At the top of the day, I’d like to announce the winner of the North Country Wind Bells “Boothbay Harbor” wind bell is….

Carmela J.!

It’s October. The first thing that comes to mind is Trick or Treat. When I was a kid, I loved Halloween. It was the one time of the year, we kids were able to eat tons of free candy! There were no real worries of someone harming a child in my rural community.

When I had kids, I went along with the holiday in the spirit of things good and fun. Unfortunately, when our children were small, I didn’t have the same worry-free mindset.

I am not saying my neighbors would do anything to hurt any child. Heavens, no! They are all lovely people, but our world has become a scary place and when it comes to our children then I am a little possessed obsessed with going a bit overboard with their safety. I bet you are, too.

How do we keep the spirit of all things good and fun in tact for our dearest ones? Here are 9 tips that may help keep your youngsters safe this Halloween.

It’s easy to caught up in all the excitement, so before you and your child leave remind them to:

Not eat any of the treats until after you have checked it
Walk facing traffic
Never run toward the road
Look always both ways before crossing a road
Not stray from the planned trick or treat route
Avoid dark alley ways
Stay visible to other Trick or Treaters

2. Encourage Trick or Treating before dusk.

3. Accompany your kids yourself or with have other adult supervision.

4. Stick to visiting homes of that’s familiar to you. If your kids are very young when you start this then they really have no clue that they are missing out on getting a truck load of candy. It also gives you more peace of mind.

5. For older kids trick or treating

Encourage them to not eat any candy before coming home
Stay with friends, never venture away from the group
Have a cell phone
Set a walk distance limit from home
Have a curfew

6. Dress up is fun for the kids – think smart for their sake!

Costumes that are too long, cut off, and hem to avoid trip ups or entangled footing
Choose sensible shoes are a must to avoid tired little feet or injury
No heels for the little princesses
Double knot shoe laces to prevent loose strings.

7. Avoid accessories that could be harmful to your child or another.

Masks make it hard for a child to see and breathe, instead use non-toxic face paint
Buy costume props that are not stiff or sharp.

8. Make your child visible to traffic

Have your child to carry a flashlight or glow stick
Apply reflective tape to costume, treat bag, & shoes to alert drivers of their presences after dark.

9. Finally, check your child’s candy bag with extreme prejudice. Candy that gets tossed can be substituted with what you have bought to give out.

Like anything, Trick or Treat time mandates nothing less than good ole common sense. Living by it and teaching of it goes a long way with young impressionable minds. Be safe!

FYI: I stumbled upon a useful Trick or Treat crime prevention publication for kids, here, (broken link removed) with safety tips and games.

Visit Miss Jenny and the rest of the Alphabe-Thursday classroom for more homework assignments of the letter “T” and while you’re hopping around, be sure to play along with Miss Amanda in her latest edition of Thursday Two Questions.

1. What is your favorite candy to give to Trick or Treaters?

2. Do you have candy left over or do you run out every year?

Bonus: What do you do with the left over candy, eat it or toss it?

Check out my earlier post: Review Newz: Google Nexus 7 Tablet