Halloween can be a fun time for kids but before you send your little ones out on Halloween night, be sure they're prepared for a safe and fun evening. Here are some tips on how you can prevent accidents and make happy memories.
Halloween on Female First
Pumpkins
There are lots of ways to keep your child involved without handing over the knife if they are too young, this could be:
Getting them to draw the design on the pumpkin with a marker, then the adult doing the carving
Giving the child a spoon to scoop out the pulp and seeds
If anyone does cut themselves, (that includes you) have your first aid kit handy, clean and put pressure on to the cut with a sterile dressing or bandage for at least 10 minutes. Seek medical help if the bleeding does not stop.
When lighting up your pumpkin, if using a lit candle, always keep it out of reach children and away from areas that people may touch if they walk past it.Flameless candles, battery powered tea lights or glow sticks are a brilliant, safe alternative to real flames and give the same effect.
Costumes
If you’re buying a costume, check the labels carefully. You are looking for ‘flame resistant’ fabrics. Many shops and online are advertising that their costumes meet the higher safety standards required of children’s nightwear. Bear in mind however that even meeting these higher safety requirements does not make the costume completely safe. Recent tests have shown that some of these costumes can still easily catch light. Have a good look at it yourself – is it a flimsy, floaty fabric? Natural fabrics like wool and cotton are much slower to burn and will char rather than melt if they do catch fire. You could use a long sleeved top and bottoms in a natural fabric as a ‘base layer’ for a costume, to provide some protection next to the skin. Cotton pyjamas would work well.
Even better – make your own! That way you are completely in control. The end result may not look as professional as the shop bought variety, but the kids will love helping to create a Hallowe’en masterpiece!
If despite your best efforts, an accident happens and someone gets burnt, act quickly. If a child’s costume is alight, their instinct will be to run. Grab them and roll them on the ground to smother the flames. If you can, wrap them in a cotton or wool blanket, towel or heavy coat to help put the fire out quicker.
Get the burnt area immediately under cool running water for at least twenty minutes. The water just needs to be cold not freezing. The quicker you can do this, the better. Whilst it’s under the tap, assess the size and thickness of the burn. A superficial burn is red and sore and affects only the top layer of the skin (think sunburn). A partial thickness burn will blister. A full thickness burn will look like raw flesh. This type of burn may not hurt as much, as the nerve endings have been burnt away. It is the most serious type though and will always require hospital treatment. Remove any watches, jewellery etc and any loose clothing. This is because the burnt area may start to swell. If there is any fabric etc stuck in the burn however, don’t pull it out. Leave this for the medical professionals to deal with.
Once the burn is cooled, you need to cover it to prevent infection. The best burns dressing is good old clingfilm! It is sterile and won’t stick to the burnt skin. Just wrap it loosely round the burn. You don’t need any sprays, lotions etc – these will probably do more harm than good. So just keep it simple.
Trick or Treat
Whether it is your child’s first trick or treat experience as a family or you have an older child venturing out on their own use these tips to keep them safe.
- Plan your route, stick to familiar place.
- Keep to well-lit areas, carry a torch.
- Wear reflective clothing or add reflective strips to costumes or decorate them with glow sticks!
- Take care when crossing roads, encourage kids to stick to one side of the road, rather than going backwards and forwards across the road.
- If your child is given an edible treat, check it is suitable and age appropriate for your child and doesn’t pose a choking hazard.
- Know how to deal with a child or adult who is choking.
If you want the confidence of learning First Aid contact Daisy First Aid www.daisyfirstaid.com to find your nearest family friendly class.