Author: Jay Howard

During the Halloween season, you and your children can enjoy costumes, candy, and endless renditions of “Thriller” or “The Monster Mash.” Halloween is the only time you let your children dress up and go door-to-door around the neighborhood. It can be delightful to tour the neighborhood and watch your kids have a fun time.

Unfortunately, there are certain risks which you should be aware of on Halloween. It is possible for you to have both a spooky and safe Halloween with your children.

4 Ways to Stay Safe in Georgia This Halloween

While much of the Halloween season centers around scares and spookiness, you still need to be safe when participating in the festivities with your children. The following are four ways to keep your children and yourself as safe as possible on Halloween:

Pumpkin Carving

You still have time to gather the iconic orange gourds and decorate your yard with jack-o-lanterns; however, you must not rush yourself. When it comes to pumpkin carving, you must be slow and steady, while also making sure that your lantern design comes out as intended. Here are some tips for safe pumpkin carving:

• Adults should always be present for carving. Careful supervision will help prevent accidents.
• Children under twelve should not carve with a knife by themselves.
• You could let the kids help by drawing the face and scooping the insides of the pumpkin and leave the actual carving to the adults.
• Consider using artificial lights instead of open flames.

If you practice the above steps, you will prevent the possibility of an accident or injury. You and your children should be able to enjoy pumpkin carving safely.

Costumes

Costumes are a major element of the Halloween festivities. You still want to make sure that your children are safe when it comes to their costumes. The following are some guidelines for Halloween costumes:

• Make sure that the costumes are flame resistant.
• Check all face paints. Anything that is non-toxic and hypoallergenic will work. Avoid very cheap paints because they often are not official cosmetics that have been tested for safety.
• Make certain the costumes fit properly. Loose costumes are tripping hazards.
• All swords, knives, and other props should be made out of soft foam or other flexible material.
• Cosmetic contact lenses are really fun, but they must be treated like prescription contacts. The American Optometric Association has tips regarding decorative contact lenses. Improper use can lead to pink eye, infection, swelling, or worse.

You want your children to enjoy Halloween without any issues arising from their costumes. If your child becomes injured due to their costume, you should consider contacting an experienced personal injury attorney.

Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-treating is arguably the most popular and time-honored Halloween tradition. There are several safety measures you should take when you go trick-or-treating:

• Carry a flashlight and bring a cell phone with you. You need to be able to call 911 in case of an emergency.
• Place reflective tape on bags. This increases the visibility of trick-or-treaters at night.
• All-black costumes should have reflective tape on them as well. You do not want your child to be hit by a car because their costume was not visible to a driver.
• Plan a route with your kids ahead of time. Stick to familiar neighborhoods that are well-lit, if possible. Always keep a short distance from your trick-or-treater.
• Make sure the children know to look both ways before crossing the street. This is doubly important once it is dark outside.
• Tell your kids not to accept rides from strangers, no matter what the stranger says.
• After trick-or-treating is over, inspect the candy. All wrappers should be in the original packaging.

Trick-or-treating can be a very fun tradition for your family, but you want to make sure your children are safe. If you practice the above safety measures, you can decrease the chances that an accident will occur.

COVID-19

As of the writing of this post, there were over 3,700 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Georgia. You want to be able to enjoy Halloween, but you also do not want to expose your children to COVID-19. You can practice the following modified traditions to help reduce the risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19:

• Try to keep space between trick-or-treating groups.
• Do your best to stay outside as often as possible. Haunted houses are fun, but staying healthy is more important.
• Try to incorporate masks in the Halloween costumes. Make sure the mask covers the mouth and nose.
• If you are passing out treats, consider using a grabber.

According to Rutger’s microbiologist Emanuel Goldman, there is little evidence to suggest that COVID-19 passes to people through contaminated surfaces. It is most likely safe to open up candy the same night you get it. If you want to exercise a little extra caution, try to wait a day or two before letting your children dig into their Halloween spoils.

Contact the Personal Injury Attorney at Tabbaa Law Today

While the urban legend of the tainted Halloween candy continues to exist, some accidents can happen on Halloween. At Tabbaa Law, Attorney Tabbaa will help you through any problems that might happen to you or your children on Halloween. To learn more about how Tabbaa Law can help you, you can call (770) 370-7881 or complete our contact form to schedule a free case review.

Personal Injury