Halloween is a strange and bizarre holiday and one that most kids love.
After all, they get to go out on the streets after dark, wear wonderful costumes, and collect candy. What could be better than that? Parents, however, are not always as enthused as the kids. They worry about their kids out on the streets after dark, about the safety of the goodies they are receiving and about how they will be received at the doorsteps of both friends and strangers.
But, with a little planning and organizing it can be fun and safe, even for the parents.
Young children are happy to have their parents with them and the toddlers and preschoolers will be thrilled to visit only the closest neighbours. For them the excitement is going up to the door, receiving the oohs and ahs that accompany their costume and getting candy. Wow! Make sure you have a camera with you. One of our neighbours who had children much younger than ours took a photo of the kids coming up the stairs. I was grinning in the background. They gave me a copy of the shot and I love it.
It's so exciting it can be easy for these little ones to forget their manners. One enterprising father of two preschoolers taped a sign on their backs that said "thank you."
There are two safety issues with this age group. The first is their costumes.
Costumes should be short enough to avoid tripping, light in colour or highlighted with reflective tape and large enough to accommodate warm clothing underneath. Because they'll be walking it's important that they (and the accompanying parent) wear comfortable shoes. Makeup is preferable to masks.
As children get older, they will endure the company of a parent as long as it's subtle, but by nine or 10 they want their parents to stay home. Generally, I believe children of that age should be allowed to go out on their own, but you need to develop some clear guidelines.
They need to go out in groups. There is, as the cliché says, safety in numbers. But you want to take a look at the group and make sure your children are out with friends you trust.
Talk to the other parents so that you all agree on the limits and expectations. Determine their route by considering your neighbourhood and traffic patterns. One trick that worked well for us was to send them out so that they would return home halfway through the trip. That will reassure you and it's also a chance to warm up, go to the bathroom and empty their bags. If it's a wet or chilly night they may even decide to stay home.
Just before the group heads off, review the rules of the road so that they will remember to watch for traffic, cross at intersections and pay attention to cars on the street.
Let them know they should only approach houses with outside lights turned on. Give them a flashlight with good batteries to carry along. They can also have a cell phone but don't use that as a reason for you to check with them every ten minutes. It's just for emergencies.
Fireworks and firecrackers are another serious concern. Children don't understand that these items can burn, so they treat them as toys. Make sure your children are aware of the dangers.
Many neighbourhoods have organized fireworks so you can arrange with the kids that they go out trick-or-treating and then head off with you to watch the fireworks. This also sets a time limit on how long they are out trick-or-treating because they will want to be home on time in order to see the light show.
Then let them go and trust that they'll handle it and have fun.
Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker and author of Who's In Charge Anyway? and But Nobody Told Me I'd Ever Have to Leave Home. If you want to read more, sign up for her informational newsletter at parentingtoday.ca.
