Trick-or-Treating Safety

It never fails.  Come the 31st of October, you will have little ghouls and goblins walking your streets in search of the endless bags of candy.  Unless you hide out with your lights off, you will get those little knocks on your door and hear your neighborhood echoing with “Trick or Treat.” If you think about it, though, haven’t we always taught our kids not to take candy from strangers?   As a matter of fact, aren’t they supposed to not even talk to strangers?  So why on this day do we encourage them to do so?  Well, that is better left for parents to debate amongst themselves, but what does need to be stated is how to ensure your kids’ safety while they are out on this spooky night.

Never Walk Alone

First and foremost, don’t send your little monsters out by themselves while you pass out candy at your door.  Walking streets is a dangerous thing, and it should not be assumed that it’s ok because it’s Halloween.  Cars will still be driving on your neighborhood roads and may or may not be driving as slowly and carefully as they should.  Chances are, too, that some of these drivers may have attended a Halloween party of their own and are coming home slightly intoxicated.  Fasten reflective lights on their costumes and try to walk on the sidewalks as much as possible.

Stop on the Stoop

A good rule of thumb is to only knock on people’s houses that you know or are friends with; but if you are going to a stranger’s house, be sure to instruct your children to stop at the front door and never ever go in to wait for candy.  If the homeowners say they have run out of candy and to come in while they get some more, just politely say you will wait outside.  Houses will indicate if they are welcoming trick-or-treaters by having their porch light on, so just pass by any unlit homes.

Wrappers a Must

It may be said all that time, but there’s a reason for it.  Never allow your children to accept candy that is not factory sealed or that is homemade.  Just because they may be your neighbors does not mean that you have to trust your children’s safety to them.  Even intentional harming or poisoning aside, you never know the sanitation level of their house or the cleanliness of their cooking habits.  It is not worth risking your family’s health over a piece of candy.

Obviously, general rules of community safety apply this night, as all the others, but you should be particularly observant for mischievous behavior in your neighborhood and report anything suspicious to your local police right away.

If you’ll be out of town this Halloween and are concerned about your home’s security, reach out to us at Watch Guard Alarms for a consultation!