5 Safety Tips for a Fearless Halloween
Halloween is on the horizon, and our little ones are getting excited for costumes, candy, and roaming the neighborhood streets. As our kids get more independent, they often stop wanting us to tag along for trick-or-treating. But just because you aren’t walking door-to-door with your kids doesn’t mean you won’t keep them safe on Halloween night. Here are five ways to safely empower your kids with Relay while trick-or-treating this year.
1. Set up check-in times.
Communication is one of the easiest ways to ease worry and preserve safety. When you set check-in times, it can help you relax and give your kid an opportunity to brag to you about their great candy haul. If your kid wears a watch, you could ask them to Relay you every hour, every 30 minutes, whatever feels right to you. If they don’t have a watch, don’t worry! They can check in after every couple of houses they trick-or-treat at. If they’re a little late, you can check in with them instead. For your back up plan, if your kid is late and doesn’t respond when you Relay them, make sure they know you’ll be coming to pick them up, helped out by their GPS location.
2. Establish the candy route
Make sure your little ones know where they can and can’t go. Depending on where you live and your kid’s age and responsibility level, the boundaries will be different. You can decide on landmarks closer to your home for younger kids (don’t go past the big tree at the end of the road) and streets for bigger kids (stay in the neighborhood, and don’t go farther than Oak Avenue.) For extra peace of mind, you can keep track of where they are by looking at their GPS location on your Relay app. If your kid is trick-or-treating with friends, make sure the group stays together and the other parents are on the same page about the route.
3. Let the kids know where you are
At home handing out candy? In the cul-de-sac with the other neighborhood parents? Whether your kid is highly independent or would feel better knowing you’re just down the street, if they know where you are and know you can be there if they need you, it will make the evening easier for everybody. If letting the kids roam by themselves makes you uncomfortable, no worries—they can still have a “big kid” Halloween experience even if you walk with them. Maybe they can walk a house or two ahead, still within your eyesight, but far enough to feel independent.
4. Set the safety standard
Make sure your kids are aware of the basic safety rules: don’t take any candy that isn’t in its original packaging. Don’t go inside anybody’s house or car. Come home when you ask them to, no ifs, ands, or buts. Don’t approach any house whose lights aren’t turned on. And if they have any questions, Relay you for advice, help, or to be picked up. Setting ground rules beforehand and even running through some what-if scenarios with your kids can help the whole family feel safer about trick-or-treating and eliminate confusion and protests down the line.
5. Have fun!
If your kid’s friends have Relays, they can set up instant chat channels to play, talk, and find out where all the good candy is. If you need to contact them, their Relays will automatically switch channels to receive your message. And for parents, you can have a great Halloween with the peace of mind that your kid is only a Relay away.
