Don't Have Scary Manners This Halloween!
We are so excited Halloween is almost here. Dressing up, a fun night out – or in, when passing out sweets, – what’s not to love? To make sure your Halloween is full of treats believe it or not there are some etiquette rules one should remember. If you are the one handing out the goodies:
• Please make sure your home is well lit and safe for visitors – and make sure your doorbell works. If you have pets, keep them under control. • Hand out candy that is store bought. Homemade items are generally thrown out for safety reasons.
• Consider having an additional non-candy option available in a separate bowl for children with allergies. If you do this, signal it by displaying a teal pumpkin on your doorstep and adding your address HERE to the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) map.
• Don’t be “that” house on the block than hands out pennies, or raisins or other types of unappealing fruit, or a toothbrush and toothpaste! • Answer the door in a festive mood – give candy to all who trick-or-treat – even those you think are a smidge too old. Remember, rudeness begets rudeness ….and possible tricks by teenagers. For the parents of trick-or-treating goblins:
• Make sure your children wear age appropriate costumes. No joke, I can still remember a girl in my third-grade class told me she was going to be a “streetwalker” . I didn’t even know what that was. Needless to say, my mum wasn't too pleased when I asked her about it, and consequently there were no play-dates with that family – ever. • Safety first. Young children should be accompanied by a parent, carry a flashlight or use other road safety reflectors. They need to be seen by traffic! Children should also be reminded to watch for traffic because it is very likely cars won’t see them on the road. It’s best to walk on the side of the road facing on-coming traffic. • When walking on someone else’s property – stay on the proper path (driveway, to path, to the front door). Stay off of the grass and out of the landscaping. • Honor the hours of trick-or-treating in your area. When people turn off their porch light – they don’t want to be disturbed. • Children should make their presence known by ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door and greeting the homeowner pleasantly and with a smile – after all they are demanding candy. Older children should let the younger ones select candy first. • Children should be reminded to take only one or two pieces of candy (depending on the size). If the household wants them to take more, the homeowner will certainly urge. I always do that because we have so few trick-or-treaters and the last thing we need is a bowl full of temptations in my home after the holiday! • Children should be reminded to say “thank you”. • If the house is lit but the homeowner is not home – and leaves a bowl of candy outside – your children should not take all the candy. • When you get home, please examine all the candy before you let your children gobble it up. Safety first. Throw away opened candy, check for razors, and examine candy packaging for holes. Follow these tips and this year’s Halloween experience will be Spooktacular for everyone!
