It’s Halloween, which means that Hayden Homes communities around the Northwest are bustling with the energy of excited trick-or-treaters. Here, our team provides a few friendly reminders to help you and your neighbors stay safe this evening.
 
Wear Something Reflective
Half the fun of trick-or-treating is exploring your neighborhood after dark, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared with an article of reflective clothing or a glow stick in your ensemble. Being visible means you are exponentially more safe when scurrying along the sidewalks from house to house.
 
Set a Route
Before heading out for your trick-or-treating expedition, plan a route and estimate a timeframe. This gives everyone – little ones escorted by parents and teenagers exploring on their own – a good understanding of where one another will be and what time they should regroup. One person in every group should also bring along a cell phone for good measure.
 
Follow The Lights
Children should never, ever enter the home of a stranger and should be aware to visit only clean, kempt, well-lit front porches on this day especially. Even in their exuberance, little ones should wait to ring a doorbell until parents are within “indoor voice” distance.
 
Treats are for Later
Instruct trick-or-treaters not to eat (or nibble on) anything they’ve collected until the treats have been examined by an adult. Throw away anything unwrapped for good measure. Even better, look into programs to send a portion of acquired candy to troops overseas!
Above all, use good judgment and communication with all family, friends and neighbors. Have a safe and happy Halloween!