Staying Safe on Halloween

Here at TGtB we don't know what's scarier; the thought of ghosts and ghouls or letting your little ones out and about after dark. So we've put together some top tips for trick or treaters on how to stay safe on the spookiest night of the year!

Don’t get us wrong we love free sweets as much as the next person. But at this time of year an extra bit of caution is needed to make sure that everybody stays safe. After all, our parents always told us never to take sweets from strangers.

Here's some advice on how to enjoy trick or treating, while staying safe:

• If you have young children who want to go trick or treating, always make sure they're accompanied by a responsible adult. We say it's best to trick or treat with family members or friends. It doesn’t have to be Mum or Dad that goes along either, it could be an older brother or sister, just as long as they're over 16!
• If you're letting your children go it alone this year always make sure they have a mobile phone handy. That way, you can phone to check in with them or they can call for help, if needed.
• Always make sure to stay close to home and try to only visit the houses of people you know, this way people are more likely to answer the door to you.
• Always respect the wishes of your neighbours at Halloween. Not everyone is happy to open their door to strangers - even if they are little children. Keep an eye out for 'no trick or treat' signs before you ring the doorbell.
• It's also good to plan your trick or treating route before you leave the house and to make sure someone else knows where you’re going.
• Make sure your costume is warm; after all it’s almost November.
• If you're wearing a mask make sure that you can see clearly out of it.
• Carry a torch or Halloween inspired lantern to make sure that you can always see and be seen.
• Throw away any treats or sweets that have been opened or unwrapped. Ok, it may sound a little extreme, but always check all sweets and chocolate before you allow your children to eat anything.
• Lastly, it probably goes without saying, but NEVER let your children enter a stranger's home.

There’s definitely a fair amount of fright that goes into Halloween, but it doesn’t have to be a headache for parents. Although Halloween presents lots of opportunities for children to use a bit of poor judgment, it also gives parents the chance to teach some pretty important lessons about responsibility and safety.