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The Jarrard family trick-or-treats together in the Allandale neighborhood on Oct. 31, 2023, in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n
Brandon Bell<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Spooky season is beginning, and families are preparing for the tricks and treats that will come with it on Halloween night.<\/p>\n
Although it\u2019s a holiday that\u2019s meant to be fun, Texas pediatricians want families to be mindful of certain safety and health precautions. Here are some tips parents should consider ahead of the festivities, according to Dr. Diane Arnaout, a pediatrician at Cook Children\u2019s Pediatrics Forest Park, and Dr. Danielle Grant, associate medical director of Texas Children\u2019s Pediatrics.<\/p>\n
Costumes<\/p>\n
Grant recommends children dress according to the weather, so they aren\u2019t too warm or too chilly either. The weather in Texas can be unpredictable around Halloween time, so it\u2019s important to check the forecast as the date draws closer, she noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the younger kids, ages 1-5, Halloween can be super exciting, but they also want to be super comfortable, too. So, you want to choose an outfit or costume that is safe: not super long because if they\u2019re running, they can trip on it. Making sure that they use face paint that\u2019s nontoxic and not (wearing) a big, heavy mask that can block their vision if they\u2019re walking or running while they\u2019re trick or treating,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As far as face paint goes, parents should look for nontoxic, hypoallergenic and water-based products.<\/p>\n
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Community members trick-or-treat together in the Allandale neighborhood on Oct. 31, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Community members and families came out to celebrate Halloween together. Brandon Bell Getty Images Outdoor safety<\/p>\n
As a parent herself, Arnaout considers street and pedestrian safety her primary concern on Halloween night. Children can get so excited about the festivities that they forget to look both ways before crossing the street. Children between 4 and 8 years old are 10 times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other evening, according to research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n She recommends parents talk about expectations with their children ahead of time, such as laying out rules against running in the street or else their trick-or-treating time might be cut short. Parents can also pull their younger ones around the neighborhood in a wagon as a safety measure.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s one of the main things I want parents to sort of let sink in. It\u2019s really easy for your kid to get hit by a car on Halloween because it\u2019s dark, no one\u2019s paying attention to the rules and sometimes people drink on Halloween, so they may be not in their mindset when they\u2019re driving a car,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Arnaout also pointed to dark costumes as another liability when trick-or-treating. Parents can put glow sticks, glow necklaces or reflective tape on their children\u2019s costumes for better visibility.<\/p>\n Candy<\/p>\n It\u2019s tempting for children to dive into their candy haul when they return from trick or treating. Some parents may be more lenient than others on the candy indulgence, but Arnaout says setting limits is important to avoid children getting stomach aches or nausea.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Halloween night should be fun. My kids always throw everything on the ground and at home, and they like trade and have fun with it,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter that, I\u2019m a big fan of out of sight, out of mind\u2026 My kids maybe eat it for a few nights, and then suddenly it\u2019s not around anymore, and they completely forget it happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Chocolate freezes easily and can be saved for later, too, she emphasized.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a firm believer in parent tax. I walked you all over my neighborhood, I\u2019m getting some of that candy\u2026 This is physician recommended,\u201d Arnaout teased.<\/p>\n Grant recommends families make a plan of how much candy can be eaten in the following days or weeks after Halloween. If there\u2019s an abundance of it, they can also donate the extras. Avoid giving younger children hard candies such as Jolly Ranchers or other kinds that can\u2019t be chewed easily.<\/p>\n Additionally, parents should look out for candies that have been unwrapped or tampered with, in addition to homemade items.<\/p>\n \u201cI always worry about kids with food allergies, too. Sometimes the bigger candies are labeled really well, but the small snack-sized things that come in these big bags can be unlabeled. And then, certainly, things that are unwrapped or homemade treats \u2014 you don\u2019t really know what the ingredients are,\u201d Grant said.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n
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