Tips & Tricks for a Safe Halloween
Halloween is such a fun and exciting time of year for kids and parents. Adding allergies into the mix, though, definitely adds challenges…but having a safe Halloween is possible! A few tips to consider before committing to any Halloween events:
What do you feel safest doing?
Keep your own comfort zone in mind because your child will definitely feed off of your energy and you don’t want to commit to something that makes you uncomfortable and anxious. When Musa was 1 and 2 years old, I took him to indoor Halloween events at the school I teach at. It was great because there were bounce houses, games and activities to do so it wasn’t completely candy focused. The school was participating in the #TealPumpkinProject for allergies so I was able to redirect Musa to stickers and trinkets over candy. For these first few years I opted out of taking him to Trick or Treat because it was out of my own comfort zone. Instead, we stayed in and passed out candy to those that came by. As always, we had safe options and asked the trick or treaters if they had allergies. We had fun and practiced asking the right questions for later years.
What will you do with the unsafe treats?
Inevitably, your child will come across candy that is unsafe for them. Making sure they can identify this and ask the right questions from the get go can be very helpful! For instance, Musa would get a HUGE bag of treats from his preschool each year. His teachers knew of his allergies and kids were not allowed to eat any of the treats in class so that was one less worry for me. (Keep in mind that you may need to speak to teachers or caretakers about this beforehand.) Once at home, we would dump out the bag and make two piles- safe and unsafe. Musa would go through each candy and I would help him identify what was safe and unsafe. He would get to keep the safe treats in a bag by him and the unsafe we would keep to give to others who didn’t have allergies. From this, Musa learned very early on what to stay away from and what he could have. If something looks new or doesn’t have a clear label he comes to me to ask if it is safe. As upsetting as it is to have to teach your little one this, remember that they are super resilient. Musa knows there are unsafe treats but he also knows there are a TON of safe treats too.
Another option we are giving Musa this year for the unsafe treats he will get is to switch them out for safe treats. At home we have a bucket full of safe candies and trinkets for him to trade for the unsafe candies. It’s just another safe way to keep the excitement going!
Are you prepared?
Having the essentials on hand always makes me feel safer! This is what is in my backpack (to be hands free, of course):
- EpiPens- #alwayscarrytwo
- Wet One wipes or any hand cleaning wipes- These won’t remove allergens but it’s great to have on hand as a back up.
- Benadryl lotion- Musa isn’t contact reactive but I have found this lotion to take care of any mysterious hives. (Remember: You can’t give oral Benadryl for 4-6 hours after applying this.)
- Take a few safe treats in case there is nothing that your child can safely enjoy. This will curb any potential upset and you can talk more at a later time.
- Water bottle- My little guy always gets thirsty running around so I keep his water bottle on hand.
It’s your turn–How will you be more inclusive?
I don’t know about you, but I had no idea about the severity of allergies until Musa developed them. Now, I make sure I have safe treats- food and non food ones. A lot of what we do isn’t as food focused as it used to be…yes, even Halloween! We tend to focus more on the fun and games rather than the candy part. It’s definitely much easier to develop these habits when kids are younger and I know Musa will inevitably associate Halloween with candy, but I hope he will have more understanding of his own allergies by then.
Relax, Breathe & Enjoy!
There may be a few hiccups along the way as you find what you are most comfortable with and as your child learns to keep themself safe. Remember, you are doing the best you can! How do you safely enjoy Halloween? Comment below!