Halloween is here, and in a couple of hours there will be kids all over the neighborhood going door to door and collecting candy. We hope that you and your family have a wonderful Halloween night, but if you’re not smart about all the extra walking you’ll be doing tonight, you may find that your November starts off on the wrong foot. Here are some tips for protecting your feet and ankles if you and your child will be walking all over the neighborhood tonight.
Preventing Foot Injuries On Halloween
It doesn’t take much to significantly reduce your risk of a foot or ankle injury on Halloween. Here’s what you’ll want to do.
1. Shoes Built For Walking – Normally, if you were planning on walking around the neighborhood, you’d make sure that you and your children were in a running shoe or similar-styled athletic shoe. However, on Halloween, some parents and children want their footwear to match their costume. Ballerina flats, high heels or football cleats will not support your feet while you’re walking up and down sidewalks and driveways, so leave those shoes at home. You can wear them for a picture before the night starts, but make sure that you swap them out for a comfortable and supportive shoe before you start walking around the neighborhood.
2. Stay On The Sidewalks – Yes, we know that you could probably hit more houses if you cut through lawns in a more direct path to the doorbell, but not only is that a little rude, it also greatly increases your risk of an ankle sprain or fracture. Grass and landscaping will have unique bumps and contours, and it can be difficult to see where you’re stepping when the sun begins to set. Stay on paved pathways so that you don’t accidentally roll an ankle on someone else’s landscape.
3. Stay Visible – The sun is setting earlier and earlier these days, and if you’re not easy to be seen, you may not be visible to a passing driver. All drivers need to be very aware of the situation tonight and go slow through neighborhoods, but you can help avoid serious injuries by making sure your child can be easily seen when crossing roads and crosswalks.
4. Keep Costumes Hemmed With Clear Sight Lines – Your child may look awesome in that homemade dinosaur costume or as a wizard from Harry Potter, but if they are struggling to see out of their costume or it’s dragging behind them because it’s too long, your child will be at risk for tripping and falling. Costumes are to blame for a number of Halloween injuries each year, so make sure that you kid can see and move freely in their costume before you unleash them on the neighborhood.
5. Stay In Well-Lit Areas – Finally, even when you’re walking on even ground, it helps to be able to see where you’re going. Stay in well-lit areas so that your child doesn’t trip or fall on a curb or a porch step.