Uncommon Halloween Safety Tips: What EMS Wants You to Know
Halloween time is an exciting time for parents and kids. Halloween means parents and children decorating houses and lawns, picking out costumes and planning the inevitable trick or treating. Halloween time and specifically Halloween night is an exciting time for EMS and hospitals …but not in a good way. Exciting to us means BUSY and there are things that we bring into the ER every year that makes us and the ER staff members shake our heads …things that hopefully – with these safety tips – parents will now think twice about.
- Candy and food allergies: We all know we should check the candy our kids get and make sure it looks safe, but did you know you should also check for contents that could cause allergic reactions. Many candies have nuts and they get missed.
- Costumes and face paint irritants. Face paint is great and looks cool but the time to test it is not on Halloween night when it’s dark and you can’t see any reactions like a rash or breathing problems caused by full costume. Colored contact lenses should be added to this list. Kids like to wear them with costumes and if doing so should be made aware of what to watch for like irritations and damage to their eyes and taught how to put them on and take them out properly.
- Real Props. Cuts, pokes, scrapes and real trauma from kids and adults using REAL PROPS. Using a plastic knife or pitchfork is ok. Using real knives and pitchforks should not happen at all but especially around children. A no brainer…but it happens.
- Letting kids wander alone. Letting your child wonder alone is your choice, all I can add to this is please think about who is going to speak for your child in the ER if YOU are not around.
- Broken Bones. Kids should have costumes they can move in and enjoy themselves in. If your child cannot walk correctly or has trouble with then it should be changed so as to avoid trip, falls and possible broken bones.
- Carving Pumpkins. Many children end up in the ER every year with serious cuts from carving pumpkins with sharp objects that are not meant for carving or were left unattended. Make sure kids are supervised and tools put away.
- Using Real Candles in Decorations. Real candles add a certain effect to the decoration but also bring a danger of surrounding objects catching fire if decorations are bumped or knocked over or left unattended. There are many brands of colored lights that can be put in decorations that bring a great effect and pose no threat to any one or home.
- Hayrides. Every child loves a hayride and they are great but like any ride and everyone should be secure, not just children. Injuries are mostly from falls and can be serious. Security, proper seating and slow speed should be requirements.
- Home Decorations. Decorating your home for Halloween can involve dark or no lighting and lawn inflatables. A dark home with ropes all over the place securing decorations do not mix well with trick or treaters that will trip and fall and possible injure themselves. There is nothing wrong with decorations, just try to make sure you don’t create a hazard at the same time.
All of the things outlined above can be avoided with planning and supervision. However, all of the things above become more possible when drinking and alcohol are involved. AAA and State Farm consider Halloween night one of the biggest drinking nights of the year and the deadliest night of the year for pedestrians with the rate of pedestrians struck by cars doubling. So please be careful and have fun!
Thanks!
How to Protect Your Child’s Teeth From Valentine’s Day Candy
Like anything that we consider “unhealthy” — French fries, soda, or ice-cream — moderation is key. It’s the same when it comes to Valentine’s Day candy for your child.
Although baby teeth develop cavities at a far faster rate than adult teeth do, it’s ok for your child to enjoy a small amount of sugar every now and then. The key is to limit how much and how often the holiday messenger hearts or chocolate covered caramels are consumed.
Here are a few important tips to keep in mind when you’re helping your child choose or sort through Valentine’s treats for their class:
Encourage Non-Edible Valentines. These days, it seems like every time we turn around, there’s another class party, holiday, and junk food to go along with it. Encourage your child’s teacher to promote non-edible items like stickers, pencils, notepads, or other gifts instead of all 20 students buying candy for one another. Even if the entire class doesn’t join in, your student can make a difference in their own personal gift choices.
Avoid Stickier Candies. Sticky items like caramel or taffy tend to adhere to teeth for hours at a time, keeping sugar in contact with the teeth. If your child is in braces, there’s also a risk of the brackets getting pulled off when they bite into tacky-textured treats. A better option is to go with chocolate candies that melt away within a matter of minutes.
Eat Candy with Your Meal. Instead of having Valentine’s Day candy as a snack, or nibbling on a few pieces here and there throughout the day, encourage your child to eat it with their school lunch or right after dinner. What this does is limit the length of time that acid byproducts etch away at tooth enamel. More frequent snacking just means more acid on their teeth throughout the day. After a couple of days, throw out the leftovers.
Double Down on the Fluoride. Make sure your child is using a fluoridated toothpaste each day. Adding in a fluoride-based mouthwash can help to target hard-to-reach areas around times when you know your child’s smile is going to be exposed to extra sugar. Fluoride treatments at their regular checkups are one of the best ways to strengthen teeth against decay.
Regular dental visits make it easy for your family to receive preventive services that limit your child’s risk of developing cavities. Schedule your next visit with your dentist today!
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Help with Holiday Hurdles for Special Needs Kids
Holiday Traditions
Special needs parents and caregivers come up against the spectre of expectations on a daily basis, but the holidays can bring up even more challenges. You may have your ideal holiday all planned out in your mind, or be burdened with visions of holidays past, but your child with special needs may be unable or unwilling to go along with the images in your head. This is certainly true to for typical kids and teens, too!
Religious services
While you may get comfort from attending some form of worship, to a person with special needs a church, temple or other holy place may seem scary. There are strange smells, loud sounds and crowds. This can all be too over stimulating for certain people.
Some places of worship are starting to offer services geared to those with special needs, or may offer an alternative activity while the parents attend services. If these options are not available in your area, ask for them to be initiated – or help to start them yourself. Headphones, earplugs and even surgical masks may help with excessive sensory input. Weighted vests or special fidgets or stuffed animals may offer a sense of being grounded or calmness.
Social expectations
Let’s say you open a present from Great Aunt Ethel. It is a sweater, and you don’t really like it, but you know that you should still say thank you. Some people with special needs lack that politeness filter and may blurt out their honest feelings, such as “that is an ugly sweater.” Not only is Great Aunt Ethel offended but the parents of the child with special needs may also come under fire for not teaching the child “good manners.” Too bad no one taught Great Aunt Ethel good taste, then this awkward situation would have been avoided.
Maybe waiting to open gifts in private could help spare Great Aunt Ethel’s feelings, and of course a polite thank you note afterwards would be appreciated.
Holiday Gatherings and Visits – even to the North Pole
Visiting friends and family can be challenging due to strange environments, new people and changes in routine.
Bring familiar items and if necessary, favorite foods you know your child will eat. Social stories where you can rehearse acceptable responses are helpful, and de-sensitization practices may help make new places less problematic when you visit them beforehand while they are empty.
Your holiday tradition may include a visit to Santa. As a former Macy’s Herald Square Elf I can tell you that as nice a person as Santa is, to a small child this giant man in a vibrant red suit can seem terrifying! Screams, crying and squirming are common responses even from neurotypical children. If your child with special needs truly can’t handle an encounter with Mr. Kringle please don’t force them – you are trying to make a happy memory for kids, not torture them.
Check local malls or a We Rock The Spectrum location for Sensitive Santa, which is a crowd-free visit with subdued lighting and low or no music. Many special needs families have gotten their very first happy holiday photo thanks to these events. Waving to Santa from across the mall or a photo with Santa far in the background may also be a fun alternative to standing in a long line to meet him face to face.
It isn’t just visiting the jolly elf that may bring up tough situations – Great Aunt Ethel may bring her own set of problems. At her house the rules may be different, which is difficult and possibly even upsetting for individuals with special needs. Even if she comes to your house she may upset the usual environment; she may wear a strong perfume or change the usual mealtimes. While you may want that photo of your child and Great Aunt Ethel snuggling by the fire, your child may want nothing to do with her.
Give your child some space. A group photo may be more tolerable for your child. After some time your child may become comfortable with new people and new settings. Let them ease in at their own speed.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Editor’s Note: Autism Speaks is a co-sponsor of Sensory-Friendly Santa. Click here to find one in your area.
Holiday Decorations & Kids: Hidden Dangers You Need to Avoid
The holidays are fast approaching and the preparation has already begun for Thanksgiving and eventually Christmas. Family will be coming over to your home or you will be traveling to theirs for food and festivities. While this time of year is a joyful one please keep in mind the little things that pose a danger to the children. Things like electricity from lights and decorations, breakable objects that can be knocked over onto a child or create sharp edges. Choking hazards are greatly overlooked during the holidays. While we are all aware of toys having choking hazards and warning labels , holiday decorations can have parts that are easily swallowed if found by a child such as small light bulbs, parts from battery operated decorations, holiday village scenes, snacks in snack bowls, and a host of other things that need to be secured and checked.
When I teach CPR classes for new parents, soon to be parents and even grandparents, I encourage everyone to go home and lie on the floor and see the world from a child’s perspective and see what a different world it is. I do this to emphasize a point that there are hidden dangers under furniture and that the children will find anything you have lost like pills, money and other objects. I encourage this around the holidays as well because it will give you a perspective of your home that will allow you to see how easily the holiday decorations and electrical cords can be reached by small children. Give it a try, I promise you it’s an eye opening experience.
I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season!
Halloween, Kids and Pets …Ensure a Fun Holiday For All: Part II
Last year at exactly this same time, I wrote an article on this site about some of the potential dangers of Halloween for your kids and pets and gave some advice on how to avoid some of those dangers. Most of that advice was focused on avoiding situations that could put your pets (and the children that are with them) in harm’s way.
However, I am also quite aware that any advice, no matter how well intended, may at times be impossible for some people to follow based on their own personal experiences and situations. For example, you may have a service dog that must accompany you trick-or-treating and perform certain tasks that would enable you to accompany your child from door to door. Or maybe you have a service dog that is trained for your child as a diabetic alert dog or seizure alert dog or to pull a wheelchair or help your child with mobility issues…. So ‘leaving the dog at home’ may not only NOT be possible, but potentially dangerous for you and/or your child.
And then there are some people who live in a not-so-great area and do not want to deny their child(ren) the fun opportunity to trick and trick, and would feel much more comfortable and safer having a nice large breed dog standing steadfastly by their side.
Another issue we discussed was not having ‘Rover’ join you every time you go to answer the door… but here again, if you do have Rover joining you…. Not because you think it is cute, but because it allows you to feel safer, then here are some tips that can allow you to both bring your dog to the door, or along with you when you trick or treat, and still keep everyone safe.
I. Trick-or-Treating
The first thing I will mention is outdoor safety equipment:
- One of the most important safety precautions you can take is having some sort of flashlight or flashing light attached to your dog’s collar. This will enable others to be aware that you do have a dog with you… which can keep your dog safe from being walked into, stepped on, or worse….hit by a car as it grows darker out, and will enable others to see your dog and know to not get too close. (A little bonus – it will provide a little extra visibility for you and your family members).
- Leashes: If you are prone to using a Flexi leash (retractable lead) tonight is NOT the night to use it!!! You want guaranteed control on this night, not something that may or may not be good, strong and reliable. You need something short (I would not recommend using a lead any longer than 6 feet, and would actually prefer 4 foot or less) and it must be in good solid condition, free of any fraying, rips, tears, or chew marks.
- Collars: As far as collars, you want something that is tight enough so that your dog can not easily ‘back out of it’ should they suddenly get scared or spooked. I recommend you use something you are very used to – you do not want to be trying out a different type of collar on the very night you need it. And the same rule applies as the leashes…. Make sure it is strong and free of any rips or frays prior to this night. If you do end up needing to purchase a new one, one of the collars that is a good fail-safe collar to use if you are used to a regular flat collar,
but not 100% sure your dog could not get out of it is called a Martingale. It is available at most pet stores including Petsmart (see picture on right). It is a good alternative option to the regular flat collar, with the added benefit of a ‘choker’ type chain at the end which will tighten only if your dog pulls or tries to get away…. reducing the risk of them slipping out of it. - Service Dog Vest: If your dog is an actual service dog, although it is NOT required by law to have a vest identifying the dog as a service dog, I would suggest on this particular night, having something marking your dog as a service dog, as well as a sign that says “DO NOT PET”. This might make your experience a bit better as hopefully, fewer people will try to stop you to pet your cute dog who they think is only your personal pet out trick or treating with you.
If your dog is a service dog for you, try asking a third person to come trick or treating with you. This way, you can stand back at a safe distance with your service dog, and the friend or family member can take the child up to the door to ring the bell. This will keep you out of harm’s way, and avoid spooking your dog with doorbells and doormats rigged to scream when you push or step on them and keep them further away from flashing lights, which can disorient and hurt your dogs’ sensitive eyes.
If the Service Dog belongs to your child, my suggestion would still be to have another person go with you and either one of you stays back with the dog and child, and the other one goes up to the door, rings the bell and gets the candy and brings it back to your child. Or, if the child wants to go to the door, have one of you go to the door with the child, and the other person stays back with the child’s dog until the child returns. I also feel it is very important to remember though that although Service Dogs are very highly trained animals, I want to encourage you not to forget that they are not robots, and will still react to unexpected scenarios…. So be on your guard and be vigilant at all times. If they are starting to act differently than they normally do, be smart and make the choice to head home early. Better safe than sorry
II. Answering the Door with You
As far as something you can do for the dog that is staying home, that will allow you to have him or her with you if you are nervous about answering the door, here is a precautionary alternative thing you can try….. You can pick up an exercise pen relatively cheap at many of your local pet food and supply stores, and make a “U” shape out of it in front of the door (see example here). By doing this, you can easily get to the door and open it for kids who are trick or treating, allowing you to give candy or other goodies to the kids, all the while ensuring the kid is safe from your dog, and the dog cannot run out, but also gives you the peace of mind of knowing if you open the door to someone that you deem unsafe, you can pull the side of the exercise pen open very easily to allow your dog to protect you. This very much differs from a standard gate because it is ‘free-standing.’ Meaning it is not attached to a wall, or held in place by a pressure release system.
III. Costumes
As far as a costume for Fido, there is only one I would potentially recommend….. That would be a ThunderShirt. Not familiar with this product? The ThunderShirt, (aka… Canine Anti-Anxiety Shirt) is a snug fitting shirt that utilizes a similar concept as swaddling your infant. It is a holistic alternative to anti-anxiety medications and uses natural pressure points on the dog to help calm them in different situations. If you want to dress it up for Halloween, get creative and cut out and sew on a few bones or a skeleton. Just be sure you are not painting or gluing the items on, as that can cause some potentially harmful toxins to seep into your dog’s body.
So in conclusion, while I still personally believe that the best and safest option for your dog on Halloween is to stay home away from the front door, there are a myriad of ways that you CAN safely include your canine buddy if the need arises.
I hope some of these ideas are helpful and that you and your entire family enjoy a safe and Happy Halloween!!!
