6 Halloween Candy Safety Tips for Kids

Are your kids safe this Halloween? Here are 6 Halloween Candy Safety Tips for Kids you may not have thought of yet! This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

6 Halloween Candy Safety Tips for Kids

It’s 6 days before Halloween. I have one little girl determined to be Moana – not budging. And I have one little boy opting between 5 different costumes…5!!!

(Can anyone else relate? Just me?)

But here’s the thing, while most families are worried about what their kids are going to wear, getting the best pictures and making game plans for the best candy routes, I want to get serious for a hot minute. Maybe you’re an expert on Halloween Candy Safety Tips. Maybe you’re not. But here’s the thing, this is a good time to stop and take a moment to really let these tips sink in before we run out of the house for trick-or-treating. I’ve got 6 tips today and the last one is probably my most important tip, especially if you haven’t discussed this yet with your kids. Let’s make it a thing, an important thing, to keep our kids safe this Halloween.

Inspect All Candy Before Eating

Not all candy is the same. I repeat. Not all candy is the same. In fact, my kids know that none of the candy is theirs until we check it out together. I make sure to inspect all of it with them and include questions like:

• Why does mommy inspect the candy before you eat it?
• What should we be looking for?
• What do we do with candy that doesn’t look safe?

Look for Tampered Wrappers

Those candies with the twisted ends really get a thorough inspection from me. Tootsie Rolls? Smarties? Yeah, you know the ones I’m talking about. Make sure your eagle parent eyes are even more focused on wrappers that may be open or messed with. Immediately throw away.

Check Labels for Allergies

Have a child with allergies? Make sure to check ingredients on the packaging too. Separate any potential allergen candy from safe candy (for instance, taking two bags when trick-or-treating).

Avoid Choking Hazards

I have a 4-year old. She still doesn’t know how to chew her food properly before swallowing. So candies that are high choking hazards like gum, hard candies and even round candies like Whoppers send off a warning flag in my brain. I separate these candies too, making sure that my kids only eat them in the presence of an adult (aka I’m ready with my ninja Heimlich skills).

Make Healthy Teeth a Priority

This year, the National Retail Federation projects Americans will spend a remarkable $2.7 billion (with a B!) on candy. Where does all that candy go?

Boom – Our teeth.

I’m cringing at the thought of how many potential cavities lie within those candy wrappers this Halloween! But before you pull out that toothbrush and toothpaste, here’s a few things to keep in mind:

• Kids under 3 should use a grain of rice sized amount of toothpaste
• Kids 3-6 years old should use a pea sized amount to minimize swallowing
• Kids 8 and under should be supervised to develop good brushing and rinsing habits

Check out the KnowYourOTCs.org web site for more information on fluoride and additional oral care tips, by clicking here.

Keep Medicines Safely Stored

Know the different between candy and medicines? Well, most kids don’t! Every day in the U.S., 4 busloads of kids are seen in Emergency Rooms due to accidental medicine ingestion. Some candies and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines look alike and can cause confusion for young kids! This Halloween season, take a minute to make sure all of your over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are stored safely up, away and out of sight. Have the conversation with your kids about medicine safety – and make sure they know NOT to eat anything that may look like candy. Here are 3 simple tips to keep in mind:

• Keep the Poison Control number handy: 800-222-1222
• Make sure all your medicines are stored safely up, away, and out of sight.
• Never ever refer to medicines as candy and teach your kids that only parents or a caregiver can give them medicine.

I love this infographic, because it kind of scares me. I can’t even tell which is the candy and which is the medicine in most of these pictures. So how would our kids know the difference? That’s why medicine safety around Halloween is so so so important!

The main thing, parents, is to make sure that our kids how much we care about them this Halloween season – and why we double and triple check their Halloween candy. Before you got back into the chaos of parenthood, be sure to keep KnowYourOTCs.org website handy for any other questions/tips needed on keeping your kids safe this Halloween.

What are your best Halloween Candy Safety Tips for Kids?

I am a #KnowYourOTCs blogging ambassador, compensated by the CHPA’s Educational Foundation in support of KnowYourOTCs.org. All opinions are my own. No little hands touched the OTC medicines (I’m a pediatric nurse, remember?) and teeth were promptly brushed following these pictures. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube for more family travel tips, delicious recipes, and kid crafts.