Trick Or Treating Safety
By Samantha Olea, http://thebestmoms.com, Fri Dec 9th

Halloween is such a fun time of year for kids and adults alike,so its important that we take some precautions to keep it thatway! Here's my list of trick or treating tips for your family.

Wear comfortable shoes!! Carry a flashlight Wear something witha reflector on it (you can even find reflector tape and paint atyour local home improvement store. Go out before dark-especiallyfor little ones. The big kids tend to flood the streets later atnight making it hard for little ones to trick or treat. Never gointo a strangers house, even if they ask you to come in whilethey go and get some candy. Throw away all homemade or unwrappedtreats. I know some people work hard on making great home madetreats, but in this day and age its not worth the risk! Whenwalking down the street, have the adult walk closest to theroad, and the children closest to the houses. Do not run aheadof the adults-its very easy for children to get carried away andaccidentally run into the road. Do not pet strange animals whiletrick or treating. Though you really shouldn't ever petsomeone's animal with out being invited to do so, you especiallyshouldn't during trick or treating where your costume or othercostumes may be irritating or confusing to the animal. Do noteat as you go. Always be nice, even when people do nothave any to give out. Do not knock on doors where thelights are off. Watch where you step! Have a plan before youstart. If you are walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood, it iseasy to get lost. When you approach a treat giving house, makesure to yell "Trick or Treat!" very loudly! When you get home,check all of the before allowing children to eat any ofit. You are looking for: -old worn wrappers -torn wrappers (evenwith the smallest hole) -home made treats -unwrapped treats-toys with small parts that may be a chocking hazard -money(change) -fruit -any that looks like it may have beentampered with. -for small children, remove any hard candies.They tend to become slick once in the mouth and can quicklybecome a choking hazard. -lickable stamps -glass or sharp objects

If you find any of the above mentioned items, its best todiscard them-trust me, there will still be plenty of treats togo around afterwards!!

Have a safe and Fun Halloween-and take lots of pictures!

About the author:Samantha Olea is a designer, business woman, wife, and most ofall Mother of 2! Samantha founded a free parenting resource athttp://TheBestMoms.com hoping to help every mom be the very bestmom they can be! Samantha is also the owner of her own webdesign, graphic design, and hosting firm at :http://getwrappedup.com and AWU Gifts:http://Gifts.GetWrappedUp.com , where she helps Moms work fromtheir homes.

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