Halloween can be an extra-scary time for our four-legged family members. Our pets don’t understand why the doorbell keeps ringing or why strange creatures- that kind of resemble humans- keep yelling and trying to come into their house and yard.
These factors and more can cause our pets to become anxious and start acting out of the ordinary with their behaviors like, panting, crying, running, jumping, and even becoming aggressive. That is why it is important to keep your pet (and Trick-or-Treaters) safe this Halloween by following these Five Simple Halloween Safety Tips for Pets.
1. Keep Your Pet in a Separate Room
Bring pets indoors and lock them in a separate room, far away from the commotion, with a TV or noise machine on during prime trick-or-treating hours (6pm- 8:30pm). This will give you peace of mind that your pet will not harm or scare away trick-or-treaters and you don’t have to worry about your pet escaping every time you open the door.
2. Keep the Candy Out of Reach
Most Halloween candy is toxic to pets, especially chocolate, so make sure bowls of candy are stashed in a cupboard or a shelf high enough where they cannot reach them. If your dog or cat does ingest any candy or wrappers contact your vet immediately.
3. Don’t Put Your Pet in a Costume Unless They Love It
Dressing your pet up could cause extra anxiety for them, and if they try to escape their costume and get stuck, they could seriously injure themselves. If you decide to dress them up, keep it comfortable for them and let them try on their costume before Halloween to make sure they love it and have time to get used to how it feels.
4. Watch the Decorations
Using a real flame to light a Jack-O-Lantern is rare these days, but if you do make sure it is placed somewhere your pet can’t accidentally run into it. Be sure to also keep any decoration that could harm your pet like, plastic, fake spider webs, and lights/electrical cords out of your pet’s reach.
5. Keep Your Pets Identified
Always make sure your pet is wearing a collar with tags that are up to date and that they are microchipped, just in case they do happen to escape.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween with your fur-babies! 🙂
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Much like all holidays, Halloween is going to look quite a bit different this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun (and spooky, of course).
No matter if you are back in the classroom or virtual learning, here are some fun, socially distant Halloween activities that you can do all week long with your students.
Carve Virtual Pumpkins
ABCYa has a free game on their website called “Carve It” where kids can draw on a pumpkin and it will carve it for them virtually. Unlike real pumpkins, they can easily click undo or reset when they mess up and there is no cleanup!
Boo! Your Students
You might have heard of the trend “Booing! your neighbors”, but if not, it’s basically just surprising them with Halloween Treats. All you have to do is put together a bag of goodies and a note saying that they’ve been “Booed!” and leave it on their doorstep when they aren’t home.
You can Boo! your students by leaving Halloween goodie bags at their desks. If you are remote learning, you could Boo! them at their homes or if you want to go an easier route, you could send them a fun email letting them know they have been Booed!
Play Halloween-Themed Games
There are all kinds of games that can be tailored to meet the Halloween-theme. Here are a few of our favorites:
Halloween PowerPoint Races- Games4esl.com has created this super fun and socially distant Halloween-themed PowerPoint race for students. All they have to do is answer the questions correctly and they will move forward in the race. Click HEREto download the document and read the instructions.
Hallo-Charades- Gather together a list of Halloween terms and split students into two teams. Like a game of regular charades, each group must have someone act out the Halloween term that they have been given in their time window if they do not then the other team gets a chance to guess. Correct answers get points!
Halloween-Themed Virtual Escape Rooms- Click HERE to get into the free kid-friendly Halloween virtual escape room. Have students work individually or into virtual break out groups to solve this creepy riddle. If older kids want to get in on the fun (or you have a few overachievers in your class) have them check out this free Harry Potter-themed virtual escape room! Click HEREto enter.
Draw a Monster- This may be the easiest and most fun game you have ever played with your students, and it works great with remote and in-person classes! Have your students each take out a piece of paper and a pencil. Click HEREto play the video and have each child draw what they think the scary Halloween monster looks like based on the description it gives.
Halloween Printables- Printable activities are always good alternatives to group games. You can download a free Halloween Word Searchand Build a Jack-O-Lantern activity to either print out or email to all of your students to complete on their own.
Host a Halloween Costume Party/Contest
Even if there is no parade to show them off, kids still want their friends to see what they are being for Halloween. So, on the last day of the week, let kids wear their costumes to class (even if you are remote learning). You could even print out awards and let the kids vote on the best, funniest, and scariest costumes!
For those in person, let parents know the costumes must be something that they can sit in all day and they must still wear masks.
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We specialize in providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
We have amazing employees at California Casualty. The Employee Spotlight is a new series aiming to highlight those talented individuals that make up our successful company culture and community. From human resource recruiters and learning and development trainers to claims adjusters, marketers, customer support specialists, partner relations, sales representatives, and beyond; each week, we’ll highlight a new team member, so you can get to know us better and see how our employees make us who we are as a company.
This edition of the Employee Spotlight will feature a member of our Partner Relations team, Christopher Renn
Chris has been with us for 12 years years and works remotely in the Field as a Field Marketing Manager in CA.
Let’s get to know Chris!
What made you want to work as a Field Marketing Manager for California Casualty?
Easy, I wanted to go out and meet the Heroes that we serve every single day.
What is your favorite part about your job?
The fact that I get to support and work with some of the strongest leaders from Teachers and Administrators (CTA & ACSA) to Police (PORAC), Fire (CSFA), and Nurse Practitioners (CANP), even Dental Hygienists (CDHA)!
I love my job! Definitely enjoy the autonomy that I get in working with my groups and the support I get from our team to help further those relationships.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
Throughout my year as a Field Marketing Manager, I have gotten a much better understanding of the intricacies of Unions and how to best support and uplift those involved.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I love spending time with my grandson (pictured above).
I love the Lakers, Dodgers, and Rams!
I enjoy making music and helping my son in his entertainment endeavors.
I love live music. Whether it is a local show or a world tour, I enjoy connecting with the music and the musicians on a visceral level.
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I jump off cliffs (into water) wherever I go. I have jumped as high as 70 feet, but at my age, I typically like to keep it closer to the 25-30 foot range.
Over a 20 year period (almost exactly 2000 games), I missed only 11 Lakers games (No I didn’t travel with the team, I am referring to watching, listening to, or attending).
My grandson is the apple of my eye.
Both my daughter and my Son’s fiancée are going to school to become PA’s (Physicians Assistants)!
My wife and I just enjoyed our 30th wedding anniversary in June.
If you want to learn more about Chris or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with him on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
Stopping the texting habit can be really hard. We’re glued to our phones seemingly 24/7, and the alerts, dings, and chimes make them irresistible even when we’re behind the wheel.
Technology’s not going away anytime soon and self-driving cars are still off in the future – so how do we stop texting? Let’s look to psychology for some guidance – specifically, to some mental hacks to kick a habit.
How Habits Form
For a habit to become ingrained, a “habit loop” must first become established. This loop has 3 elements:
This is the trigger that tells your brain to do something, like grabbing the phone when you hear a text chime. It’s often automatic—we don’t even realize we’re doing it.
This is the behavior or action itself. Here, it’s picking up the phone and typing out a text reply.
If there’s a reward after the behavior, it strengthens the habit loop. In this case, that might be an actual or anticipated reply, or the satisfaction of sending off that text that you keep meaning to send.
No wonder habits are so “sticky”—each step reinforces the next. Understanding how it works in your life is key to breaking the habit and forming a new one. It just takes a little self-awareness and a commitment to change.
Breaking the Habit Loop
By disrupting one or more components of the loop, you can transition to a life of text-free driving.
1.Review Your Cues: Figure out what’s making you reach for your phone.
If you can’t ignore the sound alerts, turn your phone to silent and stash it out of sight (or better yet, out of reach).
Install an app that silences your phone while you’re driving. These apps detect when your car is in motion and automatically silence it for the duration. Options include Not Disturb While Driving (iphones), Driving Detective for Android, or Google’s Android Auto.
If your cue is boredom, practice mindfulness (a great skill for all aspects of life).
2. Refresh Your Routine: A few tweaks could make a big difference.
Send texts before you leave, then put away the phone.
If you have a passenger with you, have them be your thumbs.
Sign off a conversation with X or #X, which means you’re driving.
Let your 5 closest contacts know you’re changing it up. Most of our communications are just with them.
3. Reframe Your Rewards: Really contemplate the risks of texting while driving.
Think back to a texting close call. Think through the worst-case scenario. Now write it down and keep it in plain view in your car. Read it every time you get in.
Whenever you feel a temptation to reach for your phone, think of who would be devastated if you were to crash while texting.
When not reaching for your phone, embrace the feeling of not being anxious and distracted.
Want to really kickstart your commitment? Sign The National Safety Council’s Just Drive pledge.. If you have young drivers at home, team up, and make the commitment together (and get safe driving tips for them here).
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We specialize in providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Teen drivers are the most accident-prone of all drivers because of one major factor: inexperience. In fact, their first 6-12 months of solo driving is the most dangerous stretch of their lifetime as a licensed driver.
Because they’ve logged far fewer hours compared to other drivers, they are less able to predict – and properly respond to – hazards, sudden changes in traffic and erratic behaviors by other drivers. They also typically haven’t made a habit of defensive driving techniques, leaving them vulnerable to making wrong decisions in the moment.
If you have a young driver (or soon-to-be licensed driver) in the house, as a parent, your years of driving experience are an invaluable asset. Here are some ways you can leverage that knowledge and expertise to help boost your teen’s safe driving know-how.
The Learning Permit Phase: A Golden Opportunity
Many new teen drivers complete their learner’s permit training lacking important real-world driving skills. You can help your teen shore up that deficit by serving as co-pilot in a range of driving scenarios and situations during the permit phase. By exposing them to – and coaching them through – diverse experiences behind the wheel, you will help them become a confident, safe and independent driver.
Although you may feel more secure behind the wheel, here are some driving scenarios that teens need to experience.
1. Bad Weather
There’s a big difference between answering driver test questions about how to handle bad weather and how to actually do it in the moment. When possible, have your teen drive you during the following weather events.
Snow
Wind
Heavy rain
Sleet
2. Different Roads
Different roadways (and intersections) call for different driving skills and techniques. Ditto for traffic situations. Expose them to as many as you can, including:
One-way roads
Two-lane roads with high-speed limits
Peak commute traffic
Multi-lane highways and interstates
Congested roads in urban centers
Residential streets
3. Day, Night, and Everything in Between
Bright light at dawn and sunset, as well as low light at dusk, affects drivers’ visibility and also influence traffic patterns and behaviors. Practice driving with your teen at different times of day and night. Coach them on the adjustments they need to make in terms of following distance and defensive driving, as well as personal adjustments with visors, sunglasses, headlights, and more.
4. Switch up passengers
For a new driver, devoting their full attention to driving and the road is incredibly important. Knowing that your teen won’t be driving alone forever, why not invite another family member or friend along so your teen can start strengthening their “focus muscles”? Distractions are a major cause of accidents among teens, so the sooner they can begin successfully managing distractions while driving, the better.
5. Different cars
If your family has multiple cars, have your teen practice in each of them. Sedans drive much differently from SUVs, and stick shifts from automatics, etc. – all are good for them gaining familiarity with a variety of vehicles.
Teen Drivers’ Most Common Errors
In addition to exposing your young driver to a range of on-the-road experiences, be sure to also help them cultivate good driving habits. Here are the top errors that inexperienced drivers make – keep an eye out for them and coach your teen along the way.
Lack of scanning – Inexperienced drivers typically detect hazards later than more experienced drivers and may be unsure how to react. Left turns are especially dangerous for them.
Distractions – No matter whether they come from inside or outside the vehicle, distractions are a common reason for teen crashes.
Speeding – This includes driving too fast for road conditions or weather as well as inadequate braking. This error commonly ends in rear-end events.
Tailgating – Inexperienced teens haven’t yet gained a feel for safe cushion distances and can easily follow other vehicles too closely.
Teens need extra time and experience to master good driving skills. By accompanying them in a variety of driving settings and conditions – as well as lending your years of expertise – you’ll help them develop critical skills for more safely navigating our roadways. For more teen driver safety tips, click here.
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We specialize in providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
