Trick or Treating Safety tips

Halloween is here again and (other than the expected rain) I can't wait for tonight's festivities! Having two sets of twins both under the age of 11 is wonderful, but it can also be a bit hectic on occasions such as Halloween.  Keeping an eye on four little ones as they embark on their adventure around the neighborhood is enough to make any parent feel a bit uneasy so I did a little searching for some new ways to keep the kids safe this Halloween. 

Our family has a tradition of spending the evening together. My older girls join us when they can, we all have pizza together and we talk about how the night will go.  Some topics we discuss are:

• Road rules and safety precautions
• The importance of staying with the group and always having an adult within eyesight
• Only approaching houses with lights on
• Never going into anyone's home unattended
• A reminder that at the end of the night an adult will check all the bags for unwrapped candy or anything that looks wary

Our family still trick or treats together, all the siblings, adults, cousins, aunts and uncles, and even grandparents. While I cherish this family tradition, I know that it's only a matter of time until my older twins who are 10 will begin to test their independence and want to venture off without us to trick or treat with their friends. 

For those of you who have kids out trick or treating with someone other than you (friends, siblings, other parents) - this app can help you track them throughout the evening.  It is called Family by Sygic and it's a GPS system that provides you with real time locations of each family member, as well as self created safe zones.  The app will notify you when your family member steps outside your self-made boundary. 

Another one is called iEmergency ICE family PRO by iEmergency.  This app helps you to store all your emergency contact information in one place that is quick and easy to access, just in case your child needs it.

The last app that I discovered is Panik.  This one provides quick access to an alarm that emits a loud noise when activated and sends out text messages, social media updates, and other alerts if your child feels threatened or feels that they are in a dangerous situation.

So while my kids will be under my watchful eye this Halloween, I feel that we can never feel TOO safe - so I will be downloading these apps ahead of time to prepare for the evening.  Since my kids do not have cell phones, they will be holding one of our phones in case they get separated from us.

Halloween is a time filled with excitement and mystery and we can strive to keep that electric feeling while keeping everyone safe. I hope you have fun tonight and I would love to hear if you have a safety routine that works for your family!

What are your Halloween traditions?  How do you and your family stay safe on Halloween?