According to mommy blogger Amber Massey, parents can follow these tips to improve Halloween Safety.
As an Instagram influencer and family blogger, Amber Massey is gearing up for the holiday season, starting with Halloween. Part of her advice includes a recent warning to parents to follow certain safety tips during the spooky season.
Her post on October 1 showed off her kids and pets in adorable pumpkin, witch, and spider costumes. She wrote, “🎃it’s spooky season and we’ve got witches and spiders and pumpkins, OH MY🖤.” In the next post, she showed off her family and another family all dressed as zombies with shredded clothes and zombie makeup.
While she loves all the fun and games of the season, she has recently announced a serious warning as well. “Parents know the dangers of trick-or-treating well, but it’s always good for a yearly reminder,” Amber Massey says. “We just want everyone to have fun, and we want everyone to stay safe.” Her top tips for staying safe during the Halloween season include:
Choose the right costume: Always think about how the costume could make it harder for a child to see or move towards safety. Consider how difficult a disguised child might be for cars to see them as it gets darker. A bright-colored costume without a mask is ideal for safety purposes.
Dress for the weather: Keep an eye on the forecast, she says. Parents can always add an under layer or even a coat if needed since it’s more important to keep a child warm than in an unobstructed costume. “Take your adorable pictures and then prep for the weather if you plan to walk around!” she says. An umbrella might also be needed if the autumn weather is rainy.
Mark the costume: Just in case of separation, Amber Massey recommends putting your last name, address and phone number on the inside of each child’s costume. She also recommends setting up a buddy system with older children keeping track of each other and parents pairing with the littlest ones. Strollers can be another way to contain the smallest trick-or-treaters, she says.
Avoid eating gum or hard candy while walking: Some kids want to eat as they go, but she says parents should be aware of the choking hazards of certain candies. She says gum, hard candies, and suckers should be saved for times when kids aren’t walking and running around.
Stay in a group: Children can be hard to control in their excitement, but Amber Massey says it can be dangerous if they get too far ahead of the group. She says not only are cars and traffic an issue, but children breaking from the group are more likely to get lost or run into issues—like a dog or strange adult. She recommends parents keep the group moving at roughly the same speed to avoid separation.