What kid doesn’t love Halloween?  I think I have known only one, and he has such a profound fear of masks that the entire weeks surrounding the holiday are pretty much torture for him.  Okay, so I guess there are kids out there who don’t like it, but for the most part even the faint of heart still like to go out and knock on doors and have their costumes oohed and aahed over.

Unfortunately, there are definitely some safety precautions that need to be put into place in this day and age.  Halloween might be a really fun time, but it’s also a good opportunity for people who are up to no good, and the busyness of it all can have us off our game.  Here are some helpful things to keep in mind:

• Most of us probably know that you should inspect all Halloween candy before opening and eating. Even items that look sealed (skittles, little candy boxes of nerds, snickers…).  If a wrapper looks a little weird, like it’s faded, torn, or even unwrapped, you should absolutely throw it away.
• Eat a good dinner before you go trick-or-treating so you don’t fill up on too much candy while you’re out. Those little candy boxes of nerds that I mentioned earlier won’t seem nearly so detrimental if you already had mashed potatoes and meatloaf.  Make it fun by coming up with a meal that you can make as a tradition each year.

• Do not homemade treats that people are passing out, unless you know the people.
• Remember that chocolate is poisonous for dogs, so make sure they can’t accidentally get into your stash.
• Be aware that a lot of costume jewelry made outside of the United States may contain lead, which can be toxic if it is ingested.
• Have the number for poison control on hand just in case you think you’ve been poisoned.
• It’s going to be dark, and there are going to be a lot of kids running around. Even crazier- they are all going to be in disguise!  Find a way to distinguish your kids from the others.  Maybe have them wear a glow bracelet or necklace, and be sure that they have a copy of your name, phone number, and address in their pockets or pinned somewhere to the inside of their costume.  Be sure you go over what they should do if a stranger invites them into their car or home.
• Finally, what do you think 10 candy boxes of nerds equals? A stomach ache!  You can get pretty ill off of all the sweeteners from candy, so if you overdo it and wind up feeling terrible, chances are that you haven’t been poisoned and just overdid it.