Essential Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips for Teens
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Having teens who still want to go trick-or-treating can bring up some mixed emotions; you’re happy they still love dressing up and collecting bags full of candy, but you may also still be worried about their safety. Teens don’t want us to be clingy or overprotective, but that doesn’t mean we can put a safety plan in place for the night. Here are some ways to help ensure their safety on Halloween without smothering or dampening their fun!
Plan a Set Trick-or-Treating Route
Knowing the neighborhoods your teens and their friends will be visiting can help set your mind at ease. You likely already know which parts of town should be avoided (and they probably remember where the houses that give out the full-size candy bars are). Planning out a route for trick-or-treating can put your mind at ease, and it also means you’ll know where to start looking if they stay out past curfew. Some things to think about when planning a route are:
How well-lit is the neighborhood?
Do you have friends or family in the area?
Are there any major obstacles or hazards (train tracks, busy intersections, etc.)?
Will they be stopping at any friends’ houses in the neighborhood while they’re out?
Once you have a route planned, you can determine if you’ll need to give them a ride or if they’ll be walking to collect their candy.
Give them Teen-Friendly Safety Gear for Halloween
Glow sticks and light-up shoes might not appeal to teens, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them some Halloween safety gear to help them stay safe. A portable phone charger tucked in the trick-or-treat bag means they can recharge in a hurry, and a small flashlight is great for streets without a lot of lighting. Small strips of reflective tape on shoes, the backs of costumes, and on trick-or-treat bags can help them stay visible while trick-or-treating after dark. You can also have your teens download a panic alarm app, like My SOS Family Emergency Alerts, which can be used in the event of an emergency.
Come Up with a Halloween Safety Text Plan
Unlike other activities your kids might attend, trick-or-treating means constant movement throughout an area, which means you don’t always know where they are. Having a text plan in place can give you peace of mind. Consider having them check in at specific times, such as when they arrive, halfway through their trick-or-treating, and when they’re about done for the night. This gives you the updates you need without being pushy. Having them text at set intervals, like every 15 minutes, might not be reasonable. Of course, if they forget to text at all, you’ll want to be proactive and check in with them.
Gather the Group for Trick-or-Treating
If at all possible, have your teen enjoy Halloween with a group of friends. There is safety in numbers, and traveling in a group can also provide accountability. If one teen stops to text mom and dad to check in, this serves as a reminder to everyone else to do the same. Be sure to get the names of the friends your kids are going out with (first and last if you don’t already know). You can also ask your teen to take a group selfie while they’re out trick-or-treating so you know for sure who they’re with, where they are, and which costumes everyone is wearing. While this is for safety purposes, it also means you get a fun keepsake of the day too.
Go Over Trick-or-Treating Etiquette for Teens
Unfortunately, not everyone is thrilled to see teens at their doors on Halloween. This is a bummer for kids, but it’s just a fact of life. Giving your teens some Halloween etiquette tips can go a long way toward them having a fun, safe night. Here are some things to go over:
Only ring doorbells with porchlights on: houses with Halloween decorations and a porchlight are usually best)
Be sure to say “trick-or-treat” and “thank you” at every house: good manners can soften the hearts of people who don’t like teens
Be kind and courteous if someone says they’re too old: it will probably happen, and kids should just be nice and walk away
Let younger kids go first: young kids can be easily intimidated, and having “big kids” being nice to them can make them feel special and less afraid
Keep the volume down: Halloween is a night for fun, but being too loud (yelling or screaming) can scare young kids and even some adults
Other etiquette tips are the same as tips for everyday life (like not throwing candy wrappers on the ground). You know your teens know how to be on their best behavior, but just a few gentle reminders as they relate to Halloween can be super helpful.
Set an Escape Plan for Halloween
Teens sometimes realize they don’t want to be in a situation, and that includes Halloween trick-or-treating. They may have a falling out with a friend, or they might see their friends engaging in risky behavior they don’t want to be a part of. Let your teen know that they can always call or text for a ride back home if things go a little sideways. Having a code word or phrase they can text to you makes it easy for your teens to exit a situation gracefully. It can be something as simple as “forgot my keys,” and receiving that text means you’ll come get them, no questions asked (except maybe where are you).
Balancing Independence and Safety for Teens on Halloween
You want your teens to feel independent and confident while still keeping them safe. This can be hard to do without feeling like you’re being overprotective. Putting a plan into place ahead of time and having a talk with your kids about Halloween safety can help give you peace of mind and give them the confidence they need to have a great time with their friends.
For more ideas for Halloween fun, check out our other blog posts or follow us on social media (@daisiesinclover on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram). We have lots of great content, including tips for how to keep squirrels away from pumpkins and how to find the best kid-friendly Halloween decorations!
