In case you don’t have a toddler who has been asking for a month about the special day, Tuesday is Halloween.
The yearly festival has seen a few upgrades over the years. Many kids now wear glow-in-the-dark bracelets or necklaces or carry fluorescent sticks and swords that help drivers see them in the street. Some families have the “Halloween witch” who comes and takes all of their candy while they’re sleeping and trades it for a gift or money — often a parent’s ruse to take that candy for themselves.
Parents of toddlers often bypass trick-or-treating altogether in favor of condensed experiences trick-or-treating out of car trunks lined up in church parking lots.
Some believe certain Halloween costumes have become too sensitive to wear. Students at Southern Utah University released a campaign last week to remind others that costumes that portray stereotypical ethnic characters can be offensive. These campaigns can go too far, though, when cultural sensitivities prohibit little girls from dressing up as Disney princesses like Mulan or Moana. Children certainly don’t intend to demean, but to honor such cultural figures.
School parades and shopping center festivals have added to the over-crazed and over-sugared holiday. Some families even drive to neighborhoods with bigger houses in an effort to collect king size treats.
Some people even love to dress up their pets. But if you’re going to subject your dog to a Halloween costume, professionals say, “Make sure the dog is happy and comfortable.” Lots of pets don’t like being dressed up and paraded around, so be aware and be respectful.
Like anything, though, parents need to take precautions when sending their kids out to beg for candy from neighbors. Tragedy can strike at any moment.
Two years ago Ana Simmon lived through a Halloween experience she wasn’t counting on. A careless driver turned into a crosswalk right when her husband, children and niece were walking through it. Costume accessories scattered in the street as ambulances arrived to rush the kids and Simmons’ husband to the hospital. The wagon the kids rode in was wedged under the truck’s bumper.
We can avoid tragedies on Halloween if we remember to watch carefully and drive slowly. Drivers need to expect that kids will be darting in and out of the street.
Of course parents can help keep their little witches and superheroes safe by including reflective costume pieces, accompanying them while walking their neighborhoods and reminding them about street safety. But the responsibility for pedestrian safety will be mostly on the drivers.
On Tuesday night, stay alert and drive slowly. We don’t need any more nightmares on Halloween.