5 Steps to Keeping Your Trick-or-Treaters Safe This Halloween

Halloween is coming fast, and your kids have probably already been telling you all of their costume ideas. But whether they’re going as a dinosaur or a zombie, the most fundamental Halloween goal is to keep them safe while letting them have fun. It can be unnerving when your little monster is ready to leave you behind and go trick-or-treating unchaperoned. And keep in mind that kids younger than 13 may not quite be ready for trick-or-treating without parents tagging along.

You can give your kids the freedom (and treats) they crave while also giving yourself peace of mind that they’re coming home safe and stocked with candy. 

Just like anything involving your kids, it’s critical to put together a game plan to know what to do to make things fun and safe. This doesn’t mean you should create a detailed guide to the night, as your kids may be less likely to follow such a complicated Halloween agenda. They’re focused on their costumes, their friends, and their treats. To keep things simple, think about only the need-to-know information that will help you be at ease while your little one parades around the neighborhood in search of sweets. 

Schedule check-ins

It’s important to arrange times with your little spooks to check in with you and let you know they’re safe and sweetened. Make sure your kids know what times you’ll be expecting check-ins, how to do the check-in, and a plan if the check-in doesn’t happen.

How Gabb helps: 

• Get updates throughout the night with unlimited call and text
• Check their location with GPS active tracking
• Set an alarm on their Gabb Phone so they know when to check in
  Get Gabb Phone
  

• Get updates throughout the night with unlimited call and pre set texts
• Check their location with GPS active tracking
• Set the alarm on their Gabb Watch to let them know it’s time to head home
  Get Gabb Watch
  

Stay street smart

Before letting your kids head out into the night, it’s crucial to make sure your trick-or-treaters understand and follow the basics of street safety before allowing them to go trick-or-treating. If you’re unsure about street safety for kids, you can start here. If your kid knows the rules, the next step is to make sure they know a few things to keep them out of harm’s way on All Hallows Eve.

• Know the trick-or-treat team: Going with just one friend is obviously better than on their own, but if they have a bigger group, it’s easier for your little one to stay with the group without getting separated. As the parent, you should make a point to know all the other children your kid plans to trick-or-treat with and have a way to contact them, as well as their parents.
  
• Avoid talking to strangers (beyond trick-or-treating): Your kids likely know the general rule about talking to strangers, but on Halloween, costumes and darkness can make identifying people more difficult. Beyond that, some people use Halloween costumes as a guise to pull pranks and other mischiefs. By avoiding talking to people outside their trick-or-treating group, your kid is less likely to end up in unsafe situations.

• Use the buddy system: Having a person that your kid buddies up with keeps both safer. This is especially helpful if your child is going out in a larger group that could unintentionally leave someone behind. 

How Gabb helps: 

• Program the phone numbers of your kid’s treat crew into their phone for the night 
• Check in on their location with GPS active tracking
• Get updates throughout the night with unlimited call and text
  

• Customizable GPS “Safe Zones” to alert you when they’ve strayed off their path
• Unlimited calling and voice messaging gives them the option to call you for a ride

Map the treat trail

Your kid may know all the best spots to find the full-size bars, but it’s important to know where they plan to go. Make sure you and your ghoul agree on the general area to stick to when it comes to nabbing their loot. 

Get Gabb

• See if they’re almost home with GPS active tracking
• Get updates throughout the night with unlimited call and text
  

• Get alerted if they stray off their path with Customizable GPS “Safe Zones” 
• See where in the neighborhood they are with GPS active tracking
• Get updates throughout the night with unlimited call and preset texts

Set the curfew

At the end of the night, you don’t want to be checking and re-checking your phone, wondering where your pumpkins are. Before they leave for the candy adventures ahead, make sure they agree to be home by the time you set.

Get help with Gabb

• GPS active tracking lets you see if they’re almost home
• Call or text to get an update and to offer a ride if they’ve got a long walk ahead
• Set the alarms on their Gabb Phone to make sure they don’t miss their curfew

• GPS active tracking can show you their location, wherever they are
• Call or text them to see if they need a ride home 
• Get an immediate alert if your child is ever in a scary situation
• Set the alarm on their Gabb Watch to let them know it’s time to head home

Set up your Gabb devices and apps

Get your child’s Gabb device set up and ready to go with all of your preferred settings before Halloween night. For starters, make sure your child’s Gabb device is properly paired to your phone so you can easily check in. You can start with pairing instructions for the Gabb Watch and Gabb Phone below. 

• Get help pairing Gabb Phone to your phone.
  
• Get help pairing Gabb Watch to your phone. 

If you want to learn all the things about your kid’s device, head to Gabb self-service to get the info you’ll need to keep your kids safer and you more informed this Halloween!