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Halloween is only a few days away. Trick or treating will be happening all over the Mahoning Valley. And while many organizations choose to host trunk-or-treat events as a somewhat safer alternative, there is still nothing quite like roaming the neighborhood in your costume, going from door to door to see who's handing out the full-sized candy bars.
There are real dangers for which parents need to prepare, though.
Is the costume going to create a trip hazard? Does it make the child visible, or make them more difficult for drivers to see? Is there any flammable fabric or accessory that might not survive passing a lack-o-lantern with a real candle in it?
Safe Kids Worldwide and HealthyChildren.org have some advice that goes beyond making sure a child's costume is not a tripping or fire hazard, and that EVERY member of a trick-or-treating party is carrying glowsticks or a light.
Consider face paint rather than a mask, so vision is unrestricted. If you are the adult supervision for the evening ... be the adult supervision. Stay off your phone and keep an eye on street crossings and wandering youngsters.
As HealthyChildren put it "don't assume cars will stop just because pedestrians have the right of way. For that matter, don't assume a motorist will see a child in a costume at all.
Tampering with candy is extremely rare. But it worth doing a quick sort and check, anyway. (Hey, think of it as a way to call dibs on the good stuff, if you must.) Watch for any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items AND keep an eye out for allergens. Surely by now everyone knows not to try to hand out homemade or unwrapped treats. But if your child collects any, just toss it.
Drivers, be especially vigilant. Again, PUT. THE. PHONE. DOWN.
There are not just tiny ghosts and goblins running all over neighborhoods in their quest for sugar. There may also be adults returning from parties where the treats had a little more alcohol in them.
If you are an adult attending one of those parties, for goodness sake, make a plan to get home safely. Better yet, be the plan for others to get home safely.
There's a lot to think about during what should be a fun, silly holiday. Do your part to keep it from being any scarier than it's meant to be.
SCRIPTURE
But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19 NLT