How to have a heedful Halloween

Halloween can be a difficult scary time. There can be lots of things which could go wrong or be a danger to you. You're visiting people's houses, you're using knives to cut out pumpkin faces, you're eating excessive amounts of candy… it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

But Halloween is meant to be fun. It's not meant to be dangerous or scary or a time where you shouldn't feel safe. Everyone should have fun at Halloween. So I'm going to give you a few tips on how you can stay safe and make sure you aren't in any danger at potentially one of the more dangerous times of year.

• Only go to houses where there are Halloween decorations and lights.
  

When you go trick or treating, you don't know who is behind that door. It could be an ex-soldier with PTSD, a scared old lady, a young adult with anxiety and depression or an aggressive old man - it could be anyone. These people might not want to participate in Halloween. A good sign to look for when trick or treating is decorations. This generally shows that they are open to having children come to their house.

• Only go to the houses of people    you know.
  

This feeds in to the idea of not knowing who is behind that door. It could truly be anyone. They might not be safe even if they have Halloween decorations out and really, it isn't ever safe for children to be going to strange houses. It is much safer to visit people who you know, or if you really want to get the most candy possible, just go around your block or neighbourhood where you are at least slightly familiar with your surroundings and the people.

• Pace yourself with your candy.
  

This may sound really boring but it is important to spread your candy out. You shouldn't eat it all at once. Too much sugar can be really bad got you. Now for some science. If you are between 4 and 6 years old, the recommended amount per day is 19g. If you are ages 7-10, the recommended amount is 24g. If you are 11 or over, then the recommended amount is 30g. So don't eat all the sweets at once. Not only is it bad for you, but it's much more enjoyable if you have candy to spare whenever you're hungry for a treat! Also, if you ever get any sweets which aren't wrapped or look a bit funny, don't eat it! It's much safer to throw it away just in case.

• Always accompany young children when trick or treating.
  

It is a lot safer to trick or treat in a group than by yourself, and it is also a lot of fun. Especially if you're younger, or easily scared. Go and dress up with a group of friends or an older brother/sister or even a parent if you want because that way, you can look after each other and keep each other safe.

• Don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to.
  

It's okay if you don't want to go trick or treating at Halloween. It's okay if you don't want to dress up. There's nothing wrong with not doing what everyone else traditionally does. You shouldn't feel like you have to do anything just because everyone else says you should. The same goes for if you do go trick or treating and the homeowner asks you to do something, like go inside or take off your mask. If you don't want to, then don't do it. Politely decline and walk away. At the same time, don't be made to feel ashamed or guilty if you don't  want to do something.

• Plan out your route.
  

It's always a good idea to have a plan of where you want to go before you go trick or treating. That way, you know exactly where you're going and what time you need to leave so that you're back in time before it gets too dark or too late. It also means you can tell other people where you're going in case there's an emergency or you somehow get lost.

• Keep costumes creative yet visible and safe.
  

You need to make sure that you can easily be seen by drivers and other people when you're out at night. So it's a good idea to put strips of reflective tape on your costume or wear a high visibility jacket so that other people can see them. Glowsticks or a flashlight can walk well too. A flashlight means you can see where you're going as well as others being able to see you.


Regardless of whatever you're doing at Halloween, whether you're going to a party or trick or treating, if you're dressing up or not - make sure you have all these measures in place to keep you safe. It's important to have fun, but it's even more important for you to be safe.

​Kenzie