DR. SEARS TIPS FOR A SAFE & FUN HALLOWEEN

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DR. SEARS TIPS FOR A HAPPY & HEALTHY HALLOWEEN

Halloween is a great excuse for families to let loose and have some fun. Here are tips to maximize the fun, and minimize the danger.

KISMIF: Keep It Simple, Make It Fun!

Let this be your Halloween motto. Just because we try and make Halloween night safe and nutritious, doesn't mean it can't be fun. The costumes, the party, and your own antics help make it fun. In fact, kids like to see parents lighten up and act like kids again. As long as you weave in safety rules with fun, children both accept it and expect it. Consider these safety issues:

Masks and hoods can obscure the view of oncoming traffic, and in the midst of all the excitement your impulsive little ghosts and goblins may not be as attentive as they should be to what�s going on around them. Insist on the pack staying together. Don�t allow children to wonder off on their own to various houses or rush on ahead.
Be vigilant when crossing streets in neighborhoods. Children must travel with buddies, older friends, or parents. If you�re the designated adult trick-or-treater, why not dress up and have fun? Older trick-or-treaters may be more inclined to accept a chaperone who�s dressed for the occasion.
Walk on sidewalks instead of the street.
Stand outside the home that your child visits. If your children are invited inside the house, go with them.
Bring a flashlight.
Give your child a cell phone, if possible.
Use reflective tape on costumes if they're walking along dark streets.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Costumes should not be so long that children can trip on them.
Make sure masks are easy to see and breathe through.
Teach burn protection: tell children not to touch flaming jack-o-lanterns. If possible, use flame-retardant costumes and review the stop-drop-roll burn prevention with your child in case the costume catches fire.
Use non-toxic face paints.

Pre-Feed Your Child

Make dinnertime a special time on Halloween night. Serve your child's favorite food, and lots of it. This way there is less room in little tummies for lots of junk food that children are likely to get during their neighborhood trick or treat rounds.

Pick Ten Pieces

Children's eyes are bigger than their stomachs (remember, a child's tummy is the size of his fist), so they are likely to gobble up piles of candy in mindless munching only to be left with a severe case of "yuck tummy" and restless nights. As your children empty out their bags of "loot" on the table, let them choose ten pieces of treats, and that's what they can begin eating tonight. Bag the rest and dole out a few pieces each day for several days as a substitute for dessert. Chances are your children will get bored with the candy overdose after a few days anyway. After a couple of days, when the hype wears off, you may even be able to discretely deposit the remaining stash in the trash.

Trade Up or Buy Back

If your children get a bunch of junk that you just can't let them pollute their bodies with, trade your child the candy for a desired toy. You can have an understanding ahead of time and perhaps offer a �buy back� plan where you pay a dime for every item that gets confiscated.

Encourage Alternatives to Door-to-Door Trick-or-Treating.

Neighborhood groups, church groups, YMCA�s and other community organizations often sponsor Halloween nights where the fun and games are confined to a hall or gymnasium to keep kids off the streets.

Throw a Party

As an alternative to street-roaming children, we sometimes throw a Halloween garage party. Many kids ago we learned the best way to keep our children safe and monitor what goes into their little minds and bodies on Halloween night is to throw a Halloween party at our home and invite the neighbors. We would turn our garage into a party room and let the children decorate it with lanterns, arrange pumpkins, choose music and games, as well as the treats - within reason. Other parents will be happy to drop their kids off at a house party rather than worrying about them roaming the neighborhood. It�s also a great excuse to clean out the garage. An added perk of home Halloween parties is that you can tone down the junk food feasting that occurs during and after neighborhood trick-or-treating.

Offer Healthier Treats

As a pediatrician, I'm becoming less sympathetic to parents and children who call our office the next day complaining of tummy aches. Children who overdose on junk food often get a case of what they call "yuck tummy" the next day. Not only are their tummies sore, but their behavior is squirrelly from the roller coaster effect of sugar overdose. This is why teachers are not fond when Halloween falls on a school night. Instead of the usual junk food, offer homemade cookies, raisins, granola bars, and fruit. To catch the holiday spirit, decorate the fruit and cookies in interesting designs and shapes. Or, try non-food treats, such as: crayons, whistles, and tiny hand toys.

Be a Food Inspector and Monitor Treat Intake

Always inspect the treats before your child eats them. There are usually many candy x-ray facilities available as well. You can contact your local, costume store, hospital or pediatric office to find one in your area. Be especially careful about chokable foods, such as hard candies, in children under four. Be prepared for your child to say, "Ah, Mom (or Dad)!" as you require her to display the treats for inspection. Don't worry, children expect parents to do this because they sense you care. Growing children�s brains are extremely sensitive to high doses of artificial food colorings and sugars. Too much of these substances can result in sleepless nights and below-par performance at school the next day.

Prepare Your Property

Remove tripable items from your lawn.
Cover sprinklers.
Keep jack-o-lanterns where they cannot catch property or costumes on fire.
Keep animals secured.

Halloween is a time when parents get to wear several different hats � a security guard hat to keep your kids safe, a nutritionist hat to monitor what goes into sensitive young tummies, and a party hat to share in the fun.

Happy Halloween!

AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual needs.