Germs and Halloween
One of the traditional yearly highlights for our children is coming upon us again. Halloween is just around the corner with kids by the thousands donning costumes and masks while spending the evening going door to door and loading up their bags with scrumptious candy. Believe it or not this ritual dates back over 2,000 years, when Celtic tribes in the British Isles wore masks and costumes to ward off evil spirits. They celebrated it at the end of October because they believed the change in seasons opened a door where evil spirits could roam freely throughout the land. They wore these masks and costumes to outsmart the spirits.
It is completely understandable that children are focused on having fun and getting as much candy as humanly possible but parents should be aware of the danger of children spreading germs among themselves. The change in season and grouping together of children in classrooms make it easier for germs to jump from person to person. Parental vigilance can go a long way to saving you and your kids the aggravation of catching a cold. Experts have noted that parents should follow some simple rules to make Halloween much more enjoyable for all, such as:
When shopping for a costume with little Johnnie or Sally beware of them trying on masks, especially those made of rubber. Who knows how many other people have tried on that alien or princess mask, thus creating a comfortable domicile for insidious germs. And please do not let your children share masks. It would be a good idea to spritz the inside of that mask with a natural and organic cold and flu spray, such as the one sold by Gifts of Nature Organics. Through the use of jojoba oil, aloe vera and only medical grade essential oils, their hospital trained aromatherapist has created the perfect plant based anti bacterial spray.
Parents should only distribute wrapped candy and never let children dig their hand into the bowl. The parent should drop the candy into the child’s bag. If the candy is unwrapped and kids are allowed to grab from the receptacle I don’t have to tell you how easy it is for germs to spread from one child to another.
Continually wipe your young one’s hands or use a natural and organic hand sanitizer, such as is sold by Gifts of Nature Organics. It is not always possible to completely ward off germs maybe due to a sloppy sneeze or even a polite handshake but good parental vigilance can go a long way to making your child’s Halloween a happy and safe experience!