Spooky season is here and that means haunted house decorations, scary movies, and ghostly treats galore! Halloween is a great time to dress up, go trick-or-treating with friends, and celebrate with your fellow ghouls.
But, Halloween can also have some scary elements - from costume mishaps and safety concerns to an excess of cavity-causing sugar. Here at Smile New Braunfels, we want to help keep your Halloween fun, safe, and a little healthier with this blog post full of helpful tips!
Costume Safety
Make sure that your child's costume and shoes fit properly. Costumes should be short enough to prevent tripping and avoid catching on objects. A trip on the sidewalk outside could lead to injuries, including damaged or lost teeth!
Ill-fitting masks can also impair vision and lead to injuries. Instead, consider non-toxic makeup, hats, or other accessories to give the same effect in a safer way. Test makeup ahead of time on a small patch of your child's skin to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises or allergic reactions. Hats should not slide over eyes or block vision.
Costume teeth or fangs may be marketed as harmless fun, they can cause problems if they are worn for too long, are made from low-quality or unsafe materials, don’t fit properly, or apply pressure to the gums or teeth. NEVER GLUE YOUR FAKE TEETH IN. They can also be a choking hazard, and full of bacteria if they are not cleaned well or are shared between kiddos!
Avoid costume accessories like sharp or long swords, canes or sticks. They can cause injuries if kids stumble or trip, or if the rough-housing goes a little too far.
Costumes should be bright and reflective. Colorful treat bags and glow-in-the-dark elements, reflective tape or bright striping can be added to costumes for more visibility.
Always make sure your costumes are labeled as "flame resistant”. This includes your wigs and accessories, too.
Do NOT use any decorative contact lenses you find at a costume store. While the packaging for these decorative lenses may claim "one size fits all," or "no need to see an eye specialist," anything you put into your eye should be considered a medical device and treated as such. Improperly fitted lenses can cause serious eye problems and even vision loss.
Healthier Halloween Treats
Consider offering non-edible goodies to trick-or-treaters. In addition to the excessive amount of sugar kids will receive, Halloween is also one of the riskiest days of the year for children with food allergies. Many individually packaged candies do not include a full allergen statement or were packaged in facilities with cross-contamination potential. Instead, give out non-edible treats such as glow sticks, spider rings, pencils, bubbles, bouncy balls, finger puppets, whistles, bookmarks, stickers and stencils.
Give your child a good meal before trick-or-treating to discourage too much “sampling” during trick-or-treating. Any reduction in sugary treats is a good thing, so make sure they’ve had their “healthy” food before heading out to treat-or-treat!
Sort and check all treats at home before eating them. Though tampering is very rare, it can happen. Closely examine all treats and throw away spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
Keep an eye on what your child has in their mouth at all times while trick-or-treating. Babies and toddlers should never have hard candies, caramel apples, popcorn, gum, small candies (jellybeans, etc.), gummy candy, pumpkin seeds or anything with whole nuts. Candy wrappers, stickers, small toys or temporary tattoos can be a choking hazard, too.
Try to ration out the kids’ treats over the days and weeks after Halloween. Keep the candy rules realistic, consistent and positive. Make a plan in advance so everyone knows what to expect.
Find other potential uses for excess candy. There are programs available if you’re looking to donate candy to troops, sell it or give it away. Additionally, instead of throwing it out, you can freeze it, add to baked goods or trail mix, or put it into gift baskets.
Don’t forget about other fun Halloween traditions. Trick-or-treating is an integral part of Halloween, but there are many other equally fun activities. Kids can help decorate the house, carve or paint pumpkins and or craft their own costumes. Some parents have created the idea of a “Switch Witch” that comes on Halloween night. Just like the Tooth Fairy, this good witch visits your home at night to trade your child’s Halloween candy for toys.
Adults need to watch out for their treats too. Alcoholic beverages like punches, ciders, and cocktails can be chock full of sugar and acids that can lead to tooth decay!
Most importantly, kids and adults alike should always make sure to brush, floss, and rinse every night, but especially after enjoying their Halloween treats.
Halloween is a great time for spooky celebrations, creative costumes, and tasty treats, but it’s important to make sure you are keeping the holiday safe and healthy. Happy Halloween!
