Halloween – can you believe that it will be here next week?! It is not like when we were kids. We used to go around the several blocks near our street with out much if any concern.
As we grew up and then had our own kids it was not as safe as when we were kids. The local hospitals would x-ray the sacks of loot aka candy for free because of some of the things people would put in it to hurt the kids. One incident sticks in my mind of those days. A friend went with her kids and then they only hit houses with friends or family….. A razor blade was found in the candy that the kids got that night.. The mom was certain of the house that it had come from. The police went to the house and found more tampered candy. To say that it did not go well with that person while she was in jail would be an under statement. 1. child molesters / abusers are considered the lowest of the low to the other prisoners. 2. the mom who’s kids had found the blades was one of the jailers.
The short of that part of the story is that the perp got 5 years ‘at hard labor’ [and was beaten a few times when word got around the cell block about what had happened.]
Today we inspect the candy prior to any of the grand kids getting any of it. We have our own trunk or treat at church which the kids seem to like as well or better than they do out and about. We have games and the kids go around to the several classrooms for candy and stuff. This may be something to do. Several families could go in together to have a backyard party.
Some other safety issues to consider. Discourage masks that can obstruct vision. Make sure the costumes are well fitting so the kids don’t trip. Over the years we have tried different types of lights / markers. The chemical light sticks that you bend and then shake to mix the chemicals together are nice and nontoxic. We have found that the orange does not show up as good as green. blue or yellow. The flashlights that both shine to illuminate the path AND have a colored blinking light of red, blue or green works very well. The ones that I like the best uses 2 double A batteries and has a feature the turns the blinker on automatically when it gets wet. Wal-Mart has them for under $8.00. With the different colors on the light you can tell at a distance who you are looking at. We also use them in our BOBs. The chemical lights also go great in your BOBs.
It would be a good idea to have a route planned [and written down] of what streets you will go on and about what time you plan on being back home. Consider going early in the evening so there is some light. Remember to LOOK both ways before being in the street. Travel in groups AND STAY TOGETHER.
If you stay home and do not want goblins and such visiting you, close your gates and put a sign on it like [do NOT disturb] at a hotel. On the other hand if you want the munchkins to visit you have the gate open, yard well lit and sign saying something like Goblins welcome. In some areas it may be safer to have several people at home to hand out treats. Think of it this way….. Halloween is a time when people are out and about in disguises and people expect to hear screams and such which will tend to cover up a home invasion, robbery, kidnapping or murder. YES, I have been called a wet blanket before.
This time of year is a great time to stock up on some candy to keep in your food storage and to put into your BOB. Some stores will put it on sale late Halloween night or early the next day, sometimes for 50% off. Decorations, costumes and other related stuff goes on clearance too. Most of the candy is already in an airtight package which will aide in long term storage. The candy can be put up in either tin cans or Mylar and if kept cool it will store for many years. Zip tight bags will hold the candy in the freezer too for years. Some people put a few pieces of candy in the daily food packages to round out the meal.
This gives you more variety than just tootsie rolls and such that you get all year long.