Halloween is supposed to be scary, but not from falls and cuts. Don’t let your children’s fun be spoiled by a preventable injury. Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake offers the following tips to keep all of your little witches and wizards safe during their festivities:

Choose a safe costume

The number one consideration in choosing a costume is to make sure your child can see. If it obstructs his or her vision, keep looking. Face paint and head ornamentation is a great substitute for a full mask and is much more comfortable and safe. Length is also an important factor. Make sure the costume won’t interfere with walking or cause tripping on stairs. Finally, being fire resistant is an added bonus when your child may be trailing around lighted pumpkins on steps.

Visibility

Don’t forget to pick up glow sticks that fasten around wrists, ankles, necks and even belt loops. They don’t detract from the costume and it is important to make your little one more visible. Even if you’re in the city, a flashlight is crucial to prevent trips on sidewalks and curbs as well as to alert passing vehicles.

Supervise

Tonight is not the best night to turn your kids loose in the neighborhood to run with friends. Find another adult or older sibling to hand out candy at your house and stick with your trick-or-treaters. Don’t forget your own flashlight and a back-up bag for when theirs tears.

Fun, Safe Events

If you’re looking for an even safer way to spend Halloween, consider taking your child to a mall, community event, church party or even host your own special Halloween party. These controlled environments may be a safer alternative and still loads of fun.

Pumpkin Carving

When it’s time to carve the pumpkin, safe and child-friendly tools are available at most stores. Supervision is still required, however, as children still may find ways to get hurt. If possible, have them help you design the image and then you do the cutting. They can do the fun part of cleaning out the pumpkins and saving the seeds to dry for healthy snacking later on. Using an inexpensive, battery-operated tea light eliminates the fire hazard.

Preventative Habits

Watch what candy is given to your child at which house, so if something is questionable later on, you will remember if it came from a friendly neighbor that you know well. Toss anything that is unwrapped or homemade. Talk to your child beforehand so he or she knows to stay on sidewalks, wait for you to cross at corners, and walk up to houses that have porch lights on. In the excitement of the moment, kids will often dash unexpectedly or step off onto rough terrain.

To ensure a safe and memorable Halloween for your lil’ monster, try these few simple, preventative measures. To learn more about how to have a hazard-free Halloween, visit DoctorsHospitalDallas.com/SafeHalloween.

Photo credit: Zoonar/Thinkstock

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com