How to stay safe this Halloween
Opinion: In case your kids haven’t been reminding you since Easter like mine have been, it’s Halloween this week.
And that can only mean one thing: a sugar-high at the highly inconvenient time of bedtime is imminent.
But while there’s a lot of fun to be had with Halloween, there should also be a lot of wariness. Sending kids to knock on strangers’ doors while dressed up as something that makes them completely unrecognisable should bring with it many words of warning.
So what can you do to ensure the kids in your household and on your street, as well as people whose doors are going to get knocked on, stay safe this Halloween?
Number one: make sure all kids that go out trick or treating have plenty of adults to keep them company (and safe).
While older kids might feel you’re cramping their style, escorting all kids along busy roads and onto other people’s properties can only be a good thing, not only for the kids but also for the people they’re visiting.
Gangs of miniature princesses and superheroes can be daunting and confronting for members of the public, particularly if they live alone or are used to their own company.
Accompanying your kids on their Halloween escapades will keep them safe while reassuring people that there are adults running the show and the street isn’t being overrun by members of the Marvel movies.
Some members of the community don’t want kids swarming onto their properties in search of sugar, so use Neighbourly to suggest everyone in your community puts balloons on their letterboxes to indicate that kids are welcome.
You could also ask them to add a sign saying ‘‘No trick or treating here’’ so kids don’t venture down your driveway, get disappointed that their search has been fruitless, and potentially cause some ruckus.
Many churches and community organisations around the country host light parties as a safer and less scary alternative to wandering the streets on Halloween night.
You could host your own, or set up another community dressup event that celebrates kids and gives them lots of lollies, but keeps them off the streets.
Set a theme, use Neighbourly and your local schools to spread the message, encourage everyone to dress up (and stipulate ‘‘no scary costumes’’ if ghosts and witches aren’t welcome), and make sure you have enough lollies to keep everyone’s taste buds satiated.
Finally, embrace the mayhem. If your kids are really excited about Halloween but you’ve never really been interested in it because it’s not really a ‘‘Kiwi’’ thing, maybe it’s time to don an adult-sized giraffe onesie anyway.
Whether you’re into Halloween or not, this week is a great opportunity to dress up, get crazy with your kids, and create lovely memories that you’ll all keep forever.