Keeping Your Monsters Safe This Halloween

7 days until Halloween. My children are reminding me CONSTANTLY. We’ve got outfits planned (So far we are working with Professor Trelawney, 2 ninjas and TBD.) We don’t have to buy candy though, because we live at the end of a quarter mile long gravel driveway, and nobody’s got time for that.

And while the kiddos are gathering up massive candy buckets, digging through our admittedly excessive pile of costumes, and revving up for their annual sugar binge, what am I doing?

Just over here thinking about spiked candy and dark neighborhoods and the random teenagers who like to party in our driveway. That’s right, in the sacred tradition of moms everywhere, I’m thinking about all the real boogeymen lurking on Halloween, (and anytime really).

Listen. I’m no helicopter mom, but Halloween will test the limits of my boundaries with a vengeance. So for all you other parents out there with me, here are a few basic tips on trick or treating safely.

Keep Your Monsters Safe

First: Costume Management

• Make sure it fits! Don’t leave anything hanging off they can trip over.
• Wear comfy shoes. It’s going to be a long night.
• Make sure costumes are weather appropriate! You don’t want your little guy overheated or freezing cold-plan accordingly.
• And of course, make sure their vision is clear and not blocked by their masks or hoods.

Second: Route Planning

• Map it out. The last thing you want is to get lost in a strange neighborhood with cranky superheroes all hopped up on sugar.
• Choose well-lit routes. It’s hard enough to keep track of all the munchkins, at least use the streetlights in your favor.
• In that vein, strap some glow lights to the kiddos to help keep them in your sights.

Third: Post Trick or Treat Candy Haul

• Have the little ones sort through at the end of the night – or you do it, if you want to sneak your favorites!
• Toss anything that isn’t in its original wrapper, or looks like it might have been opened.
• And as much as you know the sweet little old lady down the street loves baking treats, avoid homemade goods from strangers. That’s the unfortunate result of the world we live in.

Simple, obvious, and guaranteed to ease your mind. Because that’s we do, as parents, teachers, coaches. We work and work to protect our children from the real monsters, and anything else we think might hurt them. We teach them to fly, but pack their parachutes too. That’s what we do here at One with the Water too.

Keep Them Safe In The Water

According to the CDC, approximately one in five people who die from drowning are
children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive
emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. The rate of near drowning is much
higher, as not all near drownings are reported. With its miles of coastlines, multitude of natural
freshwater bodies, and an abundance of swimming pools, Californians are at increased risk for
drowning and near drowning incidents, with drowning being the leading cause of accidental
death for children between the ages of 1 and 4.

At One with the Water, we give your children the tools they need to be safe in the water, and give them the confidence they need to succeed, both in and out of the water. And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, studies show teaching a child to swim can reduce their risk of drowning by up to 88%. 

Why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to keep them safe?

We provide swim lessons for children of all ages and ability, in group, private, and in home settings. Set your child up for physical, emotional and mental success with the life-saving skill of swimming.

Oh and by the way? When you donate to One with the Water, you can help other moms and dads (with the same desires for their kiddos) keep their children safe by helping us provide the lifesaving skill of swimming. Our nonprofit foundation offers need-based scholarships to low-income families, children with special needs, and service disabled veterans. We are stronger together!