It’s almost All Hallow’s Eve, a time of year when the leaves are at the threshold between turning and falling, the smell of pumpkin spice stagnates the air, and children flock to the streets at night telling jokes and begging for candy. Trick-or-treating is a great time to spend with the kids but you want to be careful out there. Times have changed so it’s better to be safe than sorry and make sure you and your kids are safe when they go out trick-or-treating.

So here are some tips to make sure your ghastly fun evening doesn’t turn into a night of stress or worries:

  • If you have young children (any younger than 14 or so) do not let them go trick-or-treating without a parent or adult present. Not only can it be unsafe to have young children knocking on doors but it can also be intimidating. Some people get their jollies by scaring kids and sometimes go a bit too far.
  • If your child wants to go out with friends and doesn’t want you (the parent) present, contact the friend’s parents and have everyone go together. Your child can still go out with friends but more importantly, parents will still be present.
  • Be careful crossing the street. Look both ways and wait for cars to pass before proceeding. If you aren’t going out with your kids, make sure they know where they are going and have a cell phone on and ready.
  • Give your kids a curfew if you aren’t going out with them. Advise them to call if they plan on being late. Also make sure you know what area and subdivision(s) they plan on going to, especially if you are dropping them off somewhere. Make sure you know that those streets are safe. Let’s face it, there are parts of St. Louis and the surrounding area that just aren’t great for anyone to be out running around at night.
  • Before your kids go out for the night give them a large, filling meal in hopes that they don’t munch down tons of candy and wind up bouncing off the walls until 2 am.
  • Give your children flashlights so they can find their way around in the dark well. Not all streets are very well lit and you don’t want them wandering into a spooky, dark street without a flashlight. Make sure the batteries work, too!
  • Have fun! Don’t overdo the safety right before sending your kids out or getting ready to leave the house with them. It’s supposed to be a spooky night with the family, not something that’s supposed to strike ultimate fear into kids to make them never want to go out at night again.
  • If you do not go out with the kids and plan on staying home, take the time to check on your furnace to make sure it’s ready to go for November and December winter weather! See that the filter is clean, the drain hose isn’t clogged or kinked, the motor isn’t acting up, and the vents are properly sealed.

Halloween is a great night to spend with the family, hopefully, these tips will help make sure it’s a safe night as well! The last thing we’ll leave you with is a whole bunch of tasty treats to serve for your Halloween party. Enjoy!

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