Keep the REAL spooks out of your children's Halloween night by taking these precautions.

1.  Accompany children when they go trick-or-treating - If they're a little older, stand back so you're not "lurking", but don't let a pedophile take advantage of this great opportunity to troll for vulnerable kids.  Adolescents are not too old to be at risk on Halloween or at any other time. (You might want to check the Maryland Sex Offender Registry, and avoid those residences when you take your children trick-or-treating.)  

2.  Encourage children to go trick-or-treating in small groups.  If the group is too large, you might lose count if one is missing.  My grandkids love it that their parents dress up in costume, too, but other kids may wish the adults to be less visible.  Make this decision in advance, to avoid last minute hassle and controversy as you leave to go Trick-or-treating.

3.  Make sure that your children's masks don't restrict their vision.  You don't want them to trip and fall, bump into things, or be oblivious to what is around them.

4.  Dress your children in costumes that will be visible in the dark.  Black costumes may be Halloween-spooky, but they put children at risk, crossing the street.  Even when children are safely on the sidewalk, you want them to be visible to someone backing out of their driveway.

5.  Enforce a strict rule of "No testing the treats ‘til you get home" so you have an opportunity to look them over for obvious tampering.  Frankly, when my kids were small and less aware of every treat they received, I trashed everything they collected after they went to sleep and replaced it with candy I provided. (Reading this will probably be the first time they know that.)  By the way, if you give your kids a big dinner before they go out Trick-or-treating, they're less likely to eat candy before they get home.

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