Love thy neighbor, but don’t trust them on Halloween. That’s the motto around here.
Before heading out on Halloween night, please take a moment to consider exactly what we are doing. We are taking our children door to door and accepting candy from total strangers.
Kudos to you if you know every single person who’s door bell you ring, but lets be honest, you probably only know your neighbors in the 5 closest homes to yours.
Taking candy from strangers. Didn’t our mothers instill to never do this in our minds at a young age? Yet, here we are. Now, don’t get me wrong Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday for many reasons, but it can be very dangerous. As parents, it’s our job to make sure our children are having fun and happy, along with keeping them safe. There is always a possibility that someone may tamper with childrens Halloween candy, and I want to be sure it doesn’t end up hurting your child!
Remind your children they cannot eat any candy until you have checked it first.
Here’s what to look for, and what to avoid this Halloween-
Avoid:
- Homemade treats (brownies, cupcakes, cookies, caramel apples etc.) Toss them all out.
- Fruit- Some sights say to just check for punctures, but I say toss them all out. First off, nobody wants an apple on Halloween and second, you can’t see every needle hole or anything that may have been sprayed on it. Believe it or not people have found apples with Razors inside. Throw them out!
- Candy with twist wrappers- Throw away. It can be tampered with and re-wrapped without notice. (Tootsie Rolls, Suckers, Smarties, Jolly Ranchers, etc.)
Look For:
- Lumps or bulges under candy wrappers
- Candy that isn’t in the original box or wrapper
- Punctures or pinholes in wrappers or boxes
- Ripped or loose wrappers
- Discolored wrappers or boxes
- Foreign objects poking from the candy
- Mismatched candy in packages containing multiple pieces. Look for candies that are a different size or color from all the others
- Candy brands or manufacturers that you’ve never heard of
- Candy that has a strange or unpleasant smell
- Candy that has passed its expiration date
Throw away any items that match this criteria & contact police immediately if you find any tainted candy or treats.
Some police stations and doctors offices are available to check your treats if you’d like a second opinion.
Now, go trick-or-treating, take a flashlight, and let your kids have some candy before bed! Just be cautious and safe this Halloween!
Have Fun!
xo
Jessica