Tips to keep kids safe

Plan ahead

If you are planning on trick-or-treating this year, here are some helpful tips.

Tip 1: Talk to your child about Halloween and what it means to stay safe. Pick a quiet time a few weeks before Halloween when you are not rushed (rather than when you’re heading out the door).

Tip 2: When you talk, model the “careful, not fearful” approach, staying positive while highlighting the big rules — like carrying their epinephrine auto-injector, and not eating any of the treats while out trick-or-treating.

Tip 3: Double check that your child’s auto-injectors are up-to-date.

Tip 4: Talk to neighbours about your child’s food allergy. Some parents meet neighbours ahead of time and give them safe treats to hand out.

Tip 5: Review your child’s emergency plan and what to do in case of a reaction. Remind your child that they should let you and others know if they are feeling unwell or they think they may be having a reaction.

Tip 6: Use Nextdoor’s treat map to know what houses will be offering allergy-friendly treats such as food alternatives like stickers, or individually wrapped treats that have the ingredients printed on them.

What to do with the candy afterwards

Tip 1: Some parents do a “switch witch” or a “great pumpkin”, where kids leave their treats overnight and parents exchange them for a new toy. Make a date to go to the store so your child can pick out what they would like.

Tip 2: Donate the candies to your local seniors centre, food bank, or community centre.

Tip 3: If your child is keeping the treats, plan to sort them out together. Encourage your child to read the ingredient labels and help them determine which are the safe treats and which ones need to be discarded. This is a great time to build confidence in your child as they learn.

Side note: Many companies create a Halloween edition of their products, usually a smaller-sized version of the product, which can sometimes be distinguished by different packaging with fun Halloween colours and/or designs. Although the product itself may look the same, the ingredients may differ from the full-sized version, as the Halloween version may be manufactured in a different facility. It is important to read the ingredient label carefully from start to finish, including any “may contain” statements, on all product sizes and versions, even if it has been “safe” in the past.