Home Eye Safety Month on October, 2024: halloween safety precautions?

October, 2024 is Home Eye Safety Month 2024. Home Safety Month — Learn about baby safety at home‎ Tips, facts, and information.

Halloween is a time of mystery and fun. However, the nature of "Trick or Treating" requires parents and children to take extra precautions. Here are a few Halloween safety tips to help keep Halloween enjoyable and safe for everyone!

Children

Limit your trick-or-treating to your own neighborhood. Know where the unseen dangers are and avoid them.

Travel in groups. You will have more fun and there is safety in numbers.

Carry a flashlight with you if you plan to stay out after dark. Before you leave make sure the flashlight is in good working order.

Limit your visits to homes with the outside light on.

Never enter cars or homes of strangers -- even if they invite you in to get a treat.

Take your treats home and have a parent or responsible adult inspect them. Don't eat anything that looks suspicious or tampered with.

Costumes

Be highly visible to motorists. Wear light colored costumes that reflect light, or add reflective tape.

If you plan to wear a mask, cut the eye holes extra large to maximize vision, or better yet, wear stage make-up.

Be fire safe. Make certain your costume is flame resistant, and don't use lighted candles in your jack-o-lantern.

Trim your costume short enough to prevent tripping.

Don't carry sharp or pointed objects, even if they go well with your costume. You may injure yourself or another child.

Bags for collecting treats should be small enough to prevent tripping or obstructing vision.

Use comfortable shoes that fit properly. High heels or costume shoes that do not fit properly may injure you.

Parents

Have a pre-planned, well lit trick-or-treat route for your children to follow.

Escort your children or designate a responsible older child to accompany them while trick-or-treating.

Driving

Watch for children who may be distracted by Halloween festivities.

Turn on your headlights early and drive well below the posted speed limit.

Passing out treats

Give only commercially wrapped treats, coupons, gift certificates, or coins.

Leave your porch light on if you plan to participate in the festivities.

Prepare your children

Talk to your children about the safety rules they should always follow. Make sure you discuss what to do if they're approached by older children who want to harm them, about not talking to strangers, and where to use the restroom.

Remind children to:

* Never enter cars or homes of strangers -- even if they're invited in to receive a treat.

* Use the crosswalks when crossing the street.

* Wait for the proper signal.

* Look both ways before crossing.

* Watch out for cars turning at intersections or leaving and entering driveways.

* Never walk into the road between parked cars.

* Stay on the sidewalk.

Insist that treats be brought home for inspection. Separate suspicious items such as candies with loose or torn wrappings, unpackaged items, and items obviously tampered with. Any dangerous items discovered in the treats (razor blades, pins, etc.) Should be reported immediately to the police and kept for evidence.

After it's over

Calm you children down when the evening is over. Help them remove costumes and make-up. Sit down quietly and talk about the activities over a cup of cocoa or warm milk. If your child is frightened when going to bed, a lot of reassurance and a little night light goes a long way.

Alternatives

Look for advertised Halloween events and activities in the community as a possible alternative to going door to door.

Happy Halloween!

Baby proofing the home?

Watch out for any sharp corners or edges, like the corners of furniture or tables. Make sure all drawers and cupboards have safety catches so that they can only be opened by an adult. My house is pretty minimalistic right now, no ornemants or breakables anywhere. If you don`t want it touched, chewed, slobbered on or put down the toilet, then put it away for a couple of years! I keep any medicines and sharp knives in top cupboards just to be sure. Put stair gates up well before you think you will need them, or one day you will find out your little one can do much more than you think! It also helps get you in to the habit of closing them every time you go through, even when the kids are in bed. Its just a good habit to have because then you will do it automatically and never forget. Watch out for choking dangers, never leave anything small within reach. I had to get rid of a lot of my older sons smaller toys when my daughter came along. I put them in the bin because I thought if they are not in the house then there is no chance something will be given to her by accident by her brother. Never let them play with remotes (even though they love them) as the batteries may fall out and be chewed / swallowed. Be aware of places they could get their fingers stuck in, for example don`t let them poke their little fingers down the plug hole in the bath, my daughter loves to try that one - but they may not come out. Get a bath seat from 6 months to stop them jumping about and slipping in the bath. My daughter likes to put her fingers in the hole where the washing machine door latches to, so I have to make sure it is always closed. Obviously don´t leave hot drinks in little arms reach, and have a stairgate on the kitchen door so that when you are cooking anything the children are kept out of the kitchen. If you have pets never leave the pet & child together unattended, even though they may be lovely, they may not appreciate having their eyes poked out and ears pulled! As they get older watch out for places they can climb up onto and possibly fall down. My 12 months old climbs on the coffee table and walks across it, but does not realise she can not just walk straight off it! I think it will end up in the garage for a few months now! Sorry if this one sounds a bit obvious, but I have to say it due to something that happened to me. Never assume that a 5 point harness can keep a child into a high chair, even if it is done up as tight as possible. I put my daughter in the high chair to keep her away from the oven while I checked the dinner, assuming that there was no way she could get out. I was in the next room for no more than 60 seconds, and when I came back in she was sitting happily on the TRAY of the high chair. We have a hard tiled floor, and had she fallen I dread to think what would have happened. She was only 10 months old then. Luckily I managed to get to her in time. One more thing, also from experience - put wedges in doors to keep them open or closed when your child is crawling. It stops them from trapping their fingers, but also, my son took his thumb nail completely off by pushing a door over one of his hands, using his other hand. Also, keep the toilet seat down at all times - unless you want them splashing about in the water! Remove any toilet brushes, they are attracted to them too. Apart from that you`re fine lol

Don`t worry they grow up quickly!

Teaching a 9 month old "no".?

Both my kids understood well what "No" meant pretty much within the same week I started teaching them and it was around 9 months.

I would tell them "No" - but don't yell it or anything just make eye contact and say "No" in a VERY stern voice and then take them away from the situation. Usually that did the trick but if they immediate went back and started doing it again I would do the same thing. In a stern voice tell them "No" and make eye contact and remove them from the situation. If they tried a 3rd time - I'd tell them "No" once again and pop the top of their hand - no so hard to leave a mark, but hard enough to sting a little. They will associate the two and understand I promise.

Also, if you are going to pop their hand, practice on your own hand first so you don't do it too hard on your child.

Good luck to you!!

EDIT: I don't agree with the people above who say 9 months is too young to understand. 9 months is only a couple months from being a year old. My son began walking at 9 months - at this age I think it is absolutely critical to teach them the word "No" to keep them from dangers. And yes, I child proofed my home, however you cannot take away 110% of danger from any home and besides that what about if you are out with the child? At a friends home or a family member? They need to know and understand what it means when Mommy or Daddy says "No". It's for their own safety above all else and children at 9 months are not newborns. They are pretty darn smart. :)

good job, mommy for teaching your child early on. :)

This article is great and suggests starting to teach your child the concept of "No" right at 9 months and give more suggestions on how to do so :