Sunday, December 20, 2009

Keeping Holiday Traditions in a Modern World

Halloween has long been a favorite holiday. For decades, little ones
have dressed up in their costumes on Halloween night to go door to door
throughout the neighborhood begging candy from their neighbors.

Halloween has long been a favorite holiday. For decades, little ones
have dressed up in their costumes on Halloween night to go door to door
throughout the neighborhood begging candy from their neighbors.

Unfortunately, Halloween is not as safe as it once was. Running around
after dark leaves children vulnerable to accidents and malice. While mom
and dad might have been able to accept the homemade cookies from the
lady two streets over, now they have to examine their children's treats
for needles and razor blades. And those who have corrupted the fun of
Halloween to a night for malice and mischief have left some parents
hesitant to send their little ones out at all.

However, with a few precautions, you can make sure that the Halloween
spirit lives on for at least one more generation.

Stay close

You might remember going trick or treating with a group of friends while
mom and dad stayed home to pass out treats. However, in today's changing
society, it is simply not a good idea. Stay close to children at all
times, particularly younger ones, and make sure that everyone stays
within view while trick or treating. If taking out a large group, have
children choose a Halloween "buddy" to stay with the entire time.

Set rules

There will be less dissension in the ranks if you set up the rules for
Halloween night ahead of time. Make sure your children know before you
head out what is acceptable and what isn't. This includes curfews, how
far they can go trick or treating, rules about eating treats, etc.

Be visible

While the neighborhoods will be swarming with children out trick or
treating, many drivers may not take the extra precautions while driving
and will continue to cruise through at normal speeds. To make sure your
child is visible to drivers, look for costumes that reflect the light or
have your child carry glowsticks or flashlights when trick or treating.

Check the treats

Sadly, you will want to wait to get home to eat any of the treats
because you will want to inspect them first. Discard any treats that are
unwrapped or whose wrappers have been damaged. Look carefully for
anything out of the ordinary. Avoid any homemade treats unless you
personally know the person that made them – and then be careful if your
child has any allergies.

Be a watchdog

While Halloween is known for costumes and candy, in more recent years it
has also started attracting a crowd with more malicious intents. While
some may limit their mischief to covering trees in toilet paper or
smashing pumpkins, others can do even more vandalism and damage. And
with so many children running around, many being only loosely
supervised, there are plenty of opportunities for child predators to
take advantage of the situation. Keep an eye out on the neighborhood,
and report any suspicious activities to police.

If you plan for Halloween and set up some ground rules, you can help
ensure that everyone has a wonderful holiday. That way, Halloween can
continue to be enjoyed by children everywhere.

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