Ellington

These days, not a lot of people go door-to-door for trick-or-treating. Many families attend local harvest festivals or parties at their kids' schools or churches. Nevertheless, if you are taking your kids out this Halloween, remember to practice these few candy safety rules.

Patience is good
Don't let kids sample their candy until you get home. I know this can be a pain, but it is safer.

Dump and check
Once at home, dump everything out into a big bowl and check thoroughly before letting your child go wild.

Beware of wrappers
Throw away candy that has loose wrappers, holes, old looking wrappers and, of course, anything unwrapped.

Homemade goodies
Only allow your child to eat homemade treats from people you know. This is probably less of a problem when you go to events at your child's school or church.

Choking hazards
If you have a small child, remove any gum or hard candy from their treat bag to avoid chocking.

And remember, if you don't feel good about something, throw it out. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Suggestions:
• At your house or Halloween event, consider giving a non-candy treat, like temporary tattoos, glow sticks, spider rings, pencils, mini yo-yos, etc. Childhood obesity and tooth decay are important considerations. Help be a part of the solution, not the problem. Having non-candy treats is also good for kids with nut and other food allergies.

• With all the yucky germs going around this time of the year, consider using a scooper to give out your treats. Little hands can carry lots of germs.

• Ration your children's candy out at home; don't give it all to them at once. Maybe establish a rule in your house that you will only keep candy around for a week or two. Then take all the rest to use in your candy bowl at work.