With less than a week until Halloween, some parents are still wondering if it’s safe for kids to go trick-or-treating this year. We want our kids to get to enjoy the holiday and the candy collecting tradition, but is it really a good idea during a pandemic? The health and safety of our kids comes first and doctors say these precautions can minimize the risks and help them enjoy Halloween.
- Make your child wear a mask all the time - According to pediatrician Dr. Victoria Regan, “The number one rule this year is going to be making sure everyone is wearing their mask. And if you can incorporate one into your little witch or robot’s costume? Even better.
- Tell them stay in the neighborhood - Stay informed about COVID-19 cases in your area and avoid houses with symptomatic patients.
- Have them wash their hands or sanitize them regularly - Finding a place to frequently wash hands while trick-or-treating may be a challenge, but a few squirts of hand sanitizer will do the trick. Just keep it up throughout the evening to keep killing any germs they come into contact with.
- Remind them to avoid touching their face - If you can keep the kiddos from touching their eyes, mouth and nose, you’ll lower the chances of germs entering their body. Of course, that’s easier said than done with little kids.
- Ask them to maintain social distancing at all times - That means staying six feet apart and not raiding houses with big, crowded groups.
- Put a sanitizing station outside - Set up a table with hand sanitizers so kids who didn’t carry it with them can clean up before coming to your door.
- Pass the candies through a UV light - Ultraviolet or UV light kills the virus on the surface, so passing the candies through UV light is an extra form of protection you can take. You could also sanitize the candies from outside.
- Keep the candy on tables or sidewalks - To minimize contact with trick-or-treaters, put a table outside your house with candy for the kids to pick up.
Source: Moms.com