Halloween may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean your family has to miss out on all of the fun!
If you plan on staying in this Spooky Holiday Season, get your kids excited about Halloween again by enjoying these 10 fun and safe stay-at-home Halloween activities.
Host a Family Pumpkin Carving Contest
Have each member of your family carve a pumpkin early in the night and set them up in your living room with a fake candle inside, so you can watch them glow while you continue on with your other Halloween activities. You could even hand out prizes or ribbons for the best pumpkin.
Go Indoor Trick-or-Treating
Set a different kind of candy in each room of your home and let your kids dress up and trick-or-treat to each room to get all of the different kinds of candy to fill their baskets. You can even invite close family (not a large group) to help you join in on the fun!
Make a Homemade Scary Movie OR Reenact Your Favorite Halloween Scene on TikTok
Have the whole family dress up and get in on the action. Act out a scene based on your Halloween costume or find your favorite scene from a Halloween movie, grab some props and your phone to capture it all, and let the fun begin! This is an easy tradition that you could start to do yearly and then watch them every Halloween.
Make Some Scarily Delicious Treats
Popcorn balls, Monster Cookies, Edible Slime, Frankenstein Guacamole, Jack-o-Lantern Taco Dip, Eye Ball Pretzel Rods; we have all these spooky treats and MORE on our Pinterest Board, “Easy Halloween Treats” check them out and see what you and your family want to have on Halloween night!
Have a Halloween Candy Scavenger Hunt
Hide candy all throughout your home (be careful it’s not in the reach of your pets) and in your backyard. Have your kids put on their costumes and go candy hunting! This is a fun alternative to trick-or-treating and could be done at day or night, as long as flashlights are available.
Have a Scary Face Painting Contest
Buy some Halloween face paint and have each member of your family choose what scary creature they would like to look like. Print out the photos and get to painting. Whoever painted the person’s face that looks the most like their scary creature, wins a prize.
Play Halloween-Themed Games
Halloween Charades, Toilet Paper Mummies, Bobbing for Apples, Pumpkin Patch Stomp, Pin the Tail on the Black Cat; there are all kinds of games that you could tailor to the Halloween-theme for your family. For more ideas, check out these games from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom.
Throw Your Own Monster Mash
Can’t go to a Halloween party? Throw your own! Make some space in your living room, get some spooky décor, set out foods and drinks, get on your costumes and play some spooky tunes (Here’s our free Halloween Spotify Playlist) and let the party begin.
If you live in an area where it is possible to set up a tent and a bonfire (or a fire pit) in the backyard, have the whole family sit around the fire telling scary stories and making s’mores, and then camp under the full moon. If you do not, improvise by going camping in your living room! Set up a blanket fort, turn on a scary show, and make s’mores in the microwave.
If you live in an area where families will still be trick-or-treating, but you are choosing to stay in; don’t forget to leave a basket of candy at your door. This way you won’t have to continue to answer the door and be in close proximity of anyone, but trick-or-treaters can still get their candy.
Have a spooky and safe Halloween!
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.
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.
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.
There are many more combustible materials in today’s homes than in years past, which means a spark or small fire can engulf a house in less than five minutes.
Smoke alarms are a critical first line of defense against catastrophic loss. To keep your family and home safe, follow these tips on installing alarms correctly, testing them, and ensuring that they’re properly maintained and cleaned.
Step 1: Installation
First, you should know that there are two types of smoke alarms: ionization and photoelectric. The first is more responsive to flaming fires, the second to smoldering fires. For best protection, use both types or a hybrid of the two. When it comes time to install them, remember to:
Install alarms inside each bedroom as well as outside sleeping areas and on every level of your home, including the basement.
Choose alarms that display the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
Install wall-mounted alarms 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling, and ceiling-mounted models at least 4 inches from the closest wall.
To avoid false alarms, place the units more than 10 feet from cooking appliances and 3 feet from bathrooms (shower steam can trigger them).
Smoke alarms in the basement should be positioned on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs leading to the next floor.
For pitched ceilings, place alarm within 3 feet of the peak but not within the apex.
Never paint smoke alarms or adhere stickers or decorations, as this can disable them.
Don’t install alarms near doors, ducts, or windows where drafts might decrease their sensitivity.
If possible, interconnect your smoke alarms using hard-wiring or wireless technology. This extra safety measure enables all the alarms to sound at once when any single one is triggered. Note that they must be from the same manufacturer.
Step 2: Testing
Be sure to keep the manufacturer’s instructions so you can properly test them and use for reference.
While using ear protection, test alarms at least once a month using the “test” button. This ensures that your alarms have reliable power.
Never test your alarm with real smoke or exhaust.
Make sure you know what kind of batteries your smoke alarms have. Some units have non-replaceable 10-year batteries; others have batteries that need to be replaced every 6-12 months. For the latter, always have fresh replacement batteries on hand.
Always replace batteries following the manufacturer’s instructions. If it specifies a particular battery, use that exact one or the alarm might not work properly.
Step 3: Maintenance & Cleaning
Smoke alarm safety depends on regular maintenance and cleaning. Do the following to ensure yours stay in proper working order.
Maintain a monthly testing schedule and log your maintenance activities, along with any notes.
If the alarm chirps, that means the battery is low and you should replace it right away.
Clean alarms by gently vacuuming the outside of the unit with a soft brush attachment. You can also use a can of clean compressed air (sold at office supply stores).
Never use water, solvents or cleaners on your alarm.
Finally, make sure your family has a fire escape plan in place and that everyone understands and can follow it in an emergency. Use the National Fire Protection Association’s easy-to-use template 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.
Bullies have always been around. But whereas bullying used to happen mostly on school campuses and in classrooms, it’s now followed students to their remote and virtual lives.
As children and teens go to classes online, and their main line of communication is via social media, it’s important to know that, as a parent, there are steps you can take to educate yourself and your child and better protect them.
What Is It?
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to intentionally humiliate, intimidate, embarrass, threaten, or harass another person. It can include online threats, aggressive messages, or posts of photos or videos meant to humiliate. Cyberbullies often share personal or private information about their targets (often called doxing), or post false, harmful, or negative information, all designed to cause embarrassment or intimidation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful behavior.
Cyberspace: Where Anything Goes
The expansion of social interaction into the virtual space means that cyberbullying is:
Persistent – The 24/7 nature of our virtual world means bullying can happen anytime and anywhere.
Permanent – Once something is shared on the internet, it can be hard to delete. And even if it is removed, it can already have caused immense damage while live.
Hard to detect – The online nature of cyberbullying makes it much harder for adults to detect than when it happens in person.
Anonymous – Victims of cyberbullies might not even know who is targeting them, adding anxiety, mistrust, and confusion to an already hurtful interchange. And as anyone familiar with trolls knows, anonymity often breeds an extra layer of viciousness.
Can spread to a large audience – Attacks can reach a very large audience in a short period of time, making it difficult to contain the spread.
Where Does It Occur?
Cyberbullying can happen wherever there is online social interaction. The most common places are:
Social media such as Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram
Direct messaging, instant messaging, and online chatting on various platforms
Text messaging on mobile devices, online apps, or tablets
Email
Online gaming communities
Online chat rooms, message boards, and other forums
What You Can Do
As a parent, you have tools at your disposal to help protect your child.
Talk about it. Have the cyberbullying conversation early – communication is key in detecting and addressing it. Kids may be reluctant to talk but making sure they know you’re available and ready to help may allay their fears. Make sure to help them set expectations, know what to look for, and be alert to red flags.
Set rules. Just as you protect them in the physical world, make sure you’re establishing guidelines and boundaries in the virtual world. Stress the importance of privacy protection, password security, and discernment of who to friend or not. Set hours that technology can be used and when it should be turned off.
Set parental controls – Set up parental access for your kids’ cell phones, social networking sites, text history, etc. As your child gets older, re-evaluate the rules and restrictions. Keep communication open and provide guidance in helping them become a critical thinker.
Stay involved – Check in regularly. Even if your child is not being bullied themselves, they may well be a witness to it. It’s important to stay engaged, not just for teachable moments but for the possible need to bring bullying behavior to teachers’ or school administrators’ attention.
Documentation – If you suspect your child is being bullied, document the evidence. Record details, including: saving URLs where bullying occurred; printing emails, posts, or webpages; taking screenshots of bullying, and saving texts or messages.
Victim, Witness, or Bully?
Cyberbullying affects not only the bully and their victim, but also witnesses. Here’s some final advice to help your kid no matter where they are in the dynamic.
If your child is being bullied – In addition to the tips above, remember to offer a safe and supportive space for them to share their feelings and experience. Let them know that it is not their fault, they are not alone, and bullying is never okay. Work with their teacher and school administrators and ask about the school’s bullying prevention policy and protocol.
If your child has witnessed bullying – Let them know they can make a difference by: not engaging in bullying behavior (no matter how “minor” it seems), reporting it, and reaching out to and supporting the victims. Remind them they can trust parents, teachers, school counselors, and other adults, and should reach out to them right away.
If your child is being a bully – First, remember that bullying is a behavior, and behaviors can be changed. You’ll need to talk with them, ask about their feelings, and explore reasons for their behavior. You may wish to involve a school counselor or a children’s therapist. Discuss expectations and consequences, and practice positive feedback and patience as your child works on their behavior.
While the virtual world offers kids new, meaningful ways to interact and opportunities to learn, share, and grow, it also, unfortunately, provides fertile ground for bullying. By keeping lines of communication open with your child and setting guidelines and expectations, you can help protect them. If you’re a teacher, check out these tips for preventing bullying in the classroom – many of which can be applied virtually.
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.
