Trick-or-Treat, Don’t Cheat on your Health During Halloween

Non-edible Gifts are Great Gifting Options Too

Halloween is the most desired day for children as they right royally grab umpteen candies to eat, dress up as spookily as possible and the schools and neighborhoods are buzzing with activities. But as parents, are you ready for all the sugar laden treats that could last for months after the festival? Having a party together, going for a trick or treat or celebrating in your own unique way, there are multiple creative ways in which you can make Halloween healthier, desirable and enjoyable.
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Safe Halloween
There are quite a number of safety measures that should be ensured before sending your child for his/her Halloween celebration.

Costume-wise
Kids jump with excitement and are ready to do anything to look their best on Halloween. They don’t mind the flowing dresses, huge hats or mighty swords. But as parents, we need to make sure that the costume fits correctly without being too big or too small making it uneasy for the kid to move around easily. If you are making a mask, hat or a wig ensure that these props fit your child perfectly instead of blocking their vision.

Pumpkin-wise
What is Halloween without the scary or silly Jack-o’-lanterns? The custom is believed to have originated in Ireland where pumpkins were often carved with grotesque faces. Since then, the tradition of carving pumpkins and lighting them to ward off evil forces has been followed worldwide. Never give kids the responsibility of carving pumpkins with knives as there are many dangerous consequences attached to it. You can help them with permanent markers where the child can draw features over the pumpkin and make them spooky/silly according to their wish. Else, allow them to draw the features and help them with the carving process. Also, instead of lighting candles inside the carved pumpkin, you can use glow stickers. If you wish to use candles, place the pumpkin in places where there are minimal chances of tripping over and blow off the candles when you are not at home.

Trick-or-treating-wise
Halloween is the time of year where children are prone to car accidents twice as much compared to any other time of year. It is better to:

1. Always look on both sides of the road before crossing and cross as a group
2. Take a grownup with you wherever you go or keep in touch with them via mobiles as often as possible
3. Use glowsticks to light your candy bags which enable car travelers to recognize your presence in the dark
4. Walk only on the footpath and enter only those houses that are well-lit
   
   

Eating-wise
This is the most sought-after part during Halloween and children love to munch on candies as and when their bags fill up. But, it is always better to wait until you reach home before opening your candy bag. This way, you ensure that you eat only those that are fully wrapped and get to read the ingredients if your child has any food allergies. Never let children eat any edibles that seem to be made of unknown ingredients. Before you kid gets ready for the candies, it is always better to make him/her aware of the idea that not all candies need to be emptied then and there. Parents can take a few to their office and share it with their colleagues or even encourage their children to trade candies for other prizes such as their favorite toy or dress. This way, you ensure better health and less sugar intake.

There is no hard and fast rule attached with Halloween celebrations. It is the time of year to celebrate and promote togetherness in an amicable way. As parents you can always incorporate positive changes such as:

1. Don’t allow kids to grab candies but distribute one or two to every child who visits your place.
2. Don’t feel unsure about bringing in new changes. Instead of candies you can always distribute healthier treats or even non-edible gifts that children would love to have. Non-edible gifting ideas that are sure to impress children are shared at www.firsteatright.com from which you can always choose one and win your kid’s heart.
3. Get your kids moving by making them walk from house to house instead of driving around
4. Bribe your kids into trading left-over candies for a day at their favorite hangout-park, zoo, movie or pool
5. Feel free to donate the excess candies to orphanages or other places. This way, kids learn to share and care