I always
loved Halloween as a kid, still do as a grown-up, costumes, candy, scary
stories, season change, jack-o-lanterns, heck pumpkins spiced anything is fine
by me, and warm apple cider with a cinnamon doughnut is just the best to warm
up a cold October night. I have some fond memories of trick-or-treating with my
friends, proud of the outfit my mom and I put together, time spent with my
brothers carving pumpkins, and roasting the seeds.
As much fun as all that stuff is, age has given me a
slightly different perspective on Halloween. I want to share some risks and advice
with you about precautions you can take so that everyone can have a safe, fun
and hopefully even slightly scary Halloween this year.
Costumes:
The two biggest concerns when parents think about approving or disapproving a
costume choice for their kids are visibility, and mobility. If the costume has
a mask, and it’s been mass produced, its one size fits all, which means your
child “might” fight the eye holes… Even still visibility will be reduced, asking
him or her to try it on in the store and then identify something in their
peripheral vision will give you some idea of how reduced their visibility is.
Remember too, the store is well lighted, and the streets you will trick-or-treat
on will be dark, further reducing your child's visibility. Mobility is the
other consideration. Imagine attaching over-sized clown shoes to your feet and
then walking all over your neighborhood in the dark, now imagine you’re an
uncoordinated child doing that same thing. If you don’t want to wake up in a
cold sweat some night, try not to think about your child standing in the middle
of a dark street, wearing a mask they can’t see out of, shoes they can’t walk
in, holding a big bag full of distractions, as a car speeds towards him or her.
I know, us insurance guys can take the fun out of anything,
sorry about that. And you’re right; Halloween is supposed to be fun, but so too
is Thanksgiving, and Christmas… I want your kids to be there to enjoy them all.
Preparing Your house for the
trick-or-treaters: You've probably heard
the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth of pound of cure.” Well in this
case it is true, if you've been meaning to fix that “trick” step that leads to
your front porch, do it now before a bunch a kids use it on Halloween night.
Same with that light bulb for the outside light, which burnt out a while ago,
that you've been “meaning to replace.” Don’t put those things off any longer,
the big night will be here soon, and that is the night strangers, who don’t
know the lay of the land on your property will need the benefit of being able
to see their way around and firm landings to place their feet. Be sure to clear
a well-defined pathway to the door as well, that might mean moving outdoor furniture,
hoses, planters, toys, etc. out of the way so that they don’t present trip
hazards.
Remember, once folks are on your property, you are liable
for any injuries they sustain, should you be found to be negligent. Taking the
time now to avoid issues later will be time well spent.
Jack-O-Lanterns
and the fire risk: When I was a kid we carved pumpkins, stuck a lite
candle in them, and put that just outside our door on the front stoop. The lite
candle part is the issue, and today there are options to avoid having an open
flame around all the time. There are lights you can buy, that are designed to
be plugged in and don’t pose the same fire risk. You can also use glow sticks,
though perhaps not with the same effect of a flickering flame. Still, every year there are cases of fires
started by poorly monitored Jack-O-Lanterns.
Vandalism:
It is almost a rite of passage for kids to through some TP in the trees, eggs some
houses and cars, or shaving cream on similar targets. For the most part these
things are harmless, though eggs can cause damage to a cars finish if it’s not
addressed in a timely manner. An auto policy that has comprehensive coverage will
cover damage sustained during these stunts, so too would a home owner’s policy should
the damage be done to your home. Avoiding the damage is the best approach,
parking your car off the street, and covering higher end cars will help a lot.
And if you plan to be away for the trick-or-treating, leave the lights on, and
ask a neighbor to keep an eye out, a dark house can invite unwelcome attention.
The Candy:
When I was growing up my mom was very strict about the candy I got when I went
out trick-or-treating. She demanded to inspect it all, she threw away anything
that was homemade or not packaged, no matter how much I protested, and any
wrapper that looked “wrong” to her eye, also got pitched. She told me it was
because some nut job had been putting things in kids’ candy, poison, razor
blades, and bits of metal… Now, some of this seems like an urban legend to me, but then again it’s not out of the question. So what to do? I’d suggest doing
what my mom did, inspect what your kids bring home, and get rid of the suspect
stuff. Oh, and one more tip from my mom
to all the mom’s out there; she would take on the duty of costumes, and pumpkin
carving etc., but would always send my dad out with my brothers and I to do the
trick-or-treating. While at home she would curl up with a spooky movie, glass
of spiked warm apple cider, and that bowl of candy to meet the trick-or-treaters
at our door. I recall her being rather relaxed, happy and in a good place to
deal with the negotiations about just how many pieces of candy we could have
before bedtime.
Thank you taking the time to read our Sturdevant Agency Blog post. Please let us know if you have any questions, about these or other insurance related topics.
Empowerment through knowledge
