PARENTING
FROM LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS TO COVID AND FAST DRIVERS AND DARES
KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE THIS HALLOWEEN
WRITTEN BY SHANNON E. ROESGEN
P
arenting can be scary. Can be? It is. Parenting is scary. Of course, it is also wonderful and amazing and miraculous and joyous. But let’s be honest, sometimes it can feel like Halloween 365 days a year. From toddlers having no impulse control to teenagers on social media, we worry, we panic, and maybe we pray for the safety of our children. We are parents. Worrying is part of the gig. Halloween is a holiday children enjoy. Amidst all of the glee and celebration, however, it is also a time when parents are increasingly worrying about keeping children safe. Sarah Moser is a mom of two teens (ages 17 and 14) and a youth and family administrative assistant for a local church. She has become habitual about thinking of children’s safety not only at home, but at work. “Of course, all costumes should meet general safety requirements,”
16
|
SIMPLYkc MAGAZINE
|
OCTOBER 2021
advises Moser. “Can the child easily see through the mask or makeup they are wearing? Can he or she walk without tripping in the costume? And are there reflectors or lights on it somewhere? We like to have our kids wear glow stick bracelets and necklaces while trick or treating to make them more visible to drivers.” In addition, Moser believes “Children should be given instructions to never go inside anyone’s house on Halloween night, even people they know,” she says. “There can be so much chaos and confusion on such a busy night, and people might be hard to recognize in costumes. There is no reason for an adult to invite a child inside to get their treat!”
When to let your kids go solo … a slow and gradual transition “As the kids got older, we started letting them go by themselves,”
