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Show PTA offers safety tips for a safe Halloween don't encourage children you don't know to enter your home. Affix name, address and phone number to the inside of young children's costumes in case they get lost. Give children coins and instruct them to call if there is a problem. Older kids without adult chaperones should always travel in groups, never alone, have them plan a route to follow and designate a time they'll return home. Natural masks of make-up are preferable to plastic or rubber ones that may restrict breathing or obstruct ob-struct peripheral vision. Purchase only costumes, masks, beards and wigs labeled "flame resistant." See that costumes are short enough so youngsters don't trip. Bright colors and costumes with reflector tape are more visible. Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made of soft flexible material. Avoid toy weapons that could be ' mistaken for the real thing. Instruct children to walk, not run, from house to house. They " should walk on sidewalks, not in the streets, and cross at intersections intersec-tions or crosswalks. Teach them not to dart out between parked cars. Halloween begins a time of the year when children and teens are faced with potential dangers asso- cline any invitations to enter a home or apartment. Similarly, ciated with the holidays. But, this doesn't have to be a scary time for parents and children, says the nation's na-tion's largest parent-teacher association. asso-ciation. "By taking precautions or offering offer-ing alternatives to trick-or-treating, parents can ensure a safe and happy Halloween for their children chil-dren and the community," according accord-ing to Manya Ungar, National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) president. Halloween will mark the kick-off of the National PTA's second annual Child Safety and Protection Month. Each November, the 6.1 million-member association focuses fo-cuses its efforts on keeping youth safe from harm, and guides PTAs and other concerned groups and individuals in-dividuals in planning year-round safety learning activities for children chil-dren and teens. This Halloween, the National PTA suggests asking your local PTA to host an all-school Halloween Hallo-ween party as an alternative to children chil-dren going door-to-door. Have children dress up and award prizes for the best costumes. The school could show a "ghost" movie or have a teacher or parent read ghost stories. Parents might provide refreshments re-freshments and give individual bags of treats for each child to take home. Tell children to politely de- |
