when your child has a cold, but there are ways to avoid a cold and soothe one. Here are some tips
Keep them warm - It's time to bring out the hats, gloves, winter jackets, scarves, boots and long johns! Winter may not be here yet but it is getting very cold outside. The best way to avoid a cold is to bundle up nice and warm.
Stock up the medical cupboard - Buy everything you are going to need such as cough medicine, vapor rub etc.
Clean everything - Toys, door knobs, toilet, bathtub, absolutely everything.
Wash your hands - Get your kids to wash their hands and you wash your hands before and after every meal. After sneezing or coughing into your hand, as soon as you wake up and every other time you feel the need to get them clean and germ free.
Tissues - Always have a box of tissues ready, using toilet paper to wipe a boogery nose will cause pain and redness.
Vapor bath - Johnson's vapor bath is a great product for when little ones are sick, it helps them breathe better and also helps clear up a stuffed nose.
Vapor rub - Vapor rub is great for night time and day time, it helps your child breathe with ease and helps stop a chest cough. They have Vicks baby rub available at most drug stores.
Let them rest - Rest is a very big factor when it comes to getting better, if you have a child that goes to school and they wake up one morning not able to talk, complaining of a sore throat, let them stay at home for the day. Put some cartoons on and cuddle up with them on the couch under a nice warm blanket.
Fluids - Fluids are important to avoid getting dehydrated, water, ginger ale, Pedialyte, popsicles and juice are good options to ensure your child does not get dehydrated.
Fever - Treat your childs fever, or don't. Some moms ride the fever out, but if your child is in pain you can give them Tylenol. Fever is a sign that your childs body is fighting infection.
Stuffy plugged noses - Nothing is worse than a stuffy nose, your child breathes heavy from the mouth and it's very uncomfortable. Using nasal drops is a good idea, lay your child on his/her back and put a few drops in each nostril, have your child blow their nose. If your child is too young to blow their nose you can get a suction bulb and suck the mucus out.
Honey - Using honey instead of cough syrup for children 1 and over is a great way to soothe a sore throat and a nighttime cough. Children 2-5 years old can have half a teaspoon, children 6-12 can have 1 teaspoon and children 12-18 can have 2 teaspoons.
The hot shower trick - Steam is a great way to help soothe a dry cough and a stuffed up nose. Turn the shower on extremely hot, leave the bathroom and close the door. Let the shower run for about 5-10 minutes, bring your child in the bathroom and stay in their for about 10-15 minutes. Do this about 3-5 times a day and once before bedtime.
Vicks on the feet - Some mothers swear that this home remedy works. If your child is coughing a lot especially at night rub some Vicks vapor rub on the bottom of their feet and put clean dry socks on. Some little ones have very sensitive feet which makes this remedy work best.
Usually during winter it seems like your little one has one cold after the other, it will pass, the best you can do is use the tips listed above to help your child feel comfortable. Sometimes all they need is some TLC from moms or dad.
