I think this can be a low-risk activity in my neighborhood.
There have always been a lot of things that make parents nervous about Halloween: Inspecting their candy, so they won’t get poisoned or bite into a pin. Making sure their costumes are bright and visible to drivers and they wear makeup instead of masks so they can see. Worrying that their teeth will rot from the amount of sugar they eat.
Then, there are also the social worries: Is their Halloween costume good enough? As they get a bit older, will they be included by their friends to go trick-or-treating? Are they going to be invited to the Halloween parties?
So much worry–and that was before Halloween 2020 and all the anxiety that COVID-19 brings along with it. Now all our past worries seem so manageable compared to our concern that kids will get infected while participating in this annual gorge fest.
Many parents are trying to determine whether they’ll allow their kids to go out trick-or-treating this year. It’s a personal choice, and parents are best qualified to make that decision for their families. There is also the added complication that the rate of cases is changing on a daily basis, the information we are receiving is in flux and can be confusing, and we’re all trying to manage our comfort levels with the pressures our kids and other people are putting on us. It’s quite a conundrum for parents, and I think we’ll see parents going back and forth on this decision right up until the night arrives.
For now, I have decided that my children will go out for Halloween. Here are the reasons why I feel comfortable with it:
1. I will prepare my children and manage their expectations. If they are not well, they will not go out. They will trick-or-treat with their siblings. They will not go to a house where other children are. Gone are the days of running wildly up to every house. They will use hand sanitizer and avoid touching their faces. They will not have costumes that irritate their faces causing them to fiddle in that area.
2. I trust my neighbors. This is not the case in some neighborhoods, but it is in mine. There have been many conversations in our community among parents and others who like to see the children in costume. We’ve discussed how to create a safe trick-or-treat environment. My neighbors plan on setting out individual bags of candy on a table at the end of their driveways or using long tongs to distribute treats. Masks will be worn by candy distributors and trick-or-treaters alike.
3. There are many higher risk activities. Does anyone remember the days of apple bobbing? CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE? I would rather my kids safely be outdoors in my neighborhood under my supervision, than go to a haunted house, scary movie night at a friend’s house or attend a Halloween party. My children are currently attending school indoors with several other children. I think that is a higher-risk activity, so I’d rather not break from this tradition of trick-or-treating that brings them so much joy. My kids are doing just fine, but I would rather not take this away from them if it can be done safely, and I’m confident it can be.
Please remember, this is a personal choice, and this is the one I’ve made. It doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t make yours wrong. You can create many new traditions this year if you feel it’s necessary. You can have your kids dress up and do a candy hunt, Easter-style. You can have a family movie night with treats. You can encourage everyone to make up a fun and scary story to share around a pretend campfire in your family room.
Whatever you decide, remember your kids will be fine with however Halloween looks this year. They have made it this far and we are learning just how resilient our little ghouls and goblins really are!
Julie Cole is a mom of six who shelved her career as a lawyer to monitor her son’s autism. Noticing his stuff always got mixed up with other kids’ belongings, she was inspired to create a business, Mabel’s Labels, based on cute, waterproof labels. The brand has grown from a basement start-up to multi-millions in sales in just 14 years, and was acquired by label giant Avery. Julie has earned extensive media recognition and countless entrepreneur awards, such as The Idea That Made Millions, SavvyMom’s Mompreneur of the Year, Best Product from Baby Gizmo, iParenting and PTPA Media, and the Canadian Female Entrepreneur of the Year award. She is also a prominent blogger known as “The Mama of Many” (modernmom.com, PTPA Media, Yummy Mummy Club, Mabelhood, Twitter @juliecole), and is frequently engaged to speak on topics such as marketing to women and marketing to moms. PR reel: http://about.me/julie.cole.
Family
I think this can be a low-risk activity in my neighborhood.
This is a personal choice I’ve made. It doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t make yours wrong.
