Halloween Safety Tips - From the Experts

Halloween is two weeks from today!! Man does time fly, right?

When you're a kid you don't think about trying to be safe while you are trick-or-treating. All you think about is how big your candy haul is going to be. BUT, now that I am a mother, I think about the safety of my child and others. So, I thought I'd give you some tips on making Halloween, and trick-or-treating, as safe as possible while trying not to negate the cool-factor of the costume you or your little one is donning for the day/night!

The only trick-or-treating advice I have is from the kid perspective. And honestly the last time I was trick or treating was about 15 years ago at the earliest, so I thought I'd turn to the experts to help me. Mainly the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The kid in me says to have the coolest costume and hit as many houses as you can in the shortest amount of time possible. But, as a parent, I know safety should play a factor in good Halloween fun. I know, I am such a square.

The first thing you think about when it comes to Halloween is the costume, am I right? So, we'll turn first to the FDA for some tips. Why? Well because they have information on things like makeup and novelty contact lenses.

Some of these things seem like "no-brainers" but we don't want to take any chances so here we go!!

Decorating your face with face paint or other makeup lets you see better than you can if you're wearing a mask. A mask can make it hard to see where you're going and watch out for cars. But make sure your painted-on designs don't cause problems of their own.

• Follow all directions carefully.


• Don't decorate your face with things that aren't intended for your skin.


• Like soap, some things are OK on your skin, but not in your eyes. Some face paint or other makeup may say on the label that it is not for use near the eyes. Believe this, even if the label has a picture of people wearing it near their eyes. Be careful to keep makeup from getting into your eyes.


• Even products intended for use near your eyes can sometimes irritate your skin if you use too much.


• If you're decorating your skin with something you've never used before, you might try a dab of it on your arm for a couple of days to check for an allergic reaction BEFORE you put it on your face. This is an especially smart thing to do if you tend to have allergies.


• Don't go to bed with your makeup on. Wearing it too long might irritate your skin, and bits of makeup can flake off or smear and get into your eyes, not to mention mess up your pillow and annoy your parents.


• How you take the stuff off is as important as how you put it on. Remove it the way the label says. If it says to remove it with cold cream, use cold cream. If it says to remove it with soap and water, use soap and water. If it says to remove it with eye makeup remover, use eye makeup remover. You get the picture. The same goes for removing glue, like the stuff that holds on fake beards.


• And remember, the skin around your eyes is delicate. Remove makeup gently.
  

Regarding "decorative contact lenses", you can find an informative, downloadable PDF, here. But, as with normal contacts, you do require a prescription for "novelty" contacts and everyone's eyes are shaped differently and one size definitely does NOT fit all. According to the FDA, if you want decorative contacts you should:

• Get an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional, even if you feel your vision is perfect.


• Get a valid prescription that includes the brand and lens dimensions.


• Buy the lenses from an eye care professional or from a vendor who requires that you provide prescription information for the lenses.


• Follow directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses, and visit your eye care professional for follow-up eye exams.
  

Why? Well because recent legislation has made it illegal to market decorative contact lenses as over-the-counter products and unauthorized contact lenses of all types present risks to the eye that include corneal ulcers, corneal abrasion, vision impairment, and blindness. You like being able to see, right?

Since trick-or-treating tends to happen at night, there are some good tips from the AAP.

On keeping your home safe for trick-or-treaters:

• To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.


• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.


• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.


• Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.
  

On Pumpkin Carving:

• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers. Then parents can do the cutting.


• Votive candles are safest for candle-lit pumpkins.


• Candlelit pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.
  

And a cute acronym picture for the rest! (click to enlarge)



More information: Halloween Safety

We here at Mommy Vomitpants hope you have a Happy Halloween experience this year!!