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!!!
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