Tips to Keep Your Boys and “Ghouls” Safe this Halloween

Halloween is supposed to be a fun time for children and parents alike. Kids in Lexington enjoy dressing up in colorful costumes and trick-or-treating while many parents enjoy handing out candy or accompanying their children on their rounds of trick-or treating. Unfortunately, Halloween also tends to be a time when children are injured (or in some cases even killed) in tragic accidents. Safe Kids Worldwide reports that twice as many children are killed in pedestrian accidents between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Oct. 31 as on any other day of the year.

Safety Tips for Kentucky Parents this Halloween

What can you do to keep your kids safe? Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help your family have an accident-free Halloween:

• Select your child’s costume with care: Your child’s costume should fit your properly without excess fabric that can trip your child. If your child’s costume comes with a mask, make sure that your child can easily see out of the mask (if he or she cannot, consider altering the mask to increase visibility). Props such as swords and canes should be made out of a soft material so that your child will not be injured if he or she trips.
• Make your child visible: Add reflective tape to your child’s costume and candy bag or have your child wear a reflective safety belt. This will make your little ghoul more visible to motorists and help them avoid your child. Have your child carry and use a flashlight after dark.
• Teach your “little monsters” to be safe on the road: Establish rules and expectations for trick-or-treating, especially if you are not going to accompany your child. Your child should travel with other children or as part of a group and visit houses that he or she knows and that are well lit and display Halloween decorations. Your child should refrain from visiting poorly lit houses, especially alone. Teach your child to cross the street at crosswalks and walk from yard-to-yard. If you are not accompanying your child, make sure he or she knows what to do if there is an emergency. Consider sending your child out with a fully-charged cell phone. Finally, teach your children to be cautious around jack-o-lanterns and luminaries so as to avoid catching costume fabric on fire and sustaining a burn injury.
• Inspect your child’s candy: Be suspicious of homemade candy and treats if they are not made and provided by a trusted individual. Consider throwing out any candy that is not in its factory wrapping or if the candy wrapping appears to be tampered with.

Contact Frank Jenkins Law Office for Assistance

If your child is injured in a pedestrian accident or other Halloween mishap, contact the Kentucky child injury lawyers at Frank Jenkins Law Office. You may be able to recover financial compensation to help you pay for your child’s medical treatment and other expenses you incur as a result of the accident. You can reach the accident lawyers at Frank Jenkins Law Office by calling (859) 389-9344 or contacting the office online.