When you’re a kid, Halloween is a ton of fun. Candy, friends, dressing up, and more candy. But when you are a parent… different story altogether. While there is still fun to be had - you are also responsible for the little ones. Take a little stress off of the holiday and have a plan!

Here are some tips on how to safely navigate Halloween:

1) Plan your trick or treat route ahead of time.
This way, you know how long it should take, if you’re going to be traversing through friendly neighborhoods, and stick to paths you are familiar with in the case you and your child get separated.

2) Be seen!
Reflective tape, flashlights, or bright colors - are all a big safety help. Depending on the neighborhood, there could still be cars out on the road. (Also, it just helps to distinguish which kids is yours.)

3) Be comfortable with the feet!
There’s a lot of walking going on… make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes!

4) Shorten costumes so that they don’t drag on the ground.
If there’s a long cape or gown, make sure it isn’t dragging so your child doesn’t trip. A skinned knee doesn’t add to the enjoyment!

5) Avoid masks.
Masks can make it difficult for your child to see or breathe. When they are excited, kids like to run. And when they run, they aren’t paying attention to their surroundings (cars, gutters… anything they can hurt themselves on) - don’t make it harder on them with a mask.

6) Make sure the accessories are bendable.
Keep your child away from play swords or items that if they fell on them, they could cause injury. Also, if they decided (for the reason of being a kid) to hit another kid with said accessory - only minimal damage can be caused.

7) Check your child’s candy.
If it’s not in its original wrapper - it goes in the garbage. Sort through your child’s candy for anything suspicious.

Follow the above steps for a safely navigated Halloween!